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The first time I heard about a savory cinnamon roll, I was a little skeptical. I tried it, however, and I was hooked.
In fact, I modeled my savory pork rolls on that delicious surprise. But there are so many other favorite foods that can be turned into cinnamon rolls – like pizza!
Pizza is always a big hit in our house. Admit it; it’s a big hit in your house, too.
My kids love when we make pizza, and it turns into a fun family activity. I make my own pizza dough, which makes enjoying pizza regularly more economical than ordering them in.
We love having fun with our pizzas from making s’mores pizzas to goat cheese asparagus pizza to chimichurri pizza and more!
Sometimes I need to plan ahead more than traditional pizza allows if I want to ensure everyone gets a good home cooked meal.
I started meal planning over the weekend for the upcoming week. I still visit the grocery store a few times a week because I like to buy fresh veggies, produce, and meats, but this is easier.
My favorite trick? I poach five or six good size chicken breasts in my pressure cooker on Sunday afternoon while both kids are occupied playing with friends. I use some for dinner that night and prep the rest for Monday and Tuesday night dinners.
This week, I made pizza rolls with some of the chicken. My family is still raving about them.
I loved that I could make the equivalent of three meals with one baking time instead of prepping and baking three to four individual pizzas the way I usually do. I adore the ease of these pizza rolls.
Do I have to make homemade dough?
No! While this homemade pizza dough is super easy, feel free to grab a bag of dough at the store from the refrigerated section that so many now sell.
The canned refrigerator pizza crusts that come in a tube? Those don’t work so well, so avoid those.
Do I need to make my own marinara sauce?
Of course not! This works just fine with a jarred sauce. In fact, I actually wrote it using a jarred sauce to make things easy for you.
That said, homemade marinara is incredibly simple and easy and ready in about 15 minutes. I whip up a double batch and store jars in my fridge for a quick pasta night all the time.
What other fillings can I use?
While I made this with chicken and spinach, just like any pizza, the sky is the limit when it comes to toppings. And yes, my kids loved the spinach even though they won’t eat it in just about any other form.
Try it with pepperoni and mushrooms and green peppers. Enjoy pizza rolls filled with Italian sausage and onions.
Or go vegetarian with kalamata olives, feta, and red onion. You could create a BBQ chicken version or a Hawaiian version or whatever sounds good to you.
The key is to keep things in approximately the same proportions. You want enough to cover the dough when you roll it out so ever bite comes with deliciousness.
How to Make Pizza Rolls
To make these, whip up a batch of pizza dough – enough for two crusts – or use store bought pizza dough. Remember you can make your dough in advance and store it loosely covered in the fridge, if needed.
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Poach a pound of chicken by simmering it in enough water to cover it with a quartered onion, a bay leaf, and a bit of salt for about 20 minutes.
Or use leftover rotisserie chicken to prep this even faster. With store bought dough, jarred sauce, and rotisserie chicken, this is a snap to make!
While chicken poaches, defrost chopped spinach. Be sure to squeeze out all the water from the spinach that you can.
Once the chicken finishes cooking, shred it and add it to a medium size bowl. Add spinach, half a cup of the marinara sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix this all together.
Roll out pizza dough on a well floured surface. Aim for a rectangle approximately 12×24 inches.
Spread 1 1/2 cups sauce over the dough, leaving a half inch border on one long edge. Layer on the chicken filling, and top with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
Carefully roll up the dough into a long log, seam side down. Use a serrated knife to cut this into twelve even pieces.
I find it easiest to cut the log in half, then in half again. Each quarter slices into three pieces.
For me, that’s easier to ensure I have even size pieces than trying to cut from one end to the other.
Lift each pizza roll up piece and place it in a lightly greased glass 9×13 baking dish. Make sure the end pieces go with the end side down.
Place in your 425 degree oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and rolls are cooked through. Let cool 2-3 minutes, then serve.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Make sure you let them cool fully before placing them inside so nothing get soggy.
Have you ever had pizza rolls? How would you customize them to suit your tastes?
Homemade Pizza Rolls
Ingredients
- Pizza dough enough for two crusts
- 1 pound chicken poached and shredded
- 3/4 cup frozen chopped spinach thawed
- 2 cups tomato sauce divided
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Poach chicken and shred. Squeeze all excess water from spinach. Add chicken, spinach, 1/2 cup tomato sauce, and salt and pepper to bowl. Stir to combine.1 pound chicken, 3/4 cup frozen chopped spinach, 2 cups tomato sauce, salt and pepper
- Roll pizza dough on a floured surface to 12x24 inch rectangle. Layer remaining sauce over dough, leaving a half inch border along one long edge.Pizza dough
- Add chicken filling over sauce, then layer cheeses over this. Carefully roll dough into a log, leaving seal side down. Use a serrated knife to cut into 12 equal pieces. Add each piece to lightly greased 9x13 glass baking dish.2 cups mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- Bake in 425 degree oven 20-25 minutes. Let cool 3 minutes, then serve.
Equipment
Notes
- While this homemade pizza dough is super easy, feel free to grab a bag of dough at the store from the refrigerated section for a quick and convenient option. For the best results in these pizza rolls, pre-made dough sheets or refrigerated dough are ideal, as they tend to be thinner and easier to roll than canned dough options.
- For more tips and tricks, be sure to read the full article above.
Nutrition
This site uses an online source to provide nutrition estimates as a courtesy. If you need exact values, please calculate yourself.
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[…] Pizza rolls […]
Hi Michelle
What an interesting way to make pizza rolls. Great for lunches, and quick suppers.
Thank you for the great ideas.
Thanks – they’re so good. And now I keep seeing ads for a store bought version. But these are better 😉 (and more fun)
Goodness…these pizza rolls sound incredible! And I love how organized you are with your meal prep. Love how pretty these containers make everything in the fridge, too! #client
Thanks, Kristi! My family loves these, and they’re already asking when I’ll make them again! And the containers? I’m telling ya – I gotta go back to get more!