Gearing up for back-to-school?
Between student jitters about a new classroom and parent anxiety about getting back into the rhythm of the year, dinner might be the last thing on your mind.
Going out to eat might be a time-honored tradition for the first day of school in your house, but here is a quick, kid-friendly dinner you can prepare in that painfully short half hour between the time that everyone arrives home and that moment of hunger-fueled chaos because it’s time to eat.
This recipe from Vanessa McNeil Rocchio's new "Southern Living What's for Supper: 5-Ingredient Weeknight Meals: Delicious Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less" (Oxmoor House, $19.95) calls for cooked and crumbled bacon, which could be leftovers from a large batch you made for Sunday brunch or, if you're really trying to save time, a pre-cooked package from the store.
I’m a big fan of making pizzas with half what I want and half what the kids want, but the bacon and cheese on this pie might be palate-pleasing enough to serve everyone in your house.
If you have frozen pizza dough in the freezer, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and remove from the fridge as soon as you get home so it can start to warm up, which will make it easier to stretch. Don’t feel like rolling out dough? Pick up a store-bought crust that is ready to be dressed with whatever your kids love to eat.
BRUSSELS SPROUTS, BACON AND CHEESE PIZZA
1/2 lb. Brussels sprouts
1 lb. bakery pizza dough, at room temperature
Cooking spray
2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 (8-oz.) package shredded Italian three-cheese blend, divided
1 lemon
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut Brussels sprouts in half and then cut into shreds.
Roll dough into a 12-inch circle on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Brush dough with 1 Tbsp oil. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups cheese, leaving a 1/2-inch border.
Grate zest from lemon to equal 2 tsp. Cut lemon in half; squeeze juice from lemon into a large bowl to equal 1 Tbsp. Add lemon zest, Brussels sprouts, bacon, next 2 ingredients and remaining 1 Tbsp oil; toss well. Sprinkle Brussels sprouts mixture over pizza. Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes or until crust is golden, cheese is bubbly, and edges of sprouts are browned. Serves 4.
— From "Southern Living What's for Supper: 5-Ingredient Weeknight Meals: Delicious Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less" by Vanessa McNeil Rocchio (Oxmoor House, $19.95)
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