Quick Fix: Pepperoni Roll

There is nothing yummier than cheese and dough and pepperoni. This recipe is great year-round, but also for football! It's easy, and there are lots of variations, making it a real winner whether you are the one eating it or the one making it. And let's be honest, anything with a healthy dose of pepperoni is awesome.

I would love to take full credit for this recipe, of course, but I can't. This recipe is my adaptation of something my husband's family makes. Best of all, just a few ingredients and fast prep time make this a breeze to make, throw in the oven and pull out a few minutes later.

Let's get to the pictures, shall we?

My no stick secret for anything made with pizza dough? Cornmeal. It's the greatest. I coat my pan with it (or my pizza stone, depending on what I am using.) 

And while we are on it, let's talk a minute about why I am using a pan with sides versus my pizza stone because there is a reason. Once upon a time I made a different, but very similar pepperoni roll on my pizza stone. Well, as you may or may not know, pepperoni can be a tad greasy. The grease leaked out of the roll, onto my oven and that caused a plume of kitchen smoke. Then the smoke detector went off. Then my dog started barking like crazy and it was allllll hilly dilly. 

So now I use a pan with sides. You're welcome. 

Now, I used a pound of homemade pizza dough for this recipe. If you are not a crazy lunatic who has time to make your own pizza dough that probably means you are normal. In that case, you may use any pizza dough that you like. Heck, you can also pillsbury roll dough and make smaller versions of this like my sister in law does--those are yummy too!! 

Lay down your pepperoni.... 

Then some mozzarella cheese.... 

Repeat until you've laid it all out and about and it's looking purdy! 

Then roll that sucker right up! 

YUM! 

Lay it seam side down on your pan and bake! 

Serve with some marinara sauce, slice and enjoy! 

And I am not even gonna lie, my husband and I may have shared this pepperoni roll for dinner... hehe. 

Pepperoni Roll

Time: 30 minutes | Serves: 2-4, or appetizers for 6 | Difficulty: Easy 

You Will Need: 

1 pound of fresh pizza dough 

2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded 

1 package of pepperoni

a healthy sprinkle of cornmeal

marinara sauce (for dipping, optional) 

Method: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

In a large, rectangular baking dish, sprinkle the cornmeal to prevent the dough from sticking. 

Roll out your dough to fit the baking dish. 

Starting from one end of the dough, place two rows of pepperoni then a healthy sprinkle of mozzarella cheese. The amounts of cheese and pepperoni are negotiable, if you want more, do more, if you want a little less, do a little less. Repeat until the entire length of the dough has been covered (see picture, above.) 

Roll the dough up, careful to keep the pepperoni and the cheese inside of the dough as you roll. If you need to pinch the ends to seal, that is fine. 

When it's completely rolled up, lay the roll seam side down on the baking dish. 

Place in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until dough is golden and cooked and cheese is melted. 

While the roll is cooking, you can heat up some marinara sauce for dipping in the microwave or on the stove. 

Slice the roll and serve hot! YUM!