September 28, 2010
Homemade Pizza Pops and other Freezer Lunches
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Throwing something frozen into your child's lunchbox is a great way to beat the morning rush. It also means that you won't have to worry about food going bad because the frozen item will slowly thaw throughout the morning and help to keep any other food cool.
When deciding what items you want to freeze for school lunches it's important to keep in mind how they reheat in the microwave. You don't want to send something in your child's lunch that will just become a gloppy unappetizing mess once the lunch hour hits.
Some homemade freezer lunch ideas:
- Beef and Bean Burritos
- Soup/Chili/Stew
- Pigs in a Blanket
- Sloppy Joe Pockets - made similar to pizza pops only with bread dough and sloppy joe filling.
- Beef Dip Sandwiches with frozen Au Jus on the side.
- Hamburger Gravy and Rice
- Chimichangas
- Sweet and Sour Chicken (or Stir-fry) with Rice
These pizza pops are very easy to make and can be doubled or tripled if larger quantities are needed. These are Deluxe Pizza Pops but you can swap out ingredients to suite your family.
Homemade Pizza Pops
- 1/2 cup chopped Smithfield ham
- 1/2 cup chopped pepperoni
- 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1/4 cup sliced black olives
- 1 cup grated cheese
- 1/2 cup pizza sauce
- 1 (14 oz) package pizza dough
Instructions
Mix together ham, pepperoni, pepper, olives, cheese and pizza sauce in a large bowl until well combined. Set aside.
Roll pizza dough into a 10x20 inch rectangle. Cut the dough in half lengthwise creating two long strips 5x20 inches. Cut each strip into 4 creating a total of 8 (5 inch) squares.
Divide filling among squares. Brush 2 adjacent edges of squares with water, bring opposites side across filling to seal into a triangle shape (make sure it is sealed well so that no filling will escape). Using your hands, maneuver the filling in the sealed triangles to spread evenly throughout the pocket.
Place pizza pops on a parchment lined baking tray. With a sharp knife, poke three holes in the top of each pop to allow the steam to escape (this will keep the sides from bursting). Bake at 400ºF for 15 minutes or until golden brown and filling is bubbling through holes.
Cool to room temperature before transferring to resealable plastic bags and storing in the freezer.
Makes: 8 pizza pops
