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 tomatoes. 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!
hmm…looks like I forgot garlic in this picture. Have you noticed that I forget at least one ingredient about 97% of the time??
Stuffed Pizza Rolls
(I don’t really measure, so you get what you get here!)
print recipe text only
1 roll refrigerated pizza dough* (or make your own)
marinara/pizza sauce (click here to make your own)
2 T grated Parmesan cheese (sorry, I don’t know how to make that)
1 T olive oil or melted butter
1/2 t garlic powder
1 t dried Italian seasoning
mozzerella cheese
Pizza toppings of your choice: ie, ham and pineapple, pepperoni slices, sausage, etc.
*You can use regular pizza dough, or thin crust. I used thin crust when taking these pictures.
Preheat oven to heat specified on pizza dough package. Usually it’s 400 degrees. If you make your own dough, 400 is usually a good heat as well.
Unroll your pizza dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll the dough so it’s about 12″ by 8″. You’re going to want to cut it into 24 squares, so just eyeball it if you need to. Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into 24 squares (bet ya didn’t see that one comin’ did ya?)
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) You guys are smart, right? Just eyeball how much. You just need to be able to enclose the toppings in the dough so keep that in mind. For these ones pictured I used a teaspoon each of cheese, canadian bacon, and pineapple.
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.)
Cook them in the 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 & Bacon Stuffed Ranch Rolls
In the mood for some Italiano?
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Grilled Italian Burgers
Chicken Cattiatore
Lasagna
Spinach and Feta Pasta
Tomato-Artichoke Pasta
Italian Turkey Soup
Guiltless Alfredo Sauce
Appetizers
Beef
Sandwiches and Burgers
Beverages
Breads
Breakfast and Brunch
Condiments
Desserts
Pizza and Pasta
Pork
Poultry
Salads and Dressings
Seafood
Side Dishes and Vegetables
Soups and Stews
Candy Penguin Cupcakes
Cinnamon Bun Caramel Corn
Single Serving Pie in a Jar
Mmmmmmm! Now we're talkin'!
I like!
Ooo, these look awesome!!!
Yum! These could very likely be something I will make for some apps at my grad party! I'm thinking a pineapple/ham combo and some chicken sausage,onion,pepper kind too! Thanks for sharing =)
What a great idea! They look amazing! Ham and pineapple is one of my favorite pizza toppings.
Yumyumyumyumyum!!! Looks so good!
Love this idea! Can't wait to try them!
Looks delicious. I will be trying these for sure!
These are a great idea! We love homemade pizza at our house, so i will have to give these a go.
Ok, you know I'm not much of a pizza person, but these look awesome! What I really like is that the sauce isn't on the inside, so you could have a couple of different options for those of us that don't just love marinara sauce all the time :)
Measuring is overrated anyway :D Looks delicious!
I think I might just have to make these tonight!
Those look so fun! My daughter would love them!
Oh these look perfect for kids. I need to try this one. Yum!
I happen to have one of these crust's in the fridge that was on sale. We've been making this yummy Greek pizza with them (feta, greek olives, and pepperonchini, oregano, and mushrooms). But these look so yummy!
This post made me very, very happy. But then, I love all things cheesy and doughy.
I will definitely try this one!
Oh YUM! I cannot wait to make my own version of this!
Yum! I will be making these tomorrow. :)
Yeah, these look divine! They are on my list of dinners this week. You Rock Sara!
Funny you should post a recipe that I would so love to make tonight, but too bad I choose to make a different one from you guys. Everyone I've passed your blog onto has nothing but great things to say. My husband hasn't said one negative thing about any recipe. You guys rock!!!
Maybe tomorrow night, but what a great FHE dinner!
I cannot wait to try this. Perfect for when the fussy eaters come over!! Everyone loves pizza!
Wow! Those look delicious. I'll definitely have to try this.
I wanted to make pizza for dinner tonight but didn't have any pizza sauce. I checked your blog and got an even yummier idea for pizza AND a recipe for pizza sauce!
I just finished eating these and they are awesome! Made them with pepperoni and red pepper and it worked great. I left the pepperoni whole but next time I think I will chop them. Thanks for posting this!
Fill with chicken & bacon and dip in ranch dressing!
Or stuff with buffalo chicken and blue cheese!
Great idea! You never fail to amaze. Now if I could just get you to deliver them. I'll tip! Thanks for the great ideas.
oh yum! I will have to try this to vary our hawaiian pizza night! thanks
I couldn't wait another day and went ahead and made them last night. It was a fun, quick, easy, and tasty dinner. I was even able to make some Diego'friendly pizza rolls. (Always a great thing!) Thanks!
Oh wow that looks wonderful and so fun for kids! We do pizza on Fridays and most of the time we do homemade. We'll have to try this one.
Sounds an looks delish! I like cake AND lemons!
~ingrid
Oh I think I just died a little… I want these now. I'm guessing these will be ranked in my house right under your cadbury egg cookies…
My son is allergic to cheese so isn't a big fan of pizza night. Pizza w/ no cheese is no fun but these might be a fun alternative w/o cheese. I could put his fav's in there and he could dip in marinara. I'll try it and see how it goes.
You're my new foodie blog best friend. My husband already loves you for the teriyaki chicken kabobs!
Just went to the store to buy the ingredients for these.. can't wait!!
Oh my word this is fantastic, I can't wait to try these, the kids will love them!
Turned out so well! We loved them and plan to add them to our monthly meals!!
Oh my this looks very deicious!
Note to other cooks- preshreaded cheese makes it difficult to wrap neatly into a ball. Still DELICIOUS but not as pretty as the pictures Sara posted :)
Next time I will cube the cheese to make nicer looking pizza balls.
I used shredded cheese and it worked great. I'm baking them right now and seriously my kitchen smells amazing and I can't wait to eat them up. Thanks for another yummy recipe!
Just had these tonight and they were great. Even my daughter ate a few, and she hasn't been in to my homemade pizza recently. I made a few different insides, so even more fun when you bit into each one as you had no idea what you were getting.
I made these last night and my husband and I loved them! Thanks!
These are the best ever. I saw this recipe and immediatly went to the store to get the ingredients. They turned out FANTASTIC. Everything cooked perfectly and the looked awesome! I will make these a million times more.
I made these for dinner last night and we all LOVED them. This is definitely being added to our monthly meals. So good. So easy. And so many possibilities… Yum!
I am making these tonight! I got the pizza dough and I am ready to roll…no pun intended : )
Made these for my son's birthday and served with a couple of different flavors of sauce. All the kids loved them! So did my husband and I :)
Another easy idea-use Rhodes rolls or biscuit rolls and just flatten them and then fill. I use whole wheat ones to make a little healthier. Try stuffing with shredded chicken, mozzerella, diced artichokes,and sundried tomatoes. Dip in pesto! SO GOOD!
These were amazing! I am a beginning cook (these were the first things I have ever made besides mac n' cheese) and these were so easy & delish! My boyfriend wanted seconds so I went out and bought more pizza dough and filled it with the leftover toppings :)
YUMMY! I made these for our family a few nights ago and they were a hit with the entire family (does't happen every often with a picky husband,and a 3 & 2 year old) I love following your blog, I'm so glad you take the time out to share your yummy recipes with us mother's that like to mix things up a bit. Needless to say they are on our menu for this next week as well! Thanks! :)
These make such a fun dinner. Thanks! I have to agree about the cubed cheese. I used shredded and thought it wasn't cheesy enough and it was messy pinching the balls together. I will be using cubes next time. Also, the middles turned out doughy. The tops were golden brown, so I didn't want to bake it longer. Next time I will roll the dough out thinner.
We made these tonight – using your pizza dough and breadstick recipe (which I have made no less than 5 times this week). I rolled the dough and cut it, and let my girls put the toppings on and roll them up. They were so fun and delicious. We will be making these on a regular basis for sure.
SOOOO yummy! Once again you made me feel like the best cook ever because my husband loved this! Thank you!!!
I made these, tonight, and they were delish! My 3 and 4yr old gobbled them up. One mistake, though… I had them all balled up and in the pan looking pretty and ready to bake when I realized I forgot the cheese! I had to unroll and cheese them, re-roll and re-pan them. Even so, they were wonderful and I have lots of ideas for fillings that I'm going to try, now. I put the link for this blog on my facebook account. My new favorite recipe site! Nice pictures, fun blog, delicious food. Thank you thank you!
I'm not sure how I came across this site but I'm glad I did! I made the creamy corn chowder on Sunday (BIG hit) and this recipe today. It made my house smell delicious. I didn't have any mozzarella so I had to use pepperjack and sharp cheddar. Yum-my! My husband has already put in a request for these at EVERY football party. Thanks!
Holy Cow! My mouth is totally watering! I'm going to try these this week!!! Yum! I just found your site today. I have spent the last hour searching through some seriously awesome recipes! Soooo glad you have a blog. I will return often!!
Mmm… I think I need to try chicken and mushroom dipped in Alfredo, too!
Hmmm…Pizza Night Friday just got a new groove! Asking the hubby if he'd like to try these tonight, FOR SURE!!!
Thanks a bunch!
I'm wondering if there is a good way to freeze these for future use. You know, make 2 pans and freeze one for after the baby comes…Has anyone tried that yet?
Brock and Melissa- (I'm assuming Melissa :) Yes, they should freeze fine. Make the rolls in a disposable pie tin and cover well with plastic wrap. You can probably bake them from frozen at the same temp, or let them thaw in the fridge overnight first. I need to try this out to make sure, so I'm just guessing! I will put it on my menu for next week so I can test it for ya.
Okay, so my post is late but the memories of how absolutely delicious our house smelled after I made these for a Saturday afternoon lunch for my husband and I, ring as fresh in my mind as dew on a blade of grass!!!
Oooohhhhh Sooooooooo Yummy are these tiny little bites of gooey goodness!
We will definitely make these again!
I finally made these & it was a huge hit! I lost track of how many my son ate, everytime I turned around he was asking for more! I bought the ingredients to make these again this week! Hooray!
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.
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!
I took these tonight for a NYE party and they were a HIT! Thanks ladies!
I made these and they were DELICIOUS!
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 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:)
I made these last night. They were so yummy.
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!
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!
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.
We had these tonight with pepperoni, ham, cheese, green pepper and mushroom and they were excellent!!!! Everyone enjoyed them. We made the chicken pot pie the other night and loved it. The breadstick recipe is awesome! This is one of the best recipe blogs that I have come across. We have loved everything that we have made and have plans on trying several different things from here in the next few weeks. I want to try to make a version of these with buffalo chicken in them since I have craved it this entire pregnancy. Maybe buffalo chicken with mozzarella (don't like blue cheese)and ranch. Mmmm. I may try that!
Awesome blog! I'm a new fan. I tried these and they were great. I had to substitute with soycheese due to a milk allergy with my kiddo but they were awesome. Have you ever tried these as a dessert? Fruit in the middle, brush with butter, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and dip them in glaze? I haven't tried it yet, but it's my next attempt.
little monkeys- Glad you found us, thanks for reading! Aa few people have mentioned doing sweet versions, so it's on my list too!
These were fantastic, thank you so much for sharing all the wonderful recipes you do with all of us! Dinner would just not be the same at our house without them!
OMG, that is simple such an awesome post..
I made these today and they were awesome! I just added Mozarella Cheese and pepperoni with some pizza sauce for dipping. Can't wait to make these with peppers and onions for my boyfriend, he'll love it.
I must finally comment on your blog. I have now made at least 8 or so recipes from your blog and have loved them all. I tell everyone about it. Since 'meeting' you I have purchased Kosher salt for the first time and have been having a hay day with limes. Thank you for sharing so many wonderful recipes!! (Can't wait to try so many more!)
Wow, I really like!
YMMMM
I made these tonight. My first batch were a little dough-y, so I cooked the second batch longer and they were just right. My family really enjoyed the meal!
I made your homemade marinara as a dipping sauce. It was really tasty, but too spicy for the kids. Next time I will leave out the red pepper flakes. Thanks again!
I didn't have a pie tin (hey, single girl, here!), but a muffin tin did the job!
Anyone ever make them ahead of time? How long would they last before baking? I'm in a dinner trade group and would ove to share these.
Cant wait to try this, they look amazing!! Thanks for the great idea
These are sooooooooo yummy! Thank you for this great recipe! My husband and I loved it!! :) We put tomato and pineapple in ours. Also, there was so much extra toppings we had enough to use 2 batches of dough.
Really good and easy to make! Family loved the recipe.
Made these for dinner tonight and they were delicious!! Thanks for the recipe!
Made these a few nights ago -delicious!!
What a great way of eating your pizza!!! hahaha looks so yummy!
working on these right now, and I can hardly wait. :D one verrrry minor suggestion tho — how bout the name 'Calzone Bites' for these? ;)
We make these, but if you're looking for something even easier (and I always am) you can make these using a can o' biscuits.
I did a variation on this to make inside out DESSERT pizza. I used peanut butter cups, chocolate chips, marshmallows, etc. Instead of flour, i used powdered sugar. I let my kids do the work and they loved it. I drizzled chocolate syrup on it for presentation and for dipping sauces, I used chocolate syrup and melted peanut butter. My kids are still praising me. :)
I made these and the chicken bacon ranch rolls for dinner last month and my wife loved them. They are easy to make and I came up with a few ideas for different fillings like steak and Swiss as well as a three meat combo. The only thing I recommend is make your own pizza dough as it adds to the end product big time! Also adding as much cheese as you can is great as well.
This was very easy to make. My husband and son loved it. Pizza sauce was also a hit, will never buy pizza sauce again. Thanks for sharing. Love your website!!
My son would love these! Definitely going to make these for dinner in the near future! I featured these on my friday favorites!
http://lilbitofus.blogspot.com/2011/01/friday-favorites_14.html
I just made these for dinner and all 4 of my kids loved them. Nice and easy too.
Hi! I made these stuffed pizza rolls for one of our Steelers games. Delicious!!
Thanks for sharing the recipe. I've posted my version on my blog, along with credit for your recipe.
http://tamiskitchentabletalk.blogspot.com/2011/01/pizza-bites.html
Tami
These look amazing! I am going to feature as a great superbowl snack on my blog:
http://www.thetreasurista.blogspot.com
Come by and check it out!
We are excited! Just put ours in the oven for the Super Bowl. First time trying them but they look great so far! Used homemade cornmeal crust. Made garbage (pepperoni, sausage, cheese, sauce, olives, mushroom, and onion) and Hawaiian (ham, cheese, crushed pineapple and onion). Brushed the garbage ones with olive oil with parmesan and asiago cheeses. Brushed the Hawaiian with butter and same cheeses. (kinda smothered them with the cheese…) Thank you so much for posting and we can't wait to try!!!
These were so good! It was my 4 year old's turn to help plan and prepare dinner tonight and this was what we chose. Thanks! I featured it on my blog: http://chrystal-lewis.blogspot.com
We're making these tonight! Thanks! :)
I made these the other night for my fiance and I, but used the filling I usually use for a buffalo chicken stromboli. It was shredded chicken coated in buffalo sauce (Frank’s and butter), then I mixed in some pizza sauce, more hot sauce, and mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Mixing it all together made it easy to just drop a spoonful in the middle of each square, and I topped them with an egg wash and sesame seeds… they were adorable and delicious! What a great idea! We can’t wait to try different fillings, and I’ll try freezing some next time!
Made these for lunch today they were amazing. I didn’t have pizza dough so I used some Rhodes frozen rolls that I had. just unthawed them, rolled them out a little and filled them up. I have 4 kids and they all had fun filling them. They were delicious!!! We used to make homemade pizza, this is so much easier, better and tasier
Made these tonight with my own pizza crust recipe. Overall, they were excellent! I spaced out and added the pizza sauce into the individual pieces, but it didn’t seem to matter much. We still used the dipping sauce, and really enjoyed it! I also put turkey pepperoni, green peppers, onions, and moz cheese in ours. I’d like to try again with other variations…
This was a winner and a total kid pleaser. My son asks for it at least once per week.
just fyi
this is my family’s #1 asked for dinner.
they ALL love these.
I made these tonight and they were delicious! I LOVED your marinara sauce recipe too!
Can you suggest a good way to store and reheat the leftovers?
Thanks!
Just made these for my family and they were delicious!!! Such a simple recipe. Everyone loved them!
I made these tonight and they were a huge hit with my whole family. I did the Bacon-Chicken ranch one that you also have on here and also did hamburger and papperoni. My boys loved them and so did my daughter and her friend. And my husband said that these were very, very, very god. Definatly going to be making these again.
[...] decided we’d pack a dinner from home. I used this recipe for pizza bites: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/06/stuffed-pizza-rolls/ and they were so yummy and easy to take along. It was actually fun eating dinner out of the back [...]
I love to use mini pepperonis and just mozeralla cheese and the kids devour them. Thanx for sharing!
I just baked these, they were absolutely AMAZING!
Props!
I just found your website today and spent hours sifting through these great recipes! I saw this one and knew I had to try it. Turned out delicious! I used pepperoni and mozzarella. Thanks for the great recipe :)
Make a double batch! My family of four loved these. The garlic bread mix was the extra touch that made it so good. Thank you.
I made these for the first time this weekend for a little get together. Big hit! They will most definitely be making another appearance in my kitchen.
[...] Thursday – Pizza rolls [...]
Made these a few times, they are AMAZING – THANKS for posting this, one of my faves.
I want to thank you for this!! They are easy and delicious! :)
Oh man I cannot wait to make these! Last night my hubs requested something with cheese and garlic for a late after-work snack! Wish I had seen this then lol. I’m totally making these STAT
[...] recipe to try. [I'm getting hungry now!!] Weekend song to listen to. [Love these guys.] Something to read [...]
I’ve been looking for something fairly easy yet fun and tasty to make for an upcoming potluck at my daughter’s daycare, and I think this is it! My daughter LOVES finger foods and dipping anything in anything, so I think this will be a hit with the kids as well as the adults.
These look great! I have a question – could I prepare them and then keep them in the fridge for a day before baking them?
You can, but sometimes the dough does funny things if it sits too long. I tried it once and they baked up a little flat.
I tried these this past weekend, using the canned Pillsbury pizza dough. Let’s just say that the dough was horrible to try to work with – it did not want to stretch at all, all it did was stick to itself…it was awful.
I will try this again when I have a bit more time, and try fresh dough made from scratch….
Just posted our review of this recipe on our blog. It’s one of our favorites since you first posted it! Here’s the review: http://www.ratetheplateutah.com/2011/08/eat-in-stuffed-pizza-rolls.html
I made these pizza rolls tonight with the standard pepperoni and cheese topping and they were FANTASTIC! All 3 of my kids (4,5,& 7) who are PICKY eaters gobbled them up and asked for more! I diced my cheese and pepperoni and served them with your super easy pizza sauce for dipping. THANKS!!!!
Made these tonight for dinner and they were a hit! I’m not so good with rolling out dough, yes, even though I used store bought and it is roughly already in the shape, but I made them work. Will use a bit more cheese inside next time. Will definitely be making these again. Thanks for the idea!
[...] a picture from the blog it’s originally from. Everyone should definitely peak around Our Best Bites! They have some of the yummiest recipes around. I absolutely love everything I find there [...]
We tried these for the first time last night and struggled with the dough. We bought a tube of pizza dough from the store and had a hard time getting the dough to stay stretched out so we could cut into 24 squares. We were only able to get 11 squares. What did we do wrong? Can you email me at lahn.jennifer@gmail.com because they were so good but would like to be able to get more out of a roll of dough. Thanks!
These are So good! I’ve made them twice and can’t stop eating them. They are easy to make and my 4 yr old daughter loves to help.
Thank you! I made these to feed 20 high school seniors in an AP Calculus study group and they were a huge hit. I made about 100 and they were requesting more! I will definitely make these a family staple :)
These look yummy! Can’t wait to try them. Can you make them with just cheese in the inside and if yes how much would you use? Thanks for the recipe!
I have to say thank you. I made several of your recipes this past New Year’s Eve (pizza pulls, lil’smokies, and the meatballs) and they were all a hit! The little kids especially liked the lil’ smokies. And those are so easy, I will definitely be making these again. Thank you so much for posting–New Year’s Eve wouldn’t have been the same without these recipes.
I made these tonight with mini pepperonis and diced ham.. they were soooo yummy! My husband said they taste just like dominos :)
Never made bread and made this recipe…love it and is not hard to make.
There is a great place in Reno called Pizza Balls that we love! I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Wow, these were AMAZING!!!! Made it using your recipe for pizza dough, dipping sauce and garlic seasoning and boy oh boy was it lovely! I love your blog ladies, it’s my first choice anytime I’m feeling in the mood for baking!
We love these~ tried a new combo that was yummy last round~ sausage, grilled onions, and a cube of mozz. cheese. Wow…soo good!
So,so good! Thumbs up from all 3 kids which is quite impressive for here!