Description
Experience the joy of biting into warm, gooey pizza pockets made right in your kitchen! These cheesy delights are customizable and perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
- Store-bought refrigerated pizza dough or homemade pizza dough or puff pastry sheets
- Good quality marinara or pizza sauce
- Low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese
- Shredded provolone cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Beef pepperoni slices
- Cooked crumbled ground beef
- Diced bell peppers
- Thinly sliced red onion
- Sautéed mushrooms
- Black olives
- Dried Italian seasoning
- Garlic powder
- Red pepper flakes
- 1 egg (for egg wash, optional)
- 1 tablespoon water (for egg wash, optional)
- Melted butter or milk (for egg wash alternative, optional)
Instructions
- Prep Your Ingredients: Get all your fillings ready. If using cooked ground beef, brown it in a skillet over medium heat, drain off any fat, and set aside to cool slightly. Dice any vegetables into small pieces and sauté mushrooms to remove excess moisture. Grate your cheeses and have your pizza sauce and beef pepperoni slices ready.
- Preheat Oven and Prep Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Roll Out the Dough: On a lightly floured surface, unroll your pizza dough into a large rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick. If using puff pastry, unroll the sheets according to package directions.
- Cut the Dough: Cut the rolled-out dough into individual rectangles or squares, roughly 4×6 inches.
- Assemble Your Pockets: On one half of each dough rectangle, spread a spoonful of pizza sauce, layer shredded mozzarella and other cheeses, and add your chosen fillings. Avoid overfilling.
- Fold and Seal: Fold the plain half of the dough over the filling, press down around the edges to seal, and use a fork to crimp the edges.
- Egg Wash (Optional) and Vent: Brush the tops of each sealed pizza pocket with egg wash, if using. Cut small slits or poke holes on top of each pocket to allow steam to escape.
- Bake to Golden Perfection: Transfer the assembled pizza pockets to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown and cheese is bubbly.
- Cool and Serve: Let the pizza pockets cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Serve warm with extra marinara sauce for dipping.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pocket
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
Keywords: Don't overfill the pockets to ensure they seal properly. Pre-cook wet vegetables to prevent sogginess. Feel free to experiment with different fillings and cheeses.