Easy Pizza Pinwheels

  

Looking for something tasty and different to pop into the kid's lunch boxes, or for an afterschool snack?  How about something tasty to serve when you are enjoying a game night?  Or even as a light supper with either some soup or a salad?

  

Look no further!  These fabulously quick and easy Pizza Pinwheels fit the bill on all counts!

 

 

When my youngest son was growing up, he was the fussiest of fussy eaters!  He went through a period of time where he would only eat toast, and it couldn't be too dark or too light. 

 

Then there was the rice period, where he would only eat rice.  Hot dogs, same thing.  And then there was pizza pockets. He went for a very long time where he would only eat pizza pockets.

 

I used to despair and worry about how he was going to turn out. I worried about malnourishment and all sorts. Thankfully he outgrew that fussy stage and, as far as I know, he eats most things now!

I wish I had had this Pizza Pinwheel recipe way back when. It would have been a lot cheaper to make than buying Pizza pockets and probably a bit healthier as well! I could have snuck all kinds of vegetables into them, so long as they were finely chopped! 

 

I adapted the recipe from one I found on Carlsbad Cravings.  I think my colors are a bit more realistic however. I don't know why people highly colorize their food photos.

There is another blogger out there who does the same thing, even with her travel photos and they always look far too bright and colorful. Totally unnatural. 

With me you get things that look like they do in real life. For good or for bad. No surprises here! 

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE EASY PIZZA PINWHEELS

It may look like a long list, but most of it is seasonings.  Basically, you need crust, sauce, cheese and fillings.

For the pizza sauce:

• 2 cups (480ml) marinara sauce
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp each salt and black pepper
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper/chilies
• 1/4 tsp crushed anise seed (Or fennel seed)
• 1/4 tsp sugar

For the toppings:

• 1 cup (140g) grated Mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup (60g) grated Parmesan cheese
• 36 thin slices of dry cured pepperoni
• 1/3 of a medium green pepper, trimmed and finely chopped (see notes)

You will also need:

• 1 package, single pizza size, refrigerated pizza dough, or the equivalent in homemade pizza dough

 

If you don't want to make up your own sauce for spreading, you can use any good ready-made pizza sauce. You could also use my recipe for pizza sauce.

I have been making this pizza sauce for years and years. It makes enough for two pizzas but freezes well.  It would also make enough for these pizza pinwheels and dipping.

I can promise you it is delicious! Years of trial and error and testing went into it.

 

Today I used a can of the Pillsbury Pizza dough which worked out really well. You can also make your own dough from scratch.

I have a great recipe here for dough. It makes enough for two thin crust pizzas and is very simple.

In the UK I used to find refrigerated pizza dough in the chiller cabinet near the fresh pastas, but it was not a common thing to find.  You could also use plain scone dough.

 

For toppings here I kept it simple with dry cured pepperoni and some finely chopped green peppers. You can use any combination of toppings as you wish.  The cheese helps to hold them in the pinwheels once they are baked.

  

Just make sure that you don't go overboard and add too much. It will all end up on the floor.  

Aso make sure that what you do use vegetable wise is finely chopped.

I used only two kinds of cheeses, mozzarella and Parmesan. You can use whatever kind of cheese your family enjoys.

 

I like to use a good dry cure pepperoni, such as the one that Pizza Delight makes.  You could also use cooked and drained Italian sausage, bacon, etc.

I used only green peppers, but chopped black olives, red onions, etc. also work very well. Use what you know your family enjoys and in small quantities. In this case, less is always more.

 

HOW TO MAKE EASY PIZZA PINWHEELS

These are really very easy to make. Kind of like making a savory jelly roll but with pizza dough and a savory filling! 

Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Line a baking sheet with some baking paper. Set aside

Place the pepperoni onto a paper towel lined plate and microwave on high for about 20 seconds. Remove, dab off any excess fat with a piece of paper towel.

Lightly flour a piece of parchment paper, or your countertop. Open the dough and roll or pat it out to a 12 by 15-inch rectangle.

Whisk together all of the ingredients for the sauce, combining them well. Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce (180ml) over the surface of the crust, evenly, leaving a 1-inch border along one long edge.

Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly over top. Place the pepperoni slices on top of the mozzarella, evenly spacing them. Sprinkle the chopped green pepper on top of the pepperoni and finish off with the Parmesan cheese.

Starting with the sauce filled long side facing you, tightly roll up the dough towards the 1-inch bare border. Pinch shut along the edge.

 

Cut into 12 slices (Crosswise) using a sharp serrated knife.

Place the pinwheels, cut side up, evenly spaced out on the lined baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until the dough is golden brown and the filling is heated through. Leave to sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Serve warm with the remainder of the pizza sauce for dipping. Warm the sauce first.

You can keep these stored in an airtight container in the freezer. To use, thaw, then bake at 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4 for 10 minutes, or until warmed through.

 

You can see where you really need to roll them up tightly so that the filling doesn't leak out. This would also be a problem if you overfilled them.  Less really is more here.

They are incredibly delicious and make a wonderful and fun snack.

These are fabulous served alongside of your favorite soup for a light supper that everyone will love!!

Some other pizza inspired dishes that you might enjoy are:

MINI CHICAGO DEEP DISH PIZZAS - Using only 5 simple ingredients and taking not a lot of your time, you can have these delicious mini bakes on the table in less than half an hour.  The idea behind these is that they are quick and convenient, and also incredibly tasty!  As an appetizer, or a quick lunch, on the buffet table, for game nights, a light supper with a salad . . .  whatever fits your need, your family is sure to enjoy these quick and delicious mini pizzas!

ULTIMATE PIZZA BAGELS - Prepare to fall in love!  Grab the napkins and get ready to drool! Get ready to open wide and enjoy a spectacularly delicious hot sandwich!These delicious hot delights are the ultimate in Pizza Bagels.  Not just a half a bagel like most Pizza Bagels you will see, these are the whole shebang! With double the sauce, double the toppings and double the cheese.  A true delight you can wrap your mouth around.

 

Yield: 12

Author: Marie Rayner

Pizza Pinwheels

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 40 Min

Super fun, easy to make and delicious! These pizza pinwheels are totally customizable to your own tastes and freeze beautifully, which means you can have a quick and tasty snack ready to go! If you use store bought dough, these go together in a flash.

Ingredients

For the pizza sauce:

• 2 cups (480ml) marinara sauce
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp each salt and black pepper
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper/chilies
• 1/4 tsp crushed anise seed (Or fennel seed)
• 1/4 tsp sugar

For the toppings:

• 1 cup (140g) grated Mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup (60g) grated Parmesan cheese
• 36 thin slices of dry cured pepperoni
• 1/3 of a medium green pepper, trimmed and finely chopped (see notes)

You will also need:

• 1 package, single pizza size, refrigerated pizza dough, or the equivalent in homemade pizza dough

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Line a baking sheet with some baking paper. Set aside.
2. Place the pepperoni onto a paper towel lined plate and microwave on high for about 20 seconds. Remove, dab off any excess fat with a piece of paper towel.
3. Lightly flour a piece of parchment paper, or your countertop. Open the dough and roll or pat it out to a 12 by 15-inch rectangle.
4. Whisk together all of the ingredients for the sauce, combining them well. Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce (180ml) over the surface of the crust, evenly, leaving a 1-inch border along one long edge.
5. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly over top. Place the pepperoni slices on top of the mozzarella, evenly spacing them. Sprinkle the chopped green pepper on top of the pepperoni and finish off with the Parmesan cheese.
6. Starting with the sauce filled long side facing you, tightly roll up the dough towards the 1-inch bare border. Pinch shut along the edge.
7. Cut into 12 slices using a sharp serrated knife.
8. Place the pinwheels, cut side up, evenly spaced out on the lined baking sheet.
9. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until the dough is golden brown and the filling is heated through. Leave to sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
10. Serve warm with the remainder of the pizza sauce for dipping. Warm the sauce first.
11. You can keep these stored in an airtight container in the freezer. To use, thaw, then bake at 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4 for 10 minutes, or until warmed through.

Notes

You can use any variety of toppings as you wish for these pinwheels, always remembering that less is more. Do chop each topping finely and bear in mind that if you overdo the fillings, they are more likely to leak out. Browned Italian sausage makes a nice change from pepperoni.

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