KID FRIENDLY ENGLISH MUFFIN PIZZA RECIPE (SO EASY)

This quick and easy english muffin pizza recipe is the perfect 90’s nostalgic meal. It is the perfect easy meal idea for lunches or dinners and can be customized with toppings of your choice. This is an especially fun recipe to make with kids since it’s as easy as topping english muffin halves with sauce, cheese, and toppings. Delicious and beloved by the whole family.

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 Kid Friendly English Muffin Pizza Recipe (So Easy)

Both my husband and I grew up with English muffin pizzas being a special treat in our home. My mother-in-law apparently ate an English muffin most days for breakfast when my husband was a child so they were never in short supply at their house.

My oldest daughter (4) recently came home from school excitedly chattering about the fact that a kid in her preschool class brought leftover pizza in his lunch.  She’s usually a turkey sandwich girl so the thought of pizza for lunch was a VERY intriguing concept. 

As a surprise for her the next day at school, I decided to whip out my beloved English Muffin Pizza recipe and add one to her lunch. She was VERY excited for the change of pace, and I have a feeling this will be an ongoing request in the future.

WHY THIS SIMPLE ENGLISH MUFFIN PIZZA RECIPE WORKS

Kid Friendly Prep: If your kids love helping you in the kitchen, this is a GREAT meal to have them help prepare. Simply slice the English Muffins in half then let them top with the sauce, cheese, and any toppings they prefer.

Customizable: Any meal that can be customized to each family member’s liking is a win at our house. Grab a variety of toppings and let each person pick what they want! We like traditional toppings like pepperoni and bell peppers but sometimes like to change it up and do BBQ chicken pizza, etc. 

Quick & Easy: Some days you just need a meal that requires minimal thought and minimal effort. This meal is just that! 

Balanced: Use whole grain English muffins, lean proteins, and a variety of veggies for a well balanced meal! 

INGREDIENTS:

• English Muffins: I use four multi grain English muffins split in half. This will serve as the base of your pizza. 
• Pizza Sauce: You can also use marinara sauce for this! If you’re feeling spunky, consider using barbecue sauce, ranch or any other sauce you like as a base instead.
• Mozzarella Cheese: If you have a shredder, I highly recommend shredding your own or using fresh, soft mozzarella. Pre-shredded is also fine! This shredder is such a game changer & is used frequently in my kitchen.
• Toppings: We love mini pepperoni, bell peppers, onion, banana peppers, etc. This is completely customizable so use what you have on hand and what your family loves.

TOPPING IDEAS FOR ENGLISH MUFFIN PIZZAS:

There are SO many options for topping your pizzas, but here are a few ideas to get you started:

Proteins:

• Grilled chicken
• Pepperoni
• Sausage
• Pork
• Ground Beef
• Buffalo Chicken
• Ham
• Shredded Cheese
• Bacon
• Ricotta

Veggies:

• Bell peppers
• Red onions
• Roasted Red Peppers
• Mushrooms
• Spinach
• Artichoke
• Tomatoes
• Arugula

Sauces:

• Marinara
• Pizza Sauce
• Alfredo
• Ranch
• Buffalo
• BBQ
• Caesar

EQUIPMENT NEEDED:

Large Baking Sheet Pan:

You’ll want a sheet pan large enough to hold eight English muffin halves. 9×13 is large enough, but you can use larger if that’s what you have.

Parchment Paper or Silicon Baking Mat:

To avoid sticking, line your baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. I love the silicon version as it’s reusable and eco friendly!

Knife:

Grab a knife to slice the english muffins in half if you didn’t purchase a pre-sliced version.

Cheese Shredder (Optional):

Buying pre-shredded cheese for this recipe is perfectly fine, but now that I have this cheese shredder/grater, I almost always buy blocks and shred it myself. It’s cheaper and the texture is always so good!

HOW TO COOK ENGLISH MUFFIN PIZZAS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Split English muffins in half.
3. Top each half with 1 tbsp of sauce and ⅛ cup shredded mozzarella
4. Add any additional toppings
5. Bake until cheese is melted and toppings are warmed through.
6. If you prefer a crusty/browned cheese, broil until your desired level of brownness has been reached. 

COOKING VARIATIONS FOR ENGLISH MUFFIN PIZZAS

While the oven is my go-to method for making English Muffin Pizza, you can also make them in the toaster oven, air fryer, or even the microwave (as long as you’re ok with it being a bit softer).

Toaster Oven:

Preheat the toaster oven to 400 degrees and then bake pizzas for approximately 8-14 minutes until your desired level of doneness is reached.

Air Fryer:

Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees and bake pizzas for approximately 4-6 minutes until your desired level of doneness is reached.

Microwave:

Place pizzas in the microwave on a microwave safe plate and cook in 30 second increments until cheese is melted. This results in a melty/soft pizza, not a crispy one like the other methods create. Still delicious but definitely different!

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Serve this with a side salad of your choice for a simple, delicious meal. This is also great paired with a fruit and veggie side dish for a balanced school lunch. My kiddos are happy to eat them room temp or cold so there’s no need to worry about a thermos.

STORAGE

Wait for the pizzas to cool completely before adding them to an air-tight container. They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, although they never last that long at our house. 

You can reheat these in the microwave for 1-2 minutes until warmed through or in the air fryer at 350 degrees for approximately 3 minutes. 

PREP AND FREEZE ENGLISH MUFFIN PIZZA RECIPE

If you’d like to make English Muffin Pizzas in advance to store in the freezer, simply split and toast the English muffins in the oven at 375 degrees for 5 minutes. Add the muffins to a sheet pan and add toppings. Place entire pan in the freezer until the pizzas are frozen solid. Then remove and add to an air-tight storage container or gallon freezer bag. They can be stored in the freezer for up to two months. 

HOW DO YOU PACK AN ENGLISH MUFFIN PIZZA FOR SCHOOL LUNCH?

We simply remove a cold English Muffin Pizza from the refrigerator and send it to school in a lunch box with an ice pack. Our kiddos don’t mind eating them cold. 

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