Friday, February 4, 2011

Chicken-n-Bacon Pizza Rolls

At risk of offending all of you football fans out there, I have to admit something:

We don't watch the Super Bowl!

We are not NFL football fans (I put a classification on that because we are definitely College football fans--go BSU!).  I grew up in a house that went to every high-school football game (even when no family member was on the team) and I had 4 brothers that were all linemen.  We also zealously rooted for the Denver Broncos, but I guess none of that rubbed off on me.  My husband's family hardly ever watched NFL football.  So when we got married, it never even crossed our minds to even watch the Super Bowl.

The primary benefit of the Super Bowl in our house are all the amazing appetizer recipes that I find.  We have some friends that throw a "we're not watching the Super Bowl party" every year just so we can try many of those tasty appetizers.  This is what I am bringing.  They were absolutely amazing! I was a little worried about the kids eating them, because they're "different" (and with my kids that's not usually a good thing) but they ate an entire pie plate full of the pepperoni and cheese rolls.  They loved dipping them, I mean what person kid doesn't love to dip!

These would work great for dinner too.  You can make them to fit anyones likes or dislikes. My husband and I loved the chicken-n-bacon.  Great flavor and just pure yumminess!

1 roll refrigerated pizza dough, (or make your own)
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese
1 T. melted butter
Mozzarella cheese, cubed (fresh is awesome! we used 1/2 mozzarella and 1/2 cheddar because my husband loves his cheddar)
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 C. shredded, cooked chicken
3/4 C. mayo
3/4 C. milk
*or any other ingredients for your favorite pizza (pepperoni, pineapple, ham, peppers, sausage, onions, etc.)

1.  Take 1 teaspoon of your ranch dressing mix and combine it with 1 1/2 T parmesan cheese. Set aside. Combine the remaining ranch mix with mayo and milk and place in the fridge to chill.

2.  Preheat oven to heat specified on pizza dough package. If you are making your own, 425 degrees.
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.  Place cheese and desired toppings on each square.
3.  When all of your dough squares have cheese and toppings on them, carefully lift up each square and wrap the dough around the toppings.  I grab the four corners first and then squeeze the seams shut. Then place them seam side down in a lightly sprayed pie pan (or similar sized dish). Brush with melted butter sprinkle with the parmesan-ranch mixture.

4.  Place rolls in the oven. The baking time really depends on the type of dough you're using. Whether it's different brands from the store, or homemade dough, they all take different amounts of time. Set your timer for 10 minutes and check on them after that. They may take up to 15 or 20 to be done. Take them out when they're lightly golden on top.  Serve them warm with a side of pizza sauce for dipping.  If you're feeling adventurous, you can also use freshly made ranch dressing or, if you're my husband, bleu cheese dressing.
Enjoy!

Source:  Best Bites

Some other great appetizers for your party:
Blogging tips