Pizza Friday — When This Mama Hits the “Nope, Not Tonight” Button 🍕
Pizza Friday at our house started the way most good traditions do — with me, exhausted, staring at the fridge on a Friday night and deciding that the kitchen was officially closed. Even mamas who love to cook need a nope-not-tonight button. So I pressed it. We ordered from Papa John’s, I put on something comfy, and we turned it into a little Friday night thing.
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There’s something about a Friday night that changes the whole week. Even when I love cooking — and I do love cooking — sometimes the best thing I can do for my family is order pizza and sit down with all of them instead of standing at the stove. Pizza Friday isn’t fancy. It’s not a recipe. It’s just me, admitting I’m tired, and choosing to be with my people instead of feeding them from scratch.
We went big. Because when you’re feeding seven people, one pizza is never going to cut it.
What Ended Up on Our Table
- One plain cheese — non-negotiable at our house. Somebody always wants plain cheese, and honestly, it’s my comfort food too.
- A no-cheese pepperoni for my kid who doesn’t do cheese (yes, that’s a thing, and yes, Papa John’s will make it for you).
- Pepperoni and bacon — one of the kids’ picks. You cannot go wrong with this one.
- The Works — mama’s favorite. Pepperoni, sausage, ham, onions, green peppers, black olives, mushrooms. Everything on it. This is my slice.
- Breadsticks — also non-negotiable. My people would riot.
- A little dessert, because it’s Friday, and Fridays deserve a treat.
The best part wasn’t any one pizza. The best part was everybody in the kitchen at the same time, grabbing paper plates, arguing over the last breadstick, and nobody asking me what’s for dinner because dinner was already there in five green boxes on the counter.
The “Nope, Not Tonight” Button Is Real
I talk a lot on this blog about feeding a crowd, and most weeks I do it from my own kitchen. But I want to be honest — some Friday nights, I don’t. Some Friday nights it’s Papa John’s and a paper plate and my family all in one room. That’s still feeding a crowd. That still counts. And if you’ve been feeling guilty about ordering pizza on a Friday night, consider this your permission slip from me. Press the button. It’s Friday.
What kinds of pizza do y’all order? Come tell me on Instagram — I want to know.
More From the Longstreth Table
- Tuesday Tip: Frozen Pizza Night Is a Perfectly Acceptable Dinner — the freezer-aisle cousin of this very dinner, and I stand by it
- Cereal for Dinner — When the Plumber Has the Water Off All Afternoon — when the plumber shuts the water off, this mama improvises
- Breakfast for Dinner for My Crowd — Pancakes, Tater Tot Casserole, and the Eggs of My Life — pancakes at dinnertime and not a single complaint from my five
- Friday Night Burgers, Fries & Corn
- My Big Easter Hosting Fail
- Cozy Creamy Pasta Night — Feeding My Crowd When the College Girls Come Home
📬 Come to the table on Saturday
Every Saturday morning I send a printable meal plan and full grocery list — the whole week, formatted for the fridge and the grocery run — plus new recipes and whatever’s happening at the Longstreth house. Drop your email below and I’ll save you a seat.
Pizza Friday — About Stephanie Longstreth
Stephanie Longstreth is the home cook, mom, and storyteller behind StephanieCooksForACrowd.com. She cooks for a family of seven in Florida — five kids, two cats, and one husband who appreciates a good meal. Four of her children came home through adoption, and family stories are woven into everything she makes and shares. Find her crowd-friendly recipes, sourdough journey, and real family life on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest @stephaniecooksforacrowd.