Ingredients
- Ingredients:
- Cheese Mixture:
- 1-1/2 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 Tbsp honey
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- Oil-Garlic Mixture:
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Sausage-Vegetable Mixture:
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 8 oz sausage, crumbled
- 1 clove garlic, sliced
- 1 cup onions, diced
- 1 cup red peppers, diced
- 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
- 1/4 cup tomato, diced
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- Dough:
- 3 (8-oz) portions store-bought pizza dough
- Filling, Finishing & Serving:
- 2 cups smoked mozzarella, shredded
- 8 oz soppressata or your favorite salami
- 6 –8 basil leaves, torn
- 4 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 cup ranch dressing or marinara sauce, for serving
Preparation
Step 1
Preparation:
To prepare the cheese mixture, combine the ricotta, honey, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
To prepare the oil-garlic mixture, combine the olive oil and garlic powder in a separate mixing bowl. Set aside.
To prepare the sausage-vegetable mixture, preheat a 10–12" skillet with the olive oil over medium heat for 1–2 minutes. Add the crumbled sausage and cook about 2–3 minutes.
Put in the garlic clove, onion, and pepper and cook until just tender, about 3–4 minutes. Add the mushrooms, tomato, and oregano, then cook until the mushrooms have released their juices and are tender, about 3â4 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
To fill, finish, and serve the pizza pockets, start by preheating the oven to 375°F.
Cut each dough ball in half to make 6 (4-oz) portions in total. Roll each into a round, about 6–7" in diameter.
On half of each round, assemble the following in order from bottom to top: 2 Tbsp cheese mixture, 1/3 cup smoked mozzarella, 3–4 soppressata slices, 2–3 pieces torn basil, 2–3 Tbsp cooled sausage-vegetable mixture.
Fold the empty side of dough completely over the filling, then fold the outer edges up and crimp with your fingers to seal. Place the pockets on a parchment-lined, cornmeal-dusted baking sheet.
Brush each pocket with the oil-garlic mixture. Sprinkle on the grated Parmesan. Bake in the oven until golden, about 18–20 minutes.
Serve with ranch dressing or marinara sauce on the side.
To make ahead, freeze, and bake later, take the frozen pizza pockets straight from the freezer and bake in the oven for an additional 5–10 minutes.