Best Easy Pizza Pocket Recipes

PIZZA POCKETS

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium-sized, heavy skillet. Add the sausage and cook until crumbled and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the arugula and cook until wilted. Turn off the heat and let cool about 10 minutes. Add the cream cheese, 1/3 cup Parmesan, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out the pizza dough on a lightly floured surface to a thin 20 by 12-inch rectangle. Cut the rectangle in half lengthwise. The cut each half into 8 equal rectangles.
• Spoon topping onto 1 side of each of the rectangles. Using a pastry brush, brush the edges of the rectangle with egg wash. Close the rectangle of pizza dough over the topping. Use a fork to seal and crimp the edges. Place the pizza pockets onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Brush the top of each pizza pocket with egg wash. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the marinara sauce over low heat in a medium saucepan. Serve the hot pizza pockets with the marinara sauce alongside for dipping.

PIZZA POCKETS

Steps:

• For the dough: Sprinkle the yeast over 3 cups warm (not lukewarm) water. Let stand for a few minutes.
• In a mixer, combine the flour and salt. With the mixer running on low speed (with a paddle attachment), drizzle in the olive oil until combined with the flour. Next, pour in the yeast/water mixture and mix until just combined and the dough comes together. (The dough will be sticky.) Form the dough into a ball.
• Coat a separate mixing bowl with a light drizzle of olive oil and toss the dough in the olive oil to coat. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set it aside for 1 hour to rise. Then put it in the fridge to chill for 2 hours or longer. (The dough is much easier to work with when very cold.)
• For the mushroom version: Add the olive oil to a pan with the heat on medium and saute the garlic and onions for about a minute. Add the mushrooms and thyme and saute for 3 minutes. Add the white wine and reduce for a couple of minutes until most of the liquid is gone. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool to room temperature.
• For the meat version: Crumble the Italian sausage into a skillet with some olive oil and brown until cooked through, 5 minutes. Let cool.
• When you are ready to make the pizza pockets, take half the dough and roll it out into a large rectangle. Cut into 18 rectangles with a rectangular cutter. Put 9 of the rectangles onto a baking sheet and top them with the fillings for the meat version: some marinara sauce, mozzarella, sausage, pepperoni and Canadian bacon. Lay the other 9 rectangles on top and crimp the edges with a fork. Brush with the beaten egg. Put into the freezer to flash-freeze for 30 minutes.
• Repeat with the other half of the dough and the fillings for the mushroom version: some mozzarella, goat cheese and the sauteed mushrooms.
• When the pockets have been flash-frozen, transfer to ziptop bags and store in the freezer.
• When ready to cook, place on a baking sheet and bake at 450 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes.