Matzo Brei: Unlocking the Secret to Passover Pizza

Passover, one of the most important Jewish holidays, is celebrated by performing special traditions and eating culturally significant foods, especially at the Passover Seder, which can include familiar favorite recipes (like matzo balls) or modern twists on old classics (like flourless chipotle chocolate cake or a new take on potato kugel).

But you’ve also got to eat during the rest of the eight-day celebration, and matzo brei is a popular breakfast option on those celebratory mornings (especially since pancakes and waffles are off the table). While matzo brei is normally consumed in the morning, it also provides the key to a savory Pesach-friendly pizza that you can enjoy at any time. Gone are the days of taking a bite of your single-sheet matzo pizza to its complete and utter devastation. We’re talking crumbs everywhere.

In this context, matzo brei will actually serve as the crust, while the addition of pizza toppings, like tomato sauce and shredded cheese, go on the eggy, pan-cooked base. When it’s done, you’ll tip the whole thing out of the pan and cut it into triangle slices — just like typical pizza.

Because the matzo brei is held together by beaten eggs that have been cooked all the way through, the slices should hold up for bite after bite. Make one for yourself, or get multiple pans going at once to feed the family; the bigger the pan you use, the bigger your matzo brei pizza will be

Making matzo brei pizza is pretty easy, but we have a few tips to help you along the way. First up: To make the process easier and ensure your pizza stays together, make sure you break the matzo into uniformly sized pieces.

Second, while you’ll want to give the matzo-egg mix a good stir in the pan initially, you then want to just leave it alone for about five minutes, or until the egg on the bottom is set up. It’s important to just let it be so that the side touching the pan solidifies into a crust because it’ll make flipping the entire thing a lot easier (and neater). 

Yes, to make matzo brei pizza, you will still have to flip the entire thing in one piece. Try using the widest turner you have to slide under the entire disc and flip it in one fluid motion. Or, slide the matzo brei onto the flattest plate you have; then, hold the pan upside-down over the plate, lined up with the crust; flip both the pan and the plate so that the disc is upside down in the pan. Also, depending on how large your pan is, once your pizza is done cooking and ready to be cut, a sharp pizza cutter will make quick work of creating those triangular slices.

It’s time to get creative with your pizza. For starters, you can cook up any vegan meats and add those; plant-based sausage, steak, or chicken all taste terrific on matzo brei pizza. Or think lox and top it with fresh-sliced smoked salmon (with cream cheese as the pizza sauce? Big-time yum). And you can include any vegetables you want, from onion and peppers, to broccoli, spinach, or sauted mushrooms. Whatever you like on your pizza normally, add it! This pizza base can stand up to more weight than matzo by itself.

But matzo brei “pizza” can also serve as a sweet treat or dessert, too. Toppings like blueberries, strawberries, or even sliced apple, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, make for a luscious after-dinner treat. Mix a little maple syrup into the eggs after beating them, or drizzle over finished matzo brei pizza topped with banana. You could also spread on peanut butter or Nutella as your sauce before topping everything with fresh berries and a little cream or labneh as your “cheese.”