1 lb. Lean Ground Beef OR
10 ounces Pepperoni OR
1 lb. Lean Ground Pork OR
1 lb. Pastrami
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan or Romano Cheese
1/2 cup Onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
1 cup Black or Green Olives, sliced (optional)
2 6 ounce cans Tomato Paste
1-1/2 cups grated Mozzarella Cheese
1 loaf French Bread
Makes about 3 Feet of Pizza (Enough to serve 6 or 8)
Have an adult pre-heat the oven to 350-F degrees.
In a large skillet, brown the meat over medium heat until it’s cooked through.
Drain off any excess fat and liquid, or place the pepperoni on paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Be sure to have your adult assistant help when you’re draining hot oil from ground meats or any fried food.
In the same skillet, add the Parmesan or Romano cheese, onion, oregano, olives (if desired), tomato paste, and mozzarella cheese. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine all the ingredients. You don’t need to heat the sauce through, just mix until all the ingredients are coated.
Have your adult helper cut the loaf of French bread in half, lengthwise. Lay the bread halves on a baking sheet, cut sides facing up.
Take a spatula and place a heaping pile of the meat sauce mixture about every 3 or 4 inches down the loaf. Spread the meat sauce mixture evenly over the top of the bread halves.
Bake for about 25 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. Remove from the oven and serve warm.
NOTE:
No French bread available? Use hamburger buns, instead, and prepare individual mini-pizzas. Just follow the directions as given above, but spread 2 or 3 tablespoons of the meat mixture over the open face of each hamburger bun.
Okay, so someone won’t eat meat, and another doesn’t like cheese? No problem. Just prepare the ingredients as directed, but don’t mix them. Hand each pizza-maker a bowl and show them about how much of each ingredient should go on their pizza, then let them mix it and place it on the baking sheet. It’s just a different sort of buffet line.