Description
A quick and easy recipe for cheesy pizza pinwheel bites made with refrigerated dough, perfect for busy weeknights, school lunches, or meal prep. These portable, crowd-pleasing bites are ready in 30 minutes and taste great warm or cold.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 standard tube (14oz / 397g) refrigerated pizza dough
- ½ cup (120g) marinara sauce
- 2 tablespoons (30g) butter, melted
- 2 cups (200g) mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- ½ cup pepperoni slices (optional)
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped (optional)
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper or grease lightly with butter.
- Unroll pizza dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 9×13 inch rectangle. If it resists, let it rest for a minute before rolling.
- Spread marinara sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a half-inch border on all sides. Sprinkle with garlic powder and oregano.
- Distribute shredded mozzarella evenly over the sauce. Add optional pepperoni if using.
- Starting from the long side, tightly roll the dough into a log. Pinch the seam shut and tuck in the ends.
- Slice the log into 1-inch thick rounds (about 12-15 pinwheels). Place cut-side up in the prepared baking dish, leaving space between them.
- Mix melted butter with red pepper flakes (if using). Brush the tops of each pinwheel generously with the butter mixture. Sprinkle with parmesan if using.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes until tops are golden brown and cheese is bubbling. Optional: broil for 1-2 minutes for extra crispiness, watching closely.
- Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes to allow cheese to set before serving.
Notes
For best results, use fresh refrigerated dough rather than canned biscuits or frozen dough (unless fully thawed). Shred your own mozzarella for better melting. If the dough is warm and sticky, chill it for 10 minutes before rolling. These can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking, or frozen after baking for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 pinwheels per serv
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 350
- Fat: 8
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Carbohydrates: 22
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 7
Keywords: pizza pinwheels, back-to-school lunch, easy dinner, kid-friendly recipes, meal prep, refrigerated dough, cheesy bites, weeknight dinner