Pizza Bites
I first saw this recipe on Facebook and knew it would be perfect to try on the night Monte isn’t home for supper. That way I can use real cheese. 😁 In fact, I decided to splurge and use fresh mozzarella just as the recipe said, instead of substituting the much cheaper shredded mozzarella. I discovered the grocery store offered a mozzarella ball pre-cut into “pearls.” Even though it cost more, I chose that one for convenience.
The original recipe called for a 16.5 oz can of biscuits, but all I saw were 16 oz. (Maybe because I was buying the cheap store brand.) I bought two cans, because one didn’t seem like it would be enough. (I was right.)
I bought a jar of marinara sauce instead of a can, which turned out to be good, since we had half the jar left over, even after using some for dipping. I’ll use it for spaghetti sauce later.
Gem was skeptical when I showed her what we were making for supper and initially refused to help, but soon changed her tune…under duress. (I told her if she didn’t help, she wouldn’t get any supper. 😈)
The original recipe said to cut the biscuit dough pieces in half, but we found it easier to leave them intact and double up on the filling. Otherwise it was too hard to pinch the edges together without getting sauce everywhere.
I suggested we use some leftover browned hamburger (from nacho night) in some of the rolls instead of pepperoni and those turned out good, too. Tasted a bit like runzas, actually.
Although I have fresh garlic, I opted to use garlic powder instead. And no salt. I rarely add salt to anything. I used real butter instead of the margarine I usually substitute.
After I baked them I realized I’d forgotten to sprinkle them with Parmesan. 😄 But they were a hit with both of us. In Gem’s words: “Mom! These are really good!”
Update: I’ve now made them with shredded mozzarella and Monte’s fake cheese—those turned out good, too. 😊
I also made it easier by spraying the tops with olive oil cooking spray and sprinkling the seasonings on top.
Pizza Bites
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- 2 cans biscuit dough (16 oz size)
- marinara sauce
- pepperoni slices
- mozzarella cheese pearls (or shredded)
- butter or margarine, melted or olive oil cooking spray
- garlic powder, to taste
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- shredded Parmesan cheese
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Spray with cooking spray.
- Press each biscuit into a flat circle using the bottom of a glass. Put about a teaspoon of marinara sauce in the center of each circle. Top each with 2 slices pepperoni and 2 mozzarella pearls.
- Lift the edges and pinch together, leaving no gaps for the sauce to leak out. Lay the pizza bites pinched sides down on the baking sheet.
- Combine the melted butter, garlic, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning in a small bowl. Brush the mixture onto each pizza bite then sprinkle each with Parmesan cheese. (Or spray rolls with cooking spray and sprinkle seasonings on top.)
- Bake for 15-20 minutes.
- Serve with remaining marinara sauce.
