BEST School Pizza (Rectangle Lunch Pizza Recipe) (2024)

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This rectangle school pizza takes me back to the nostalgic memories of my childhood! Remember the cafeteria ladies served up rectangular slices of cheesy, doughy pizza for lunch on pizza days? Now, you can recreate this old school pizza at home in less than 30 minutes, or customize it with your favorite toppings!

For me, this rectangle school pizza is a heartwarming way to remember my childhood. Nothing feels quite as good as recreating one of my favorite childhood meals as an adult. The first time I made it, I found my husband standing at the table, devouring it as a late afternoon snack. I guess this cafeteria lunch pizza brings a nostalgic feel to most of us!

School pizza ingredients

This school pizza is made with just a few simple ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Pizza dough: I made my own with this SUPER easy pizza dough recipe. It requires only 6 ingredients: yeast, flour, sugar, salt, warm water, and olive oil. It yields the most soft and fluffy pizza crust. You can substitute a store-bought pizza dough too.
• Ground sausage: I like ground sausage more than using ground beef. As the sausage has been nicely seasoned, it adds a perfect savory flavor to the pizza.
• Tomato sauce: It gives that classic rich and tangy base for the pizza. Store-bought tomato sauce is good enough!
• Onions: Don’t skip sliced onions as it adds a nice subtle sweetness and texture contrast to your pizza.
• Fresh mozzarella cheese: It’s the perfect counterpart to the tangy tomato sauce with its creamy texture and mild taste. Shred it before topping the pizza.

Making school pizza is incredibly EASY and FUN!

The first step in this school pizza recipe is to bring your pizza dough to room temperature (assuming you already have one, otherwise, see how to make an easy pizza dough.)

Next, cook the ground beef in a non-stick skillet. Break them into small pieces and cook the meat.

Then stretch the dough and add toppings. This is a really fun part and I love doing it with my kids! Instead of stretching it to a normal round shape, you’ll make it into a rectangular shape!

• Place the dough onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Stretch the dough to a rectangular crust by gently flattening the dough ball.
• Use a fork to poke holes across the surface of the dough. Brush with olive oil. Spread tomato sauce evenly, leaving about ¼-inch border on all sides.
• Add Mozzarella cheese, distributing it evenly over the surface.
• Add cooked ground sausage and onions on top of the cheese.

And bake! Bake at 450°F for 12-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted, and the crust is golden brown.

Cut it into RECTANGULAR slices and serve! That’s it!

To go the extra mile…

• For a more crispy crust, roll the dough out thin: Use a larger sheet pan and stretch the pizza until it’s very thin. For a fluffier, doughy crust, you can roll it out smaller and keep the dough a bit thicker.
• Freeze the pizza for a quick meal later: This pizza can be easily frozen and reheated for a quick and tasty meal. Wrap the pizza in plastic wrap for freezing and reheat it in the oven when you’re ready to eat.

If you’ve made extra pizza dough, try these delicious pizza recipes:

• Air Fryer Pizza Rolls
• Neapolitan Pizza
• Anchovy Pizza
• Sardine Pizza
• Dill Pickle Pizza
• Pizza Cubana

Watch How to Make Pizza Dough at Home

Watch School Pizza Recipe Video