We sometimes call this “Inside-Out” pizza too. They’re garlicky, cheesy little pizza dough balls filled with all of the yummy toppings you’d put on a pizza. To eat, just pop one off and dunk it in marinara sauce. Don’t you love finger food? And don’t you love dunking things? I suppose regular pizza is finger food as well, but for some reason this is way more fun. Must be the dunking factor. You can pick your own fillings. We love Canadian bacon and pineapple, or Italian turkey sausage and chopped peppers. Pepperoni and cheese is always a hit and you could easily make these vegetarian as well. This makes great party food or a fun appetizer, but in our house we often pair it with a salad and call it dinner. It works especially great for little fingers so my boys love ’em!
You’ll need a roll of refrigerator pizza dough (or make your own…or buy some from your favorite pizza shop or Sam’s Club/Costco), pizza sauce (our favorite recipe!), some grated parmesan cheese, olive oil or melted butter, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into cubes, and your favorite pizza toppings of choice (we’re using mini pepperoni).
Preheat oven to heat specified on pizza dough package. Usually it’s 400 F. If you make your own dough, bake it at 400.
Unroll your pizza dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll the dough so it’s about 12″ by 8″. Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into 24 squares.
Place cheese and desired toppings on each square.
(Note that you’re not putting the marinara sauce on the dough; it’s for dipping after) It’s easy to overfill these–you want to make sure you can close them, so about a heaping tablespoon of toppings should be plenty.
When all of your dough squares have cheese and toppings on them, carefully lift up each square and wrap the dough around the toppings.
Pinch to make sure each ball is sealed shut and then place them seam side down in a lightly sprayed pie pan (or similar sized dish).
Brush the tops of the dough balls with olive oil or melted butter (I’ve used both and there’s not much difference in result) and then sprinkle with the garlic and Italian seasoning and top with Parmesan cheese.
(In lieu of the Parmesan, garlic, and Italian seasoning you could substitute this garlic bread seasoning.)
Bake in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top. Keep an eye on them! Doughs vary, so I’d check them after even 10 minutes.
Serve warm with warmed marinara sauce on the side for dipping.
The outsides are like garlic bread and the insides are full of oozing cheese. This might just be a perfect food.
Got a flavor combo in mind? Share it! And try out this variation of Chicken and Bacon Stuffed Ranch Rolls.
Stuffed Pizza Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 pizza crust refrigerated, or recipe linked above
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese cut into cubes
- Desired pizza toppings mini pepperoni always work great(
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or melted butter
- 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Pizza sauce recipe linked above
Instructions
- Preheat oven to heat specified on pizza dough package. Usually it's 400 F. If you make your own dough, bake it at 400.
- Unroll your pizza dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll the dough so it's about 12" by 8". Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into 24 squares.
- Place cheese and desired toppings on each square.
- (Note that you're not putting the marinara sauce on the dough; it's for dipping after) It's easy to overfill these--you want to make sure you can close them, so about a heaping tablespoon of toppings should be plenty.When all of your dough squares have cheese and toppings on them, carefully lift up each square and wrap the dough around the toppings.
- Pinch to make sure each ball is sealed shut and then place them seam side down in a lightly sprayed pie pan (or similar sized dish).
- Brush the tops of the dough balls with olive oil or melted butter (I've used both and there's not much difference in result) and then sprinkle with the garlic and Italian seasoning and top with Parmesan cheese.
- (In lieu of the Parmesan, garlic, and Italian seasoning you could substitute this garlic bread seasoning.)Bake in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top. Keep an eye on them! Doughs vary, so I'd check them after even 10 minutes. Serve warm with warmed marinara sauce on the side for dipping.
Notes
Questions & Reviews
Dramamomma- you could flash freeze them individually, or freeze them in a disposable pan. You can either bake from frozen- or defrost in the fridge first.
How do you think this would work frozen? So if I did all the prep and then froze them… You think If I defrosted fully and then cooked them they'd still be good?
Thanks!
I'm a newcomer to this blog but I've tried several of your recipies and this one is one of our favorites. The other night we did a totally amazing version of this, we wanted to do a desert version so we got bananas and strawberries.
We cooked them a bit with some butter and rum (light the rum on fire in the pan) and then some brown sugar. Then we put them together just like the Pizza rolls and cooked them with butter brushed on top and cinnamon. After we cooked them we dipped them in fruit dip and nutella. One word- Delicious!
I made these last night. They were so yummy.
I made this (with your pizza dough recipe) for my whole family and another time for my friends. They all loved it. And my husband ate the leftovers for breakfast the next morning:)
Made these last night and they were a huge hit!! I made them with turkey pepperoni and a shredded pizza cheese blend and some with ham and the cheese blend. Thanks for the great idea! I also made the pizza sauce to go with them and it was amazing! I will never buy pizza sauce at the store again!! It was so super easy but so delicious!!
I made these and they were DELICIOUS!
I took these tonight for a NYE party and they were a HIT! Thanks ladies!
Blog Cafe- I've done that before! I just baked it in the oven with the ramekin itself in there so when they come out all you have to do is fill it up with marinara, it works great! You end up with a few less rolls though, so that's the only draw back.
So glad your family liked them!
We fixed these tonight and the smell coming from the kitchen made me think I was in an italian restaurant!
I have a 15 yr old daughter and 2-1/2 yr old (yup!!) and my husband and kids loved them.
My 2-1/2 yr old ate 4 pizza rolls. He told me "Momma, Momma, Yum Yum!!"
Thank you for a unique twist on pizza and fun for the family to make them!
My daughter is taking them to her youth group christmas party next friday night and we are going to make them for our church new years eve party. I'm sure they will be a hit.
My daughter had the idea of putting them in pie pan and placing something in the middle to make it like a "shallow bundt pan" and then when they come out, all she has to do it put a ramikin of marinara in the middle and its a "ring of pizza rolls" around it. Gotta love teens!!!
Thanks again! These were 5 stars out of 5!!!
I can't wait to try freezing them and baking after.