Once a Month Cooking: Easy Pizza Roll

Pizza is one of the foods most kids will eat no matter what, and making homemade pizza is a guaranteed money saver. This pizza roll is less fussy than making individual pizzas on English muffins, and the dough tastes more like pizza crust. Kids love the pretty pinwheel slices, and they are fancy enough to serve to dinner guests. This is also a perfect make ahead recipe for potlucks or bake sales!

Easy Pizza Roll Recipe
This recipe uses about 2 cups (500 mL) make ahead beef and vegetable spaghetti sauce. Make up a large batch of the sauce once a month, and use it for pasta dishes, casseroles and other family meals.

Dough Ingredients:
3 cups (750 mL) flour
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
1 tbsp (15 mL) baking powder
1/3 cup (80 mL) shortening
1 cup (250 mL) milk

Combine dry ingredients; cut in shortening. Stir in just enough milk to make a firm dough. Knead a few times, right in the bowl. Turn out onto a large sheet of waxed paper, then roll the dough out into a rectangle about ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick.

Spread on a thick layer of sauce, leaving a clean edge about ¾ inch (3.75 cm) on all sides. Don't use too much sauce! You can always save the leftover for something else. At this point you can roll up the pizza, or you can add a small amount of grated cheese. Throw on a little chopped meat or vegetables as desired. If adding any of these toppings, you may want to puree the sauce and use slightly less of it. The pizza roll will get messy if you over-stuff it!

Using the waxed paper to hold everything together, roll your pizza into a long cylinder. It will look like a jelly roll. Wet your fingers with a little water and seal the ends together. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the roll into 12-15 equal slices. It's really important to use a sharp knife, in order not to mangle the pizza roll. If you are too rough, your filling will spill out all over the place.

Preheat your oven to 425° F (220° C.) Arrange the sliced pizza roll on an oiled baking sheet, leaving a bit of space between pieces to allow for the dough to rise as it bakes. Take a minute to rearrange the slices into nice round pinwheels. This helps them to hold in their fillings as they bake, and will yield a more attractive pizza roll.

Bake the pizza roll for 20 minutes on the middle rack. The dough should be lightly browned, and the filling will be very hot. Let cool about 10 minutes before serving. One or two slices with a green salad or some fresh fruit makes a filling meal. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container. They can be reheated in the oven or microwave, and they also taste great at room temperature in a boxed lunch.

I always make two batches of dishes like this pizza roll. Serve one, and flash freeze the other on a parchment lined baking sheet. Once frozen, store the pizza pinwheels in freezer bags or an airtight container. You can reheat a whole batch at once, or just take out a few slices at a time for a quick snack or lunch.

Variations on Easy Pizza Roll
Instead of making one large pizza roll, create pizza pockets by dividing the dough into several equal portions. Roll out into a circle and spread sauce on one half. Add desired pizza toppings, and fold over carefully. Pinch the edges together to seal, and poke the top surface a few times with a fork. Adjust baking time as necessary, depending on the portion size. This is idea when cooking for one or two, or if you want to make several types of pizza with different fillings.