When it comes to food allergies, finding things that your kids want to eat can be somewhat of a challenge. Especially when they come from food groups such as the french fry group, the chocolate group and, most popular, the pizza group. With ingredients such as soy, egg, wheat and dairy, a simple pizza slice is a definite no-no.
For my son the main culprits are soy and egg. There are substitutes, like Kashi frozen pizzas, but they’re expensive and don’t really taste like the pizza at your local restaurant. There’s also the option of purchasing fresh dough from places like Whole Foods. Again, that can also be pricey and the dough can spoil if not used fast enough. Then there’s the option of making the pizza dough from scratch. Uh, remember the part about having kids? That probably won’t be happening any time soon.
There is one other option to make pizza that is quick and tastes like something you get delivered. It’s a mix from a box and it will cost you less than a buck.
Jiffy Pizza Crust Mix can be found in practically every supermarket in these here United States. A 6.5 ounce box can be found for well under a dollar (at my local super WalMart I’ve bought it for under fifty cents). One package will get you a pie the size of a large personal pizza. So, if you were making this for a family of four then two boxes would probably be sufficient.
Preparation for the crust is utterly simple. All you need to do is add 1/2 cup of hot tap water to a package of crust mix until moistened. Like the preparation of regular dough, you will need to cover the mix and let is stand for 5 minutes to give it time to rise and form. Once the five minutes is up you will take the dough out and knead it several times on a clean surface dusted with flour.
You are now ready to form it into a crust. After greasing up your fingers, you’ll press the dough on the bottom and sides of a baking pan. The size of pan will vary depending on how many packages of mix you use. Pre-bake the crust in the oven for two to three minutes before adding the toppings.
If you’re creating a basic cheese pie, the biggest issue will be with the tomato sauce. Unfortunately, most name-brand sauces contain soy as one of their ingredients. However, we found that Prego doesn’t contain any traces of soy (this has made for very happy Pasta Nights, by the way). The cheese can be a simple mozzarella or a cheddar/Monterey Jack mix (not just plain cheddar — the result is too greasy). When ready, pop it into the oven for about 20 minutes.
The result is a pizza with a crispy, golden crust that has the rise and texture of what you would get from store-bought dough. I would provide you with a comment from my son about how he feels, but he’s only two years old. So, the only thing you would get from him would be “Mmm. Delicious.” We have made this for the other kids at one time or another, and the results have been positive there as well.
Sure, it’s pre-packaged mix that comes from a box. But, anything helps when you are trying to feed a child who can’t eat 75% of food on the market. The fact that he, and his siblings, enjoy the taste is a definite plus.
Clacked by Richard Keller 
on Mar 23, 2009 @ 10:03 EST5EDT
If you run out of Prego and have 5-10 minutes (maybe while the dough is rising?), you can make a simple pan sauce out of canned tomatoes. Heat a frying pan (surface area is key) over medium heat, add 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil to cover and 1-2 cloves of minced garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant. Stir in a 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes to the pan, juice and all. Simmer until reduced to a saucy consistency. You can add salt and pepper to taste before saucing your pizza.