No-cheese pizza with store cupboard toppings
This no-cheese pizza makes use of ingredients many of us have sitting in the store cupboard. Perfect for those days when you need a quick dinner and the fridge supplies are running low!
Quick reference dietary information
Dairy, egg & soy free | gluten free option | nut free | sesame free
No-cheese pizza with ingredients from the store cupboard
When we were getting going with dairy free weaning, I wanted to make baby friendly pizza – but I was a bit stuck with what toppings to go for! At the time I couldn’t envisage a pizza without piles of melty cheese. This was a few years ago, and at the time the soy free vegan cheese options were pitiful and didn’t melt well at all (SO much better now!). So, I just started making no-cheese pizzas, which felt revolutionary to me. But of course, my son didn’t care about the lack of cheese at all!
The no-cheese pizza I made the most uses ingredients which I generally have sitting around in the store cupboard. Perfect for a day when I’ve failed to plan ahead. It’s very quick to make and adaptable depending on what you have in. I use:
- Tomato puree. You can also use a pre made pizza sauce or a homemade version, like this vegetable packed sauce. But, in the spirit of the store cupboard pizza, puree is a quick and easy option!
- Tinned mackerel in olive oil. Mackerel is one of the best sources of omega-3, an essential fatty acid. The NHS states that “A healthy, balanced diet should include at least 2 portions of fish a week, including 1 of oily fish“.
- Tinned sweetcorn (choose one with no added salt).
Allergy friendly pizza base options:
None of the following pizza base options contain dairy, eggs, nuts or sesame as an ingredient, although some do have ‘may contain‘ warnings so please check if they are suitable for your family. I’ve also included two gluten free options. BFree was my go-to when my son was still allergic to wheat (which he outgrew at age 3).
- Sainsbury’s pizza bases
- Pizza Express pre rolled pizza dough
- The Northern Dough Company frozen pizza dough
- BFree gluten free pizza bases
- Schar gluten free pizza bases (contains soya)
Remember that ingredients can (and do) change without warning, so always double check when purchasing.
Get the kids involved!
I like getting the kids involved in cooking; I think it’s particularly important for children with allergies, as a tool to help them gain confidence around food. Putting toppings on a no-cheese pizza is a really easy and fun way to start getting them involved. This is something they can help with even at a very young age (depending on your tolerance for mess!).
Leftovers make a great lunchbox filler
I’m always looking for lunch box filler ideas for day trips, picnics and school/nursery lunchboxes. This pizza is perfect for that. It tastes good cold, so you can make use of the previous days leftovers. It makes a nice change from sandwiches!
If you’re after more lunchbox filler ideas, you may also be interested in:
- Dairy free lunchbox ideas
- Allergy friendly lunchbox filler ideas
- Puff pastry pinwheels
How to serve no-cheese pizza to babies
Cut the pizza into finger sized slices for a easy finger food. You may want to remove harder crusts until chewing skills are a bit more advanced!
When using tinned fish, always check carefully for any small bones. Finally, be mindful of the amount of salt in some of these products and, where possible, choose the no added salt versions.
No-cheese pizza with store cupboard toppings
Ingredients
- One pizza base, gluten free if needed (always check ingredients; see the main post for product suggestions)
- Up to 4 tablespoons tomato puree*
- 125 g tin of mackerel in olive oil
- ½ small (198g) tin of sweetcorn (no added salt)
- Pinch of mixed herbs
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven according to the instructions on the pizza bases.
- Spread the tomato puree over the pizza base, making sure that there is relatively even coverage.
- Drain and flake the tinned fish, checking for any little bones, and spread over the pizza base. Reserve some of the olive oil to drizzle over the pizza later
- Drain the sweetcorn and spread about half the tin across the pizza. You can keep the leftover sweetcorn in a sealed container in the fridge for use with another meal (e.g. sweetcorn fritters)
- Sprinkle over the mixed herbs, then drizzle some of the reserved olive oil lightly over the pizza.
- Before placing in the oven, press down the fillings so they are well embedded in the tomato puree; this is essential to avoid everything being flung off as soon as it gets near your child! Cook according to the instructions on the pizza bases and then slice up in sizes suitable for little hands.
Notes
- *Instead of tomato puree, you can also use a pre-made pizza sauce or a homemade version, like this vegetable packed sauce. But, in the spirit of the store cupboard pizza, puree is a quick and easy option!
- Leftover sweetcorn can be kept in a sealed container in the fridge for use with another meal (e.g. sweetcorn fritters).
- If you or your child has an allergy, always double check that the recipe and all of the components are suitable. This includes checking ‘may contain’ statements on each ingredient and making your own assessment of risk based on personal circumstances.
