Easy Homemade Pizza Rolls. Pizza Pockets were always something which my children enjoyed. What child doesn't! Small pizzas, with the filling enclosed that you can eat with your hands. I would buy them the frozen ones from time to time.
I also use to make them from scratch. Actually my friend Debbie and I used to make them from scratch for the school lunch program in Geary, NB when I lived there. It would take hours and hours to make enough for the whole school, but I do confess they were incredibly delicious, however time consuming.
This recipe for Easy Homemade Pizza Rolls is a whole lot simpler and quicker to make. It makes great use of some store-cupboard ingredients. I personally like these a whole lot better than the regular pizza rolls.
And not in the least because the recipe uses puff pastry. I mean, puff pastry. If something uses that I am all over it like a rash. I simply adore the stuff!
All Butter Puff Pastry is something which I keep in my freezer all the time. Only the all butter one. I don't ever buy anything else. All butter is the best.
It is such a convenient thing to have in the house and comes in handy for all sorts of things. Most chef's make use of prepared puff pastry if they can.
Making puff pastry from scratch can be very time consuming. If you use the frozen all butter one, there is really no huge difference between that and from scratch. Its a real time saver.
These homemade pizza rolls are so quick and easy to make. You simply unroll the puff pastry, spread it with a few bits and bobs, roll it back up again, slice and bake. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
Simply thaw a sheet of frozen all butter puff pastry as per the package directions and unroll. I like to press it out evenly with a floured rolling pin to get rid of any bumps or wrinkles left from it having been rolled up. Then it is simply a matter of layering on the ingredients.
For these you want the filling to be fairly simple and you really don't want to over-do it. Less is more in this instance. Too much and it will be falling out all over the place. You need to make sure that you chop all of the filling ingredients up finely.
You begin by spreading the pastry with a bit of sun-dried tomato paste. Why not pizza sauce? Its quite simple. Pizza sauce is too wet and sun-dried tomato paste packs a real taste wallop in comparison. You don't need as much of it. Trust me when I say it adds lovely pizza flavours into the mix.
Plus you are going to be serving these rolls with warm pizza sauce for dipping, so you really don't need pizza sauce in the rolls. Just make sure you leave a border all the way around so that these stick together well when it comes to rolling and cutting.
I like to keep the filling ingredients simple. Parmesan cheese, sharp cheddar, chopped green and black olives, minced red onion, chopped pepperoni. (You can use hotdogs or ham instead, depending on what your family enjoys.)
I like to use good cheeses and I always grate them myself. You could also use a mozzarella, but I think the Parmesan and cheddar make a great mix.
You could put a bit more cheese in the filling if you like them really cheesy, but I find the amounts I have suggested to be quite perfect.
One reason I always grate my own cheese if I can is because there is nothing extra added. Its cheese, end of, period.
I love the dried olives if you can get them. Sometimes they have been cured with garlic and they have really fabulous flavours. A little bit of them goes a very long way.
If you can only get jarred olives, by all means use them. I just favour the dried. It is a personal preference.
I like to use red onions for two reasons. One they are not quite as sharp flavoured as regular onions, and have a nice colour and sweetness.
Again, if all you have is regular onions, you can use them instead, or even chopped spring onions. Another personal choice.
I never use mushrooms or peppers. I feel they would release too much moisture when they are cooking and make for a soggy roll.
I really like these to be nice and crisp. Flaky crisp. Buttery, flaky crisp. Need I say more?
I like to add a little bit of finely chopped spicy pepperoni. It adds some zest to the mixture. You could use hotdogs if you wanted to, or chopped ham, perhaps even crumbled cooked bacon.
Again, don't over do it. You do need to be able to roll these up! And you want them to stay together, not fall apart when you are eating them.
Roll them up tightly and then slice them into rounds with a nice sharp knife. I place the about 2 inches apart on a lined baking sheet and then press them down lightly with my hand, just to flatten them a tiny bit.
I brush an egg wash over the tops and sprinkle them with a final amount of Parmesan cheese prior to baking. They bake up crisp and golden brown and . . . I am warning you now, incredibly moreish.
These are quite simply wonderful served hot with some warm pizza sauce for dipping. I like to make my own pizza sauce from scratch. I don't want to brag or anything but I think my pizza sauce is the best and it is very easy to make. It also freezes very well, so don't worry about there being too much.
Buttery, flaky, nicely spiced, these are fabulously delicious. I have never had anyone turn one down yet. In fact these are so delicious you may just want to double the recipe! You can also freeze the baked rolls. Just wrap them up individually and pop into the freezer ready to reheat briefly in a warm oven.
You are so going to love these! I guarantee!!
Easy Homemade Pizza Rolls
Yield: 6
prep time: 10 Mincook time: 25 Mintotal time: 35 Min
Flakey buttery puff pastry wrapped around your favourite pizza fillings and served with a delicious pizza sauce for dipping. Quick and easy to make and very tasty.
Ingredients
- 1 sheet all butter puff pastry
- 4 TBS sun dried tomato pesto
- 6 TBS finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 all beef frankfurter or pepperoni stick, chopped
- a handful each of black and green olives, chopped
- 1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 120g grated strong cheddar cheese (I use a mix of white and orange)
- 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tsp water
- Your favourite pizza sauce or homemade pizza sauce (see recipe below)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Line a baking tray with a sheet of baking paper. Set aside.
- Unroll the puff pastry and lightly press out evenly with a floured rolling pin.
- Spread the sun dried tomato pesto over the surface leaving 1/2 inch border along one long side. Measure out 2 TBS of Parmesan cheese and set aside.
- Leaving the 1/2 in border intact, sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over the pesto.
- Scatter on the frankfurter, olives and onion. Scatter the cheddar cheese over top evenly.
- Brush the empty border with some of the beaten egg yolk. Roll up tightly from the opposite long side to the egg yolk washed side, encasing all of the filling ingredients.
- Press the egg washed seam tightly to adhere to the main body of the roll.
- Using a really sharp knife, cut into six rolls.
- Place them evenly spaced onto the prepared baking sheet, cut side down and pressing lightly down with the palm of your hand to flatten slightly.
- Brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
- Bake in the heated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown and flakey..
- Warm your pizza sauce while the rolls are baking. Serve the hot pizza scrolls with the sauce for dipping.
Tasty Homemade Pizza Sauce
Yield: Makes enough for 2 (12-inch) Pizzas
prep time: 5 Mincook time: 15 Mintotal time: 20 Min
This is a really good pizza sauce recipe. After experimenting through the years with different types of tomatoes, sauces and spices I think I have come up with what is a real winner. Delicately spiced. The sauce is what makes a pizza in my opinion!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (415g) of tomato passata (seived tomatoes)
- 1/4 cup (60g) tomato paste (sundried tomato paste is nice sometimes for a change)
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 1/2 tsp dried basil leaves
- 1 tsp dried oregano leaves
- 1/4 tsp chinese five spice powder
- seasalt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cover with a lid, slightly ajar and simmer on low for about 15 minutes. Let cool before using.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
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This Instant Pot Bolognese Sauce Recipe I am sharing with you today is a hearty and rich meat sauce exploding with wonderful Italian flavors! Unlike the traditional Bolognese sauce, you can have it on the table in less than an hour, I kid you not!
Traditionally a Bolognese Sauce needs to be slow simmered on top of the stove for several hours in order for the flavors to deepen, and the sauce to thicken to a great consistency. This simple recipe reduces that time by more than half, without reducing any of the delicious flavors. I am all for that!
Although I have had an Instant Pot for quite some time now, I haven't really used it as much as I should have done. I wasn't quite sure how to use it and I confess that I have been a bit afraid of using it.
I suppose I thought that it must be quite complicated to use and the thought of a pressure cooker is a tiny bit daunting to me. I remember a neighbor across from us back in the 1960's when I was a child being badly burnt when her pressure cooker exploded.
Because of that my mother would never have one in her house. She surely passed that fear on to me, so although I did purchase one a few years ago, I have always felt somewhat intimidated by it.
My sister does use hers regularly however. She made fantastic beef dips in it just a few weeks back and by watching her I have come to recognize just how safe and easy they are to use, so long as you do things in the proper way and have a healthy respect for just what it is and what it can do.
I also believe they are much safer these days than what they were in my mother's time. They are energy efficient appliances and save on time and energy, both bonus's in the modern kitchen!
Compared to other more common cooking methods (boiling, baking, steaming) an Instant Pot Pressure Cooker can reduce your energy usage and cook times by up to 70%!
We all lead incredibly busy lives these days and anything that can help to make us more efficient with our time is a bonus! I have vowed to use mine more, starting with this very delicious sauce!
The recipe I am sharing with you today is a variation on my traditional Bolognese Sauce, adapted for cooking in the Instant Pot. You can of course cook it in a regular saucepan on top of the stove, but the cook time will be considerably longer.
This Instant Pot version comes together very quickly and I can assure you is incredibly rich and delicious. It lacks nothing in comparison to its main stream every day cousin!
Spaghetti with "Meat Sauce" was always a favorite of my fathers. Mom would brown hamburger on top of the stove and then pop open a tin of Catelli Spaghetti sauce, pouring it over top.
Heated through she would proudly proclaim it to be "Italian" spaghetti, and we were none the wiser. You know and understand what is familiar to you, and of course we had never experienced the "real" thing, so were none the wiser!
It was not until I was an adult that I experienced a true "Bolognese" sauce and came to know the difference.
A traditional Bolognese sauce is known in Italian as ragù alla bolognese or ragù. It is is a meat-based sauce originating in Bologna, Italy. Traditionally it would be served with tagliatelle. Here in the West, we most commonly enjoy it with spaghetti.
Bolognese sauce has evolved greatly over the years, with every cook putting their own spin on it. So much so that many recipes today don't have much in common with the original version.
I think most family's have their own versions of it, and whilst we may poo poo at some of them, who is to really say what is delicious and what is not. A rose by any other name and all that. This version is delicious. Plain and simple.
It is what passes as a Bolognese in our house and that's what matters to us! Rich and meaty with three kinds of meat. A good ground beef, Italian sausage and cubed pancetta form the basis of the sauce.
In addition I like to add onions, celery and plenty of garlic, as well as some carrot for a bit of sweetness. A mix of dried herbs, some red wine, stock and good tinned tomatoes round it out. I confess I add a tiny bit of brown sugar to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes and I always like to add a splash of good Balsamic,
Some cream stirred into it at the end is the final touch that puts this sauce over the top!!
We enjoy it on spaghetti, but it is equally at home on any kind of pasta. Macheroni, tagliatelle, farfalle, you name it. I cannot think of a pasta that wouldn't love this sauce.
I like to grate Parmesan cheese over the top of mine, but then I always did. I doused the top of my mom's "Italian" spaghetti with the one from the green can regularly. Today I grate my own. Some crusty bread and a nice tossed salad make this meal complete!
I really love how quickly this sauce comes together. It tastes just as if it has been simmering all afternoon. The flavors are wonderful. I hope that you will give it a go, instant pot or not and enjoy this heavenly, indulgent sauce!
Instant Pot Bolognese Sauce
Yield: 6
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 55 Min
A rich and meaty pasta sauce, made in half the time using your Instant Pot. If you don't have an Instant Pot, you can make it in a saucepan on top of the stove. It is delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 TBS olive oil
- 1 pound extra lean ground beef
- 1/2 pound spicy Italian sausage
- 4 ounces pancetta, diced
- 1 medium brown onion, peeled and minced
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and minced
- 1 small green pepper, trimmed and finely chopped
- 1 stalk celery, peeled and minced
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1/2 cup (120ml) dry red wine
- 1 (28oz) tin of chopped tomatoes in tomato juice, undrained (2 (420g))
- 3 TBS tomato paste (tomato puree)
- 2/3 cup (160ml) beef stock
- 1 TBS Balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- fine sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 TBS dry parsley flakes
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp oregano
- crushed red pepper flakes to taste
You will also need:
- 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream
- Cooked pasta to serve
- Parmesan cheese to sprinkle (I like to grate my own)
Instructions
- Using the sauté setting on your instant pot, add the olive oil and heat. Crumble in the ground beef, sausage and pancetta. Cook until browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Drain off most of the fat, if any.
- Add the carrot, celery, onion and green pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until they begin to soften. Stir in the garlic and cook for a further 30 seconds.
- Add the tomatoes, beef stock, tomato paste, red wine, vinegar, sugar and all of the seasonings and herbs. Stir everything together well.
- Cancel the sauté setting. Place lid on top and secure. Press the pressure cook setting and cook for 20 minutes.
- Release pressure according to your Instant Pot manual.
- Remove lid and set aside. Taste and adjust seasoning as required with some salt and black pepper. Stir in the cream. Reheat gently on the sauté setting until well heated through, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Serve hot and ladled over your favorite pasta cooked to al dente along with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese for sprinkling over top.
Notes:
To Cook on top of the stove: Brown the meats in a large heavy bottomed saucepan. Add the vegetables and saute until they begin to soften. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil, then reduce to a slow simmer. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally , for about 2 hours, until the sauce is nicely thickened. If you think it is getting too thick, you can add a bit of stock or water.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
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We sure have been having some bitterly cold weather this past week. I believe it was -10 out there this morning. I have not experienced temperatures such as this in over 20 years! This is the kind of cold that really makes you appreciate Winter soups and stews.
Food that warms your belly and soul! There is nothing like a hot bowl of soup to do just that and this Winter Vegetable Soup is one of my favourites! And not the least because of the dumplings!
Most of my baking life I have been on the search for a simple oatmeal cookie recipe that would result in a beautifully crisp oatmeal cookie. I have tried about a bazillion recipes through the years. That's a lot of cookies.
And for the most part I have enjoyed the results of my labours. I do not think I have ever eaten an oatmeal cookie that I did not fall in love with. I think of all the cookies, oatmeal cookies are my favourites!
I enjoy them in any way shape or form. Soft and chewy, studded with plump sticky sultana raisins, sweet chocolate chips, toasted nuts, etc. I do believe however that I have stumbled upon the perfect oatmeal cookie recipe.
Thin. Crisp. Buttery. Unadulterated by any other flavours save that of butter and vanilla. Wholesome, oaty. In short. Oatmeal Cookie PERFECTION.
I recently purchased this cookbook by America's Test Kitchen to replace in part at least, some of the cookbooks I had to leave behind in the UK. (My heart will always be broken about that, but it is what it is.) I had a LOT of baking books.
I was greatly tempted by this one and have to say I have NEVER been disappointed by any of the ATK cookery books. I have had a few of them through the years and none of them have been duds. This one, thus far is no exception.
Granted, this is the first recipe I have baked from the book. I have to say however, if this recipe is any indication of the quality of cookie recipes contained in the book, I am on to a winner here!
My sister thought they almost tasted like oat cakes. And I have to say, that buttery oaty flavour is there in abundance. I adore the flavour of oats in baked goods. So wholesome and almost nutty.
These toasty cookies are pleasantly crunchy, even in the centres. This is something which can be very difficult to achieve in a cookie. You often get them crispy edged, but usually the centres can be a bit chewy.
Not so with this one. Even the centres are perfectly crisp and buttery. That is because they scaled down the amount of sugar somewhat, enabling the oaty flavour to shine through and making for less moisture in the cookies.
There is also not a lot of flour in these cookies. Only one cup. Most cookies take far more than that. In fact there is far more oatmeal in these cookies than there is flour!
There is a full 2 1/2 cups of oats in these which really makes for a delicious wholesome oaty flavour. It is important to note that you really need to use the old fashioned oats, not the quick or instant oats.
I only ever very rarely have quick or instant oats in my cupboard and when I do it is usually in the form of those premeasured breakfast cereal packets. I prefer old fashioned oats on every level.
Wholesome. Toothsome. Hearty. Delicious. In this house organic non gmo oats are the preference.
You want to use butter that is soft, but still cool if that makes sense. We pop it into the microwave for about 3 to 4 seconds. This yields a butter that is spreadable, but still holds its shape.
This gets whipped together with two kinds of sugar. Granulated white and soft light brown. I have come to recognise that granulated white sugar here in the UK is the same as castor sugar in the UK. It has much finer granules than the granulated sugar you will see in the UK.
One reason this is desirable when it comes to baking is because of its ability to melt into batters and doughs without leaving a grainy texture. Ever baked a cake and had it come out looking a bit speckled on top?
These are sugar granules that have not quite melted into the batter. That's why it is important when baking to use a finer granulated sugar. If yours is too granulated, you can blitz it in a food processor to break it down a bit.
The use of a bit of brown sugar gives these an almost caramel like flavour. I love the flavour of brown sugar in bake goods. There is not enough to make the cookies soft, just enough to give them a hint of caramel.
Brown sugar has more moisture in it than white sugar. This is due to the molasses content. Did you know if you have run out of brown sugar you can substitute white sugar for it with the addition of a bit of molasses?
If you have run out of brown sugar and need to make your own, mix 1 cup (200 grams) of granulated white sugar with 1 tablespoon of molasses.
If you need dark brown sugar, simply increase the molasses to 2 tablespoons. Easy peasy. Just stir it all together.
Also, if you don’t have molasses on hand, you can easily swap it out for maple
syrup with almost no change to your recipe’s final product.
Combine 1 cup (200 grams) of granulated white sugar with 1 tablespoon of pure maple syrup to make a brown sugar substitute that can
fool just about anyone. There is no acutely discernable difference in taste.
I have to say that I cannot recommend this Oatmeal Cookie highly enough. They are crisp and moreish. Buttery. Oaty. The best Oatmeal Cookie.
My search is over. These truly are the perfect oatmeal cookie!
Thin & Crispy Oatmeal Cookies
Yield: Makes 2 dozen
prep time: 10 Mincook time: 16 Mintotal time: 26 Min
This is the crispest, most delicious oatmeal cooki I have ever baked or eaten. Incredibly moreish.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (140g) plain/all purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 14 TBS butter, softened but still cold (200g/7 ounces)
- 1 cup (195g) granulated sugar (In the UK caster sugar)
- 1/4 cup (50g) soft light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large free range egg
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups (200g) old fashioned rolled oats (not quick oats)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Have ready several large baking sheets that you have lined with baking parchment.
- Beat the granulated sugar, brown sugar and butter together at low speed, just until combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat until light in colour and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla.
- Sift together the flour, soda, salt and baking powder. Stir into the creamed mixture just to incorporate and then stir in the oats until thoroughly blended.
- Using a cookie scoop (or by 2 TBS measures), drop the dough (roll into balls) onto the baking sheet leaving about 3 inches in between each. Lightly press down with your fingrs until the balls are 3/4 inch thick.
- Bake, one sheet at a time, until goldn brown with crisp edges. This will tak abou 13 o 16 minutes depending on your oven. (mine took 16)
- Leave on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before scooping off onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
- Store in an airtight container.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
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