Today is Sunday, but it feels like Saturday due to the long weekend. I started my day by going to the gym for a morning run. When I got home, just over an hour later, I started testing new recipes in the kitchen. I love spending long weekends testing out new recipes. I’ve been experimenting with recreating some of my favorite dim sum dishes and improving upon some of my go-to recipes. Weekends always mean pizza for at least one or two meals. I wanted to put a spin on my usual pizza topped with my favorite ingredients this weekend and ended up making pizza pockets for Kevin and I to enjoy for an early dinner. Pizza pockets are an extension of my love for pizza. When I lived in New York, I would pick up pizza, garlic knots, calzones, strombolis, Italian heroes, and baked ziti from local pizza shops when I want something tasty and quick to eat. I love the portability of pizza pockets. You stuff the pizza dough pockets with your favorite ingredients and bake the pockets to perfection in the oven. I stuffed my pizza pockets with pepperoni and peppers because I love the sweet and savory flavors of these ingredients. Browning the peppers and onion before stuffing the pockets also releases some of the sweetness from the onion and peppers. Today feels extra leisurely because I know I have tomorrow off from work. I get to take my time running errands, testing out new creations in the kitchen, and curling up in my favorite corner of my couch.
Pepperoni and Peppers Pizza Pockets:
· My pizza dough recipe
· 1 tablespoon olive oil
· ½ of a white onion, thinly sliced
· ½ of a red pepper, thinly sliced
· ½ of an orange pepper, thinly sliced
· ½ of a green pepper, thinly sliced
· ½ teaspoon kosher salt
· ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
· ¼ cup tomato sauce
· 2 ounces Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
· 4 ounces mozzarella cheese
· 20-30 slices of pepperoni
· 1 teaspoon olive oil
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 475°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
2) Heat a skillet on medium heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onion, peppers, salt, and pepper. Cook until the onion and peppers begin to soften, about 5-7 minutes. Turn off the heat. Let the onion and peppers cool for at least 10 minutes before filling the pockets.
3) Divide the pizza dough in half. Stretch the pizza dough into two circles. Spread half of the tomato sauce on one piece of dough. Add half of the onion and pepper mixture, ½ ounce of the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, 2 ounces of mozzarella cheese, and half of the pepperoni slices. Fold the dough over to create a pocket. Pinch the edges together to seal the pockets. Repeat these steps with the second piece of pizza dough.
4) Brush the outside of the pizza pockets with the teaspoon of olive oil. Top each of the pockets with another ½ ounce of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
5) Bake the pizza pockets in the oven for 18-20 minutes, until the pockets turn golden brown. Let the pizza pockets cool for 5 minutes before digging in.
Takeaways: Pizza pockets are very versatile. You can fill them with any of your favorite pizza ingredients and cheese. Some of my favorite combinations other than pepperoni and peppers include broccoli and chicken, broccoli and sausage, and bacon and cherry tomatoes. The combinations are pretty much endless. As an optional step, you can serve the pizza pockets with a side of tomato sauce.