5 Pizza Toppings Kids Will Devour

What crazy pizza toppings to your kids love?
What crazy pizza toppings to your kids love?

I have yet to meet a kid who doesn't like pizza. When asked about pizza toppings, the requests are simple: cheese or cheese and pepperoni. Those choices definitely work when you're at a restaurant, grabbing a quick meal on the go, serving up a team dinner or feeding a group of kids at a party. But when you're making homemade pizza, it's time to push the envelope on the food front.

I admit it can be tough to convince kids to try new foods or ask them to change something about their their favorite meal. But these simple, delish and (mostly) healthy toppings just might cause them to reconsider.

Pineapple adds a tropical touch to any pizza. Normally you'll see it with ham or Canadian bacon, but we like it solo with a generous heap of monterey jack cheese. Whether you use freshly-sliced pineapple of canned pineapple, let it dry on a clean kitchen towel or in an colander before you add it to the pizza dough. Otherwise you'll have a soggy slice of 'za.

Sweet bell peppers are a good pick if you're looking to add some veggies to your pizza (and your kid's meal). Choose red, yellow, purple or even light green peppers -- all have a slightly varying levels of sweetness. Slice them into thin strips or chop them into smaller pieces. Instead of putting them on the pizza before you bake it, add the sweet bell peppers about 8 minutes before the pizza is done. They'll be nice and warm but retain their crunch. And if you're really daring, try your hand at recreating this very cool Yoda pizza.

Baconis tough to hate on pizza. If you're tired of making (or ordering) pepperoni pizza for your kids, bacon is an easy way to get them to branch out. Your kids can help you crumble up cooked bacon and sprinkle it on the pizza. (Or maybe not...because the bacon will end up in their tummy long before it gets to the pizza.)

Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) bring a slight nuttiness to pizza, in concept and flavor. The legume is usually added to salads, roasted for a quick snack, or pureed to use as a dip (e.g., hummus). But it's surprisingly good on pizza. Like pineapple, whether you use dried chickpeas that you've cooked or canned chickpeas, wash and drain the them and then let them dry in a colander before you add them to the pizza. While you can use any type of cheese, chickpeas taste especially delicious with a sprinkle of feta.

Eggs on pizza? Holy yes. I first made egg on pizza a few years ago and it was an instant hit. You add the eggs by cracking them directly onto the pizza during the the last 8-10 minutes of baking time, depending on how your kids want them cooked (over easy, medium or hard). Go light on the cheese and sauce for egg pizza. And if you really want to glam it up -- and the kids are ready for it -- spread a thin layer of basil pesto on the dough, sprinkle on the cheese, and add shaved asparagus.

Your turn: What's your kid's favorite pizza topping? What's the craziest pizza you've made them?

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