So over the holiday, I have watched as the kids pulled out Pizza Rolls from the freezer and popped them into the oven for a quick lunch or snack. Who is with me in thinking that NO grown up should be allowed anywhere near them?! For one thing, they are fried before they get to you, full of fat, and anything that you need to eat a dozen at a time of to get full should probably be a red flag to leave it alone!
Fast forward to today... an alone day with no kiddos home. After puttering around the house and going for a nice walk, all of a sudden it was pretty much lunchtime! It's freezing outside right now, so a cold sandwich just wasn't going to cut it today.
I got the idea of making a grown-up pizza roll out of left over bits of things in the fridge: leftover tortillas, low fat turkey pepperoni, lean ham and turkey from the deli, low fat mozzarella string cheese, tomatoes, some dried basil, and of course pizza sauce that the kids were gracious enough to leave.
Let's just say that it was FABULOUS!!! A crunchy outer shell (without frying), lots of lean protein in there to keep me full, enough cheese and tomatoes to make me happy, and enough sauce to feel like pizza... all made out of low fat ingredients. Score!!
Ingredients:
- flour tortillas (white or wheat)
- pizza sauce
- low fat turkey pepperoni
- lean deli turkey
- lean deli ham
- low fat mozzarella string cheese
- fresh tomato slices
- dried basil
Step-by-Step:
To your tortilla, start by adding some pizza sauce, cut up (or shredded) cheese, and the pepperoni. Don't go all the way to the edges.
Add the sliced tomato and basil.
Then your lean deli meats....
Starting with the sides, then the edge closest to you, roll them up.
Spray lightly with cooking spray (I used a butter flavored one) and put them into a hot grill pan, starting with the seam side down to "seal" them.
Use something heavy (maybe even another pan) to press them down while cooking.
Turn them over when they are wonderfully brown on the bottom. Then I held them on the sides for a bit because I think the grill marks are so pretty on them.
The combination of hot grill and the cooking spray make the "shell" of this wrap wonderfully crispy. The sauce and filling is hot and best of all - the cheese is gooey! (Oh I DO have a love affair with gooey cheese! Sure is a good thing I used the low fat kind!)
Serve these with some warm pizza sauce to dip them in if you'd like. And now you don't have to be so jealous of the kids eating pizza rolls any more. Trust me... these are BETTER!!!!
Looking for more lunch ideas?
Add the sliced tomato and basil.
Then your lean deli meats....
Starting with the sides, then the edge closest to you, roll them up.
Spray lightly with cooking spray (I used a butter flavored one) and put them into a hot grill pan, starting with the seam side down to "seal" them.
Use something heavy (maybe even another pan) to press them down while cooking.
Turn them over when they are wonderfully brown on the bottom. Then I held them on the sides for a bit because I think the grill marks are so pretty on them.
Serve these with some warm pizza sauce to dip them in if you'd like. And now you don't have to be so jealous of the kids eating pizza rolls any more. Trust me... these are BETTER!!!!
Written Directions
Layer
all the ingredients (or choose some of your own) in a flour tortilla:
sauce, cheese, meat, tomato, seasoning. Roll up. (You can secure with
toothpicks if you'd like.) Spray with butter flavored cooking spray and
grill on all sides in a grill pan or griddle until crispy and brown.
Serve with extra warm pizza sauce for dipping.
Looking for more lunch ideas?
- Cranberry Cherry Chicken Wrap
- Cajun Chicken Salad
- Prosciutto and Spinach Pinwheels (and Pepperoni with Cheese for the kiddos)
- Toasted Chicken Pesto Flatbread Sandwiches
- Vietnamese-Style Lettuce Cups
- Cranberry Pecan Chopped Autumn Salad
- Tarragon Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Pecans
- Creamy Grape Salad
- Homemade Hot Pockets
- Meatball Stuffed Buns
This looks so good, great idea with the grown up pizza. Where did you get that grill, I want one!
ReplyDeleteJo - My "grill" is just a Calphalon brand grill pan. Those are available online or any store that sells kitchenware (Williams Sonoma, Bed Bath and Beyond, etc.). You could also find grill pans in cast iron at hardware stores or "outdoors" stores that sell camping supplies and such. I believe I bought that panini press (the smaller part) at one of those stores as well. Alternatively, you could use a panini grill "machine" or even something like a George Foreman grill. Good luck! :)
DeleteThis is simply mouthwatering! I want one too!
ReplyDeleteAngie - thanks! Let me know how it comes out!!
DeleteI must say I love how you put step by step with pics on your receipes help so much Gonna try this soon and many other receipes of you!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks... my goal with the step-by-step photos is for everyone to feel comfortable enough to try the recipes. Thanks for dropping by!
DeleteLooks so good :) I will try these tomorrow and make some extra for lunch aswell. Thank you!!
ReplyDeleteGood luck! Snap a photo for me and I'll feature it on my viewer spotlight page. :)
DeleteThey were really crunchy once freshly made, however for lunch the next day they were a bit soft. Popped them again on the grill and were perfect :)
DeleteThank you so much for reporting back on that! I've never made more that I would need for the meal at hand, so I wondered the same thing! - that is great to know for busy mom's trying to get ahead of the game!!! :)
DeleteLooks delicious! I think I might add hot sauce to mine!
ReplyDelete