Pizza with a pocket in there

Watching my daughter get excited to help in the kitchen makes me so happy. I like to think it’s because she wants to be just like her mom and dad, but wearing the cute apron Nana made might also have something to do with it. Her favorite thing to do is help Daddy bake cookies. Sprinkle cookies to be exact. She also likes to help stir the pancake or waffle batter when we make breakfast. She’s the best mixer around! Helping with dinner can be a little tougher because she’s not quite yet at the age to help me chop things or stir the pot on the hot stove. I made pasta salad last week (recipe to come at a later date) and had leftover cheese and pepperoni. I wanted to use it up but it was already diced which would melt and cook differently on a regular pizza. However, it was perfect for a pizza pocket! I wanted something simple and fun that she could help with so I decided to use already made biscuit dough for these. It was one of the best ideas I’ve had in a while. Not only were they still flaky and perfect when baked, but she had a blast and it was fun for her to help me. At one point her daddy asked what she was making and in her cute little 3-year-old voice with a southern accent said, “Pizza…with a pocket in there.” He caught it on video and I’ve re-watched that clip a dozen times. It’s just too damn cute. These were so good, simple, and a lot of fun for everyone. Try these with your kiddos and let us know in the comments how they turn out!

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Pizza Pockets
Makes 15 biscuit sized pizza pockets
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 16 min

• 2 cans biscuit dough (we used Pillsbury Grands)
• 2 c cubed cheese (mozzarella or provolone)
• 2 c cubed pepperoni
• 1 jar marinara sauce, heated
• Herb Garlic Butter
  • 4 tbsp melted butter
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning

1. Flatten out each biscuit using your hands on a floured surface (this is the fun part for the kids).
2. Place some cheese and pepperoni in the middle of the flattened biscuit.
3. Fold the edges into the middle and pinch them together really well. You can actually fill these pretty full since the dough is stretchy enough when you pinch it together. Then place pinched-side-down on a greased cookie sheet. I ended up needing 2 cookie sheets. You want to space them a few inches apart to account for the dough rising a little.
4. Mix the garlic butter together and use a basting brush to brush the top of each dough ball. If you don’t have a basting brush, no need to go buy one, just use a spoon and carefully spoon a little on top. Use only half the butter for now.
5. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes, then baste with the remaining butter, rotate the pans, and bake another 8 mins or until golden brown.
6. Serve with marinara sauce for dipping.