Cooked pizza bun

Best back to school lunch idea

                       

Homemade pizza is in regular rotation at our house. Pizza is a great way to save money if you use bits and bobs in the fridge that would otherwise go to waste (think leftover pasta sauce, roasted veg, pesto, last night’s roasted chicken or ham, or just mozzarella and basil.) Anything goes!

When we make pizza now, I stretch out the savings by making a batch of rolled pizza buns for lunch while I am baking the pizza for dinner. Make sure you save half the dough, sauce and cheese from your pizza dinner and go for it. Here’s how to make these buns:

  1. Roll out store-bought or homemade dough into a large rectangle on a floured surface (about 9” x 13”). Don’t have a rolling pin? Use a wine bottle or pat into place.Cheese on pizza
  1. Top with a tomato-basil pasta sauce. A trick from my aunt: pasta sauce tastes better on pizza and you can use the leftovers for pasta. Freeze any leftover sauce for next time.
  1. Top with a layer of grated cheese: “the glue.” Use a combo of cheeses but mozzarella is traditional. A little sprinkle of Parmesan adds some additional flavour.Pizza bun with toppings
  1. Add toppings: bits of ham or pepperoni, fresh or dried herbs, or just leave completely cheesy. I do half veg and half meat. Don’t go too crazy here. You need to be able to roll this thing.Pizza bun roll cut up
  1. Roll up lengthwise and pinch edges to close. Cut the roll with a serrated knife into 8-10 pieces (8 for medium-sized buns, 10 for smaller bites). Let stand for 15 minutes or so while the oven warms up so they puff up a bit. Add additional cheese on top if desired.Uncooked pizza buns
  1. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until cooked through. Let cool and then package into labelled zip-top bags. Freeze for up to 3 weeks. These are good at room temperature or warmed.Pizza buns in ziptop bag

These are handy if you wake up late one morning. All you have to do is throw a frozen pizza bun or two into a lunch bag with an apple or carrot and you’re a lunch superstar. Pizza buns to the rescue!

Related topics: , ,
  • Was this helpful?
  • Yes   No