After noticing continuous requests for lab suggestions that are doable in 43 minute class periods, I’ve decided to do a recurring series, featuring recipes that can
be completed from beginning to end in a 43 minute time frame. In some cases, longer recipes will broken into two day labs. In addition, I will include my pre-lab review questions that pertain specifically to the recipe. This helps to ensure that students are reading the recipe. It also allows me time to show any videos that may demonstrate the product or specific techniques. So, without further ado, I present the 43 Minute Lab Series: Hash Brown Patty Pizza!
Pre-Lab Activities
- This recipe and lab are really versatile in terms of where or how you want to incorporate it into your lessons. It’s the perfect lab for students with little cooking experience such as middle schoolers as it introduces them to baking in the oven, cutting vegetables or other topping ingredients with a knife, shredding cheese and applying a variety of kitchen safety concepts.
- Since this is pizza, and who doesn’t love pizza, it could be used as a breakfast lab, lunch lab or even a snack lab. Whatever unit or lesson you decide to do this with, it’s fun to see the pizza ideas students come up with! The basic recipe can be found below.
- Set the stage with a scenario where they are the owners of a hashbrown pizza food truck and must create a menu of different pizza options with cool, creative names that could be offered using the template below.
- Once students have completed their sketches, they get together with other lab mates to share and vote on the top selections. It’s up to you as to how many you actually have your students prepare in the lab. You may want each group to narrow their options down to their TOP choice to prepare in the lab.
- Each group writes their pizza recipe (amounts based on basic recipe), prepares, and cuts them into smaller samples for all students to try. They can rank their choices from most favorite to least. If you have larger classes, you may have to adjust the original recipe amounts. After sampling, ask students to vote on their favorite hash brown patty pizza.
- Depending on the grade level you are doing this lab with, you could have students cost out their pizzas and share the price they would charge in the food truck scenario.
- Another idea is to do this as a competition with food judges and have students pitch their pizza to judges who then taste and evaluate and select their overall favorite!
Attachments
- Basic Hash Brown Patty Pizza Recipe (PDF)
- Hash Brown Patty Pizza Food Truck Scenario & Planning Guide (PDF)
