Pizza Crust And Pasta Suggestions?

Kelleybean · January 9, 2011

Hi -

My 2 y.o. son is very new to being gluten-free and I'm still experimenting. Can anyone suggest a good pizza crust, either pre-made or a mix (haven't stocked my kitchen yet with all the flours to do from scratch). I tried using gluten-free bisquick but it came out very sticky and very difficult to spread into a thin crust - what my son prefers. Are all gluten free crusts this way?

Also he loves the Amy's gluten-free mac and cheese. Can anyone recommend any pasta I can buy that is similar to that? Having a pasta he will eat will give me a lot more meal options for him.

Thanks!

coffeetime · January 9, 2011

Someone on this sight has put the link to this crust but I lost the link but had already added the recipe to my gluten-free cooking file. I make two, then freeze the second after adding the toppings. I use Namasta all purpose flour and just one of the little packs of yeast.

emaegf · January 9, 2011

Also Udi's pizza crusts are very good and thin. You can find them in the freezer section.

Jenbeans77 · January 9, 2011

Udi's is the best i have found....especially if you like thin crust!

as far as pasta goes...if he likes amys mac n cheese...i would stick with a rice pasta....

GlutenFreeManna · January 9, 2011

My two favorites are the King Arthur's gluten-free flour recipe posted above and Open Original Shared Link. King Arthur's is a yeast crust so it does take around 3 hours total by the time you add in rise time, but it's so worth it when you want an excellent crust. Chebe is very good when you want a fast crust mix. It's thin and chewy and unlike any gluten crusts but very good at the same time.

wahmmy · January 9, 2011

If you are looking for a mix, Chebe pizza crust mix is the best, IMO. I mix it up in my KitchenAid, not with forks as it suggests. I use the paddle until it starts to get moist, then do the rest with the dough hook.

Tinkyada has the best pasta, but if you are looking for mac & cheese like Kraft, Annie's has a good gluten-free box mix. Amy's rice mac & cheese that is frozen is also good.

I love Udi's, but their pizza crust isn't my favorite for pizza. I DO, however, love to make pita out of it.

Here's my recipe for pizza crust, if you are at some point trying out different ones to make from scratch: Open Original Shared Link

Good luck!

Takala · January 9, 2011

Buy some gluten free rice tortillas and keep them in the freezer. Thawed out and pre baked a little, then spread with toppings, they make a super thin, crispy, fast crust.

Personal pan pizzas can be made out of a corn tortilla, or two corn tortillas with a "stuffed" crust of shredded or sliced cheese layered between them.

Third option for fast, would be the pre made gluten free commercial crusts, which can be found in some health food stores in the freezer case.

The problem with the gluten free bisquick is that it is just a rice flour mixture, and to get any sort of decent bread, you need to use a blend of several gluten free flours, either commercial or homemade. Pamela's is a good brand of all purpose gluten free mix that is widely available. In general, any combination of 2 or 3 flours/nut or seed meals is going to be better than just one. You can always add yeast to the quick bread recipes just for the taste, along with extra virgin olive oil.

MelindaLee · January 10, 2011

Gluten Free Pantry French Bread and Pizza crust is really good and really easy. It will be a little less sticky than the bisquick. I put it on the pan, flatten it as much as I can, then cover it with plastic wrap and roll it the rest of the way. (If you don't have a rolling pin, a glass on it's side works great) You can also roll them out and freeze them for later. I usually make 2-12 pizza's out of one box as I like the crust thinner, too. But I was just thinking today I would make even smaller ones and freeze them since I am the only one who eats the pizza. (you could also make some pizza and some rolls out of this mix, it's the same mix either way. I make rolls in a muffin tin, it's a great size for a small sandwich.)

psawyer · January 10, 2011

On 1/10/2011 at 1:30 AM, MelindaLee said:
Gluten Free Pantry French Bread and Pizza crust is really good and really easy.

Yeah! What she said. We love this. The directions say it makes two 12" crusts. We prefer a thinner crust and make three from each package. Each pizza serves 2-3 (or maybe even 4).

jerseyangel · January 10, 2011

On 1/10/2011 at 1:30 AM, MelindaLee said:
Gluten Free Pantry French Bread and Pizza crust is really good and really easy.

On 1/10/2011 at 1:46 AM, psawyer said:
Yeah! What she said. We love this.

We do too! As a matter of fact, just a few minutes ago my non gluten free husband suggested we have pizza tomorrow night for dinner. We also like the crust a little thinner so I do as Peter does and get 3 crusts out of a box of mix. I generally use one, and freeze the other two as balls of dough. They thaw in the fridge overnight and come out perfect.

wahmmy · January 10, 2011

On 1/10/2011 at 1:30 AM, MelindaLee said:
Gluten Free Pantry French Bread and Pizza crust is really good and really easy. It will be a little less sticky than the bisquick. I put it on the pan, flatten it as much as I can, then cover it with plastic wrap and roll it the rest of the way. (If you don't have a rolling pin, a glass on it's side works great) You can also roll them out and freeze them for later. I usually make 2-12 pizza's out of one box as I like the crust thinner, too. But I was just thinking today I would make even smaller ones and freeze them since I am the only one who eats the pizza. (you could also make some pizza and some rolls out of this mix, it's the same mix either way. I make rolls in a muffin tin, it's a great size for a small sandwich.)

I'll have to try this for the rolls in the muffin tin! Thanks!

Kelleybean · January 10, 2011

Awesome- thanks for the suggestions!

AngieH · January 19, 2011

On 1/9/2011 at 7:33 PM, Kelleybean said:
Hi -

My 2 y.o. son is very new to being gluten-free and I'm still experimenting. Can anyone suggest a good pizza crust, either pre-made or a mix (haven't stocked my kitchen yet with all the flours to do from scratch). I tried using gluten-free bisquick but it came out very sticky and very difficult to spread into a thin crust - what my son prefers. Are all gluten free crusts this way?

Also he loves the Amy's gluten-free mac and cheese. Can anyone recommend any pasta I can buy that is similar to that? Having a pasta he will eat will give me a lot more meal options for him.

Thanks!

I have a fabulous Pizza Crust recipe I use all the time. Hope you enjoy it! Angie.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup warm water (105

momtok&m · January 20, 2011

I also have a 2 yo that is gluten-free. We haven't found a pizza crust that she likes, but she's never had wheat crust so I think she just doesn't like pizza! Today is her birthday, she's 2 today and I'm thinking about getting some gluten-free english muffins to make a tiny pizza for her. If I don't do that it's mac & cheese. Here's my very favorite mac and cheese recipe in the whole world. It's adapted from Alton Brown's Stovetop Mac & Cheese and every adult and child I've made it for loves it. I alway use Tinyada rice pasta. It holds up great is casseroles and we all like it. The only corn pasta I like is Deboles Kids Only? tubettini. It's great in small batches of soup for our LO.

1/2 pound Tinyada rice pasta

4 tablespoons butter

2 eggs

6 ounces evaporated milk

1 teaspoon salt

Fresh black pepper

a squeeze of mustard

10 ounces cheddar, shredded (sharp or mild)

In a large pot,cook the pasta to al dente and drain. Return to the pot and melt in the butter. Toss to coat.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and mustard. Stir into the pasta and add the cheese. Over low heat continue to stir for 3 minutes or until creamy.

If you mix everything up while the pasta cooks, it doesn't take any longer than pre-packaged to cook. If you need any help cooking for or feeding your little one, don't hesitate to contact me:)

luvs2eat · January 20, 2011

I found Namaste pizza crust mix and love it. The bag makes 2 big crusts (w/ only 1 tsp. of oil and 1 1/4 cups water for each crust!), but you can measure the mix out to just make one crust at a time and save the rest of the mix for another day. It spreads easily... I spread it out on parchment paper so I can pull the crust from the cookie sheet and slide the parchment paper onto the heated up pizza stone in the oven.

Kelleybean · January 21, 2011

Thanks for the mac and cheese recipe - I've actually been looking for one. Mac and cheese is a favorite of his, and I figure it might be something I can sneak some veggies in. We tried the glutino pizzas and also went to Mellow Mushroom and he rejected both. I was especially bummed about the Mellow Mushroom because I was hoping it'd give us a restaurant option. I bought but haven't tried some of the ones suggested on here (Udi's and I think Chebe), hopefully one will work.

lpellegr · January 21, 2011

In a pinch you can make mini pizzas using hash brown patties instead of the usual crust. When I first started eating gluten-free I made these for myself while the rest of my family had english muffin pizzas, and they all sat and stared at mine, waiting for me to share and ignoring their own pizzas. You can't pick them up, but you can cut them up with a fork. Just top with sauce and cheese and bake as directed on the package.