I had hoped to post some pictures from the adventure we went on last Friday night, but my computer and internet connections are still giving me fits. I promise to do it soon ... I hope. I am sure the anticipation is just killing you :)
In the meantime, how about a recipe that's simple to make and pretty tasty to boot?
I pinned this recipe on Pinterest a while ago and finally got around to making it for lunch today. I've been striking out with new recipes lately, but this was a home run with my brood! My chicklets aren't picky eaters, but I think even littles who are would like this.
I made a few changes based on the ingredients I had on hand. I didn't have pepperoni like the recipe (which was apparently an adaption of a Rachel Ray recipe to begin with) called for, so I used salami instead and I didn't hear one complaint. In fact, we started brainstorming all the other possible combinations of meat/cheese we could try in the future ... like ham & swiss, or bacon & cheddar. These were made in a mini muffin pan, but the Geek suggested trying to make them in full-size muffin pan next time. I suppose it might be worth a try. Not 100% sure what the cooking time adjustment would be, but I'd say not more than 5 to 7 minutes more depending on your oven.
The original recipe said to use pizza sauce for dipping and we did. A few of my chicklets decided ranch dressing would work too. I even thought a cream cheese sauce (something like this one) might be tasty next time.
Easy Peasy Pizza Puffs
Here's what you need:
3/4 cup of flour
3/4 teaspoon of baking powder
that's powder NOT soda :)
3/4 tablespoon garlic powder
The original recipe called for 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning but I didn't have any. This gives it a pretty hefty garlicky taste, so if you aren't a fan like us, you may want to lighten it up a little.
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
The original recipe said a dash of red pepper flakes, but my peeps don't like stuff too spicy so I went with regular ol' black pepper instead:)
3/4 cup of whole milk
1 egg , lightly beaten
Not sure why it needs to be "pre-beaten" but who am I to quibble?
1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
Remember ... if you're feeling daring you can always try some other cheese/meat combo ... let me know how it goes.
1/3 cup grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese
My brood are cheese lovers so I upped this from the original 1/4 cup. The Asiago has a bit stronger flavor which is nice too.
1 cup cubed meat
Technically, since these are pizza puffs I guess this should be pepperoni, but I used salami and it was just fine and dandy.
1/2 cup pizza sauce for dipping
We used our local grocery store's brand and it was perfect. Remember, you can get creative here too and use whatever dipping sauce floats your boat.
Here's what you do....
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and grease a mini-muffin pan (mine had 24 cups).
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper with a fork. Whisk in the milk and the slightly beaten egg.
Stir in the mozzarella, Parmesan and pepperoni (or whatever cheese/meat combo your going with) and let it stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, give the batter a stir and divide it evenly among the mini-muffin cups.
Pop them into the oven and bake until puffed and golden (about 20 to 25 minutes)
Serve the puffs with the pizza sauce (or whatever sauce you have a hankering for) for dipping.
Enjoy!
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