Pizza Puffs

I saw these Pizza Puffs on Megan's Cookin' and bookmarked the recipe immediately. It's no secret that we're pizza lovers in this house, and I thought that this pizza in a cute little package would be a hit with the kids. Plus, it was a quick and easy meal to have on the table before rushing to be at my daughter's pre-K graduation at 5:45 last night. I made quite a few adaptations to this recipe. First, they are supposed to be prepared in a mini muffin pan, making them a perfect little snack. Only...I don't have a mini muffin pan. I always think that I'm going to pick one up and then forget about it until another recipe comes along and I realize that I still don't have one. Since we were having them for dinner instead of a snack, I wasn't too concerned with the larger serving size. I also greased the muffin cups with olive oil and sprinkled with cornmeal...the same way that I prepare my pan when making traditional pizza. I changed up the cheeses and added some spices and finally baked them up. I thought that they were pretty good. The kids weren't sure at first, but once I gave them the pizza sauce to dip them in, they were sold. They just didn't taste enough like pizza before dipping into the sauce. I really like the idea of making these again in mini muffin cups as recommended and serving them as an appetizer.

Here's how they came together:

Preparing the pan...





The dough:

Mix together 3/4 cup of flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 3/4 cup of milk, and a slightly beaten egg.



I added a little salt and about a teaspoon of Italian seasoning too.



Then I stirred in 4 oz. of chopped pepperoni, 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar, and 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan. It was supposed to be 1 cup of shredded mozzarella, but when I went to grab the mozzarella from the refrigerator, I found it mysteriously absent. Hmmm.



Divide the dough evenly between the muffin cups. I actually filled the first 6 cups and then stirred in a couple tablespoons of chopped green olives into the dough before filling the last 6 cups. (I knew that my kids wouldn't go for olives.)



They baked for 25 minutes at 375 degrees. A tip: let them cool for a few minutes in the pan before removing. Then loosen the edges with a knife and pop em' out. They'll hold together better this way. Served with a simple salad and pizza sauce for dipping, this made for a quick, kid-friendly meal.



You could definitely change up the "stir-ins" with this. Ham, sausage, bacon, mushrooms, onions, green peppers....whatever you like!

Pizza Puffs adapted from Megan's Cookin

3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 Tablespoons chopped olives
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup) or any mixture of cheeses totalling 4 oz.
4 ounces pepperoni, cut into small cubes (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup pizza sauce
2 Tablespoons sliced green onions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan. Lightly sprinkle with cornmeal, if desired. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder; stir in the milk and egg. Stir in the cheese, olives, and pepperoni; let stand for 10minutes. Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups. Bake until puffed and golden, about 25 minutes. Microwave the pizza sauce until warmed through. Sprinkle the tops of the puffs with the green onions. Serve the puffs with the pizza sauce for dipping.

To print or download this recipe, please click here!