Pull Apart Pizza Bites

It's a familiar story to us all.  You have a bunch of kids expected to descend on you after school.  They probably have after school activities and practices, homework and projects.  Everyone is famished and maybe even a little bit on edge - including you.  And face it, it's going to be a long time until dinner.  In all likelihood, unless you intercede, they are going to raid the pantry for ... junk?  Well not today!

I often make a batch of cookies or brownies for my kids as an after school snack, but goodness gracious, they were SO THRILLED to come home to this batch of bite sized delights!  My guess is, your "big guy/girl" would be, too!  Just imagine, you walk in after work and the whole kitchen smells like a pizzeria!  Grab a glass of your favorite beverage, pick up one of these little warm nuggets of goodness, a quick dip into the warm pizza sauce, and pop them into your mouth.  Mmmm.

Print this Recipe!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound mild Italian ground sausage
• feel free to substitute ground beef/turkey/chicken or finely chopped mushrooms for a vegetarian version 
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 Tbsp finely chopped black olives
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 can premade, canned pizza dough
• Shredded cheese of your choice
• Garlic butter with dried parsley flakes (optional) 
• Warm pizza sauce for serving

Step-by-Step:

Let me first start by saying you don't have to make your filling like mine.  You can obviously make it any way your family prefers as long as you chop everything tiny and the filling is not too "wet."  You don't want the bread to be soggy.
I chose Italian sausage because my family enjoys the taste and it has a lot of flavor in it already, so we are off to a good start.  So let's go ahead and get that browning.

1 pound ground mild Italian sausage

When your meat is about halfway cooked, throw in your finely chopped onions.  You will want to be crumbling up your meat as small as you can get it while it's browning.

1 cup finely diced sweet onion

Now just start dumping all of the seasoning in with the meat and onions while it continues to cook.

2 Tbsp finely chopped black olives

My kiddos would have never eaten this if I had actually told them there were black olives in it.  Ha!  But this small amount of briny, saltiness adds a bit of special something in the flavoring that is fantastic and part of that "pizzeria" smell that everyone loves.  Shhhh!  Don't tell them.  Bonus points, they already come chopped up this tiny in the can.  Yay!!!

3/4 tsp kosher salt
(Use a lot less if using regular table salt!)

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 Tbsp Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

And this is what our filling looks like.
*By the way, you could totally make the filling in advance and then just heat it up enough to take the chill off of it to assemble these.

Alrighty.  Let's put these together.  First I sprayed my black iron skillet with a bit of cooking spray and inserted a circle of parchment paper in the bottom.  This probably wasn't necessary in retrospect (because seasoned black iron skillets release cooked products so well), but I was doing it for good measure.  It may still be a good idea if you make this in a tart pan or casserole dish.

Parchment Paper

You may have a favorite pizza dough that you enjoy making from scratch.  If so, feel completely free to use that.  Out of convenience, I chose a premade, canned pizza dough.  Quick and easy.  No shame.   Hey, you do what YOU want to do.  It's your kitchen.

I found a biscuit cutter lurking in the drawer.  I think it was about 2.5" in diameter.  It looked about the right size.  (So scientific, right?)  So that's what I used.

Put a small amount of filling on the dough.  You may want to stretch them out a little bit first.

First, fold them in half, like a taco.

Then, fold your taco in half so that the ends touch each other.  Pinch the ends together.

Now start arranging them from the outside first in your baking dish/pan/skillet.

Ultimately, you will end up with what looks like a large flower.  Somewhat like a chrysanthemum.

Bake at 400F for 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Oven temperatures may vary.  Cooking times may also vary according to the type of cooking vessel you are using.  Eg.  A glass baking dish may cook differently than cast iron.  

Optional - When my pizza bites were almost done, I melted a couple tablespoons of butter (I didn't measure), liberally sprinkled in some garlic powder and parsley flakes to brush on top.  I just love the sheen it gives the crust, the smell of that garlic butter, and yes - that taste!

melted butter + garlic powder + dried parsley flakes

Can you just SMELL this?!

 Okay, so I may have tried one or three before the kids got home.  You know.  Just to make sure they were edible.  😄

And then this happened.  Here are a couple of today's taste testers.

Mmm.  So good you have to close your eyes while you taste it!

Yumm.  This treat even calls for a Shirley Temple! 

Poor Daisy.  She waited patiently.  It smelled so good.  But alas... no pizza bites for the pooch.
Doggonit.  They sure smell better than dog cookies!

Bonus Recipes - 
Skinny Mexican Pizza - Got teens?  Shhh!  This is turkey!

Shrimp and Corn Soup - Super easy and feeds a crowd!

Super Easy Stuffed Shells - So easy and kid friendly!

Thai Chicken Salad Cones - Perfect for your brown bag lunches or ladies luncheon!

Old Fashioned Vegetable Beef Soup - Because we all need comfort food like Mom and Grandma used to make it!

Check out my cookbook!
These make perfect gifts for your kids about to graduate!  Click the link for more information about this interactive cookbook.  Each recipe has its own QR Code with links back to the blog for complete step-by-step pictures.  

Written Method:

Let me first start by saying you don't have to make your filling like mine.  You can obviously make it any way your family prefers as long as you chop everything tiny and the filling is not too "wet."  You don't want the bread to be soggy.
Brown your meat.  When your meat is about halfway cooked, throw in your finely chopped onions.  You will want to be crumbling up your meat as small as you can get it while it's browning.
Now just start dumping all of the seasoning in with the meat and onions while it continues to cook.

*By the way, you could totally make the filling in advance and then just heat it up enough to take the chill off of it to assemble these.

Alrighty.  Let's put these together.  First I sprayed my black iron skillet with a bit of cooking spray and inserted a circle of parchment paper in the bottom.  This probably wasn't necessary in retrospect (because seasoned black iron skillets release cooked products so well), but I was doing it for good measure.  It may still be a good idea if you make this in a tart pan or casserole dish.
You may have a favorite pizza dough that you enjoy making from scratch.  If so, feel completely free to use that.  Out of convenience, I chose a premade, canned pizza dough.  Quick and easy.  No shame. 

Cut pizza dough into circles of about 2.5 inches each.  Put a small amount of filling on the dough.  You may want to stretch them out a little bit first.  First, fold them in half, like a taco.  Then, fold your taco in half so that the ends touch each other.  Pinch the ends together.  Now start arranging them from the outside first in your baking dish/pan/skillet.  Ultimately, you will end up with what looks like a large flower.  Somewhat like a chrysanthemum.

Bake at 400F for 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Oven temperatures may vary.  Cooking times may also vary according to the type of cooking vessel you are using.  Eg.  A glass baking dish may cook differently than cast iron.  

Optional - When my pizza bites were almost done, I melted a couple tablespoons of butter (I didn't measure), liberally sprinkled in some garlic powder and parsley flakes to brush on top.

Serve with warm pizza sauce for dipping. 

Zucchini Fritters

You know what summertime means for those of you who have gardens, right?  Lots and lots of zucchini that needs to be cooked.  And that's great for those of us looking for low carb recipes!  The in-season squash is plentiful and inexpensive and ready to be picked or purchased and brought straight to your tables!  Now I have to say that it's rare that we fry things at our house; but every now and then its nice to have a fun little appetizer.  This time, it was just the the two of us hanging out, and it was sort of nice to have a little something before dinner.  That's also when it's an opportune time to try new things.  

You could easily make these up ahead of time and have them on a sheet pan in the fridge ready to fry if you were doing them for company.  It was such a fun (and delicious) way to incorporate a healthy vegetable into one of my favorite things on Earth - ooey, gooey, melted cheese!  

Print this Recipe

Ingredients:  (4 servings)

• 4 medium sized zucchini squashes 
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• choose gluten free if your diet requires it
• 3 Tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1 Tbsp kosher salt 
• + more when they come out of fryer (optional)
• 8 oz ball of fresh mozzarella
• 2 large eggs + 2 Tbsp water
• 1 cup Panko Japanese style breadcrumbs
• these are also available in a gluten free version
• *Optional - Parmesan cheese
• Oil for frying 
• Marinara or pasta sauce for dipping

* Special equipment - toothpicks 

Step-by-Step:

First, let me say that I sort of threw the breading station together, without measuring it all that much. So if you have leftover stuff at the end, or need more... please resist the urge to send me nasty comments.  I had tons left over for 2 zucchini, so I'm imagining it will be perfect for 4... but I'm not going to put money on it.  Work with me here, people!  😀  

That being said, let's get our breading station set up first.  Zucchini are very mild and need lots of seasoning, in my humble opinion. So let's get this party started by seasoning up our flour.  This may seem like a lot, but there's not going to be a lot in contact with the actual vegetable, so go for it!

1 cup AP flour + 3 Tbsp Italian seasoning

1Tbsp kosher salt

Let's prepare our zucchini.  I'm using a mandoline in order to get very thin, very uniform slices. Please be aware that this equipment is super sharp!  I'm using the middle setting, which is the second thinnest setting.  I felt that the slices I started with (the third setting) were too thick to bend properly and were not flexible enough to wrap around the cheese without snapping. 

zucchini slices

I cut the mozzarella ball into slices, then each slice into quarters.  I placed each quarter in the middle of an "x" that I made out of two slices of zucchini.

zucchini + a piece of fresh mozzarella

Next being wrapping the zucchini slices over the mozzarella, securing with a toothpick.

wrap!

secure!

We're ready now to add the coating to our little zucchini mozzarella bombs!
First, coat them thoroughly in the seasoned flour.

into the seasoned flout

Second, dip the floured zucchini in the egg wash.

2 large eggs + 2 Tbsp water, beaten

Third, coat the zucchini into the Panko bread crumbs.  You could also add in some grated Parmesan cheese to the bread crumbs.  I happened to be out.

*Panko bread crumbs have about half of the carbs of regular bread crumbs.  They do come in an Italian Seasoned version (I wish I had those).  And they also have a gluten free version.  

1 cup Panko bread crumbs

Set the breaded zucchini on a sheet pan until you are ready to fry them.

prepared mozzarella stuffed zucchini "bombs"

Fry the breaded zucchini at about 375 for around 2 minutes until golden brown.  Drain on a paper towel lined sheet pan.  Salt them when they come out of the fryer if you'd like.  

into the Euro fryer at 375 F x 2 min 

Serve while hot with marinara or pasta sauce of your choice!

I hope you enjoyed this fun recipe!
Here are some others I think you'll really like. 

Mozzarella Caprese Skewers   All your favorites together in two bites!  Perfect for your next party!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus - High protein, low carb goodness and insanely easy to make! 

Pimento Cheese Burgers - The "caviar of the South" meets backyard grilling!  Wait till those hot burgers start melting that spread.  Mmmmm.

Mongolian Beef - chop, drop, sizzle and stir.. but make extra because you may end up with extra peeps! 

Alice Springs Chicken - a copycat of one of your Australian steakhouse favorites!

Creamy Grape Salad - a healthier version of the one you're used to. 

Written Method:

First, let me say that I sort of threw the breading station together, without measuring it all that much. So if you have leftover stuff at the end, or need more... please resist the urge to send me nasty comments.  I had tons left over for 2 zucchini, so I'm imagining it will be perfect for 4... but I'm not going to put money on it.  

That being said, get your breading station set up first.  Zucchini are very mild and need lots of seasoning. Let's get this party started by seasoning up your flour.  This may seem like a lot, but there's not going to be a lot in contact with the actual vegetable, so go for it!

Let's prepare your zucchini.  Use a mandoline in order to get very thin, very uniform slices. Please be aware that this equipment is super sharp!  Use the middle setting, which is the second thinnest setting. The third setting is too thick to bend properly and is not flexible enough to wrap around the cheese without snapping.  Cut the mozzarella ball into slices, then each slice into quarters.  Place each quarter in the middle of an "x" that you make out of two slices of zucchini.  Next,  wrap the zucchini slices over the mozzarella, securing with a toothpick.

Now you're ready to add the coating to the little zucchini mozzarella bombs!  First, coat them thoroughly in the seasoned flour.  Second, dip the floured zucchini in the egg wash.  Third, coat the zucchini into the Panko bread crumbs.  Set the breaded zucchini on a sheet pan until you are ready to fry them.

Fry the breaded zucchini at about 375 for around 2 minutes until golden brown.  Drain on a paper towel lined sheet pan.  Salt them when they come out of the fryer if you'd like.  Serve while hot with marinara or pasta sauce of your choice!