Pepperoni Pizza Roll-Ups

Pepperoni Pizza Roll-Ups make totally awesome after-school snacks or game day party food. Made with all store-bought ingredients, the kids can make them on their own. Pepperoni and string cheese are wrapped in buttery, flaky pastry and baked until gooey. It's almost too awesome.

Remember the first day of school when you were a kid? You had your new school clothes on, new backpack, new lunch box. You were excited and nervous to meet your teachers and see who you would sit next to in class. There was the promise of new books, and an opportunity to reinvent yourself.

I still work in a school, and there's still that buzz in the air on the first day. It's somehow comforting and farmiliar and brand new and exciting all at once. As an adult, I mostly pray we'll make it through the day without any fights or major disruptions. I calm the nerves of anxious preteens and bolster the hopes of older young people. But inevitably, I'll eventually start thinking about what I'm going to eat when I get home.

What makes Pepperoni Pizza Roll-Ups so awesome?

These Pepperoni Pizza Roll-Ups are straight up nostalgic convenience food. While some people may sneer at the lackof naturalness here, I'm quite happy to eat something so outrageously delicious. It makes me feel like a kid with a big fat smile on my face and not a care in the world. Actual children will love them just as much as your own inner child.

We've got buttery flaky pastry encasing gooey cheese and spicy pepperoni. Dip these in pizza sauce or marinara if you want to go the extra mile. You can use crescent roll dough, croissant dough, or puff pastry, depending on what's available where you live. They also don't sell white string cheese in my grocery store for some reason. It will look nicer, but it won't really affect the taste.

How to make Pepperoni Pizza Roll-Ups

You can let your younger kids help build these pizza roll-ups, or let older kids have free reign to make them on their own. All you need to do is pop a can of crescent rolls. If you can't get that, you can use puff pastry and cut it into triangles. Then arrange some slices of pepperoni on the dough. Cut a piece of string cheese in half, and put one half at the fat end of each triangle. Finally, sprinkle on a little garlic powder. I just used my fingers.

Then all that's left to do is roll and bake. If you have ends poking out, you can tuck them in to prevent the cheese from oozing out, but it's not critical. Check the oven temp on the dough you bought, usually between 375-400 F (190-200 C) and preheat your oven. Then pop them in and let them bake until golden brown. Give them a few minutes to cool so you don't burn yourself, then feast like a teenager.

FAQ

Make it magical

So, can you still do kitchen witchcraft when all of your ingredients come from a factory? I think you can, but it all comes down to your intention. If you believe that using store-bought ingredients will kill your magick, then whatever spell you're trying to create won't work. However, if you believe that the most important ingredient in any spell is you and your energy, then you're golden.

As my friend and teacher Maggie says, magic works because you are magical. If I wanted to add a little witchcraft to a dish like this, I'd focus on creating happiness and fond memories. I'd roll all my love into every piece. Maybe the ingredients themselves don't have quite the same vibration as something a bit more fresh, but it's your vibration, your energy, that matters most. You can bring an intention of magick to anything you choose because you are a powerful being and anything is possible.

I'll never outgrow Pepperoni Pizza Roll-Ups. It's like saying you're too old to laugh. Just give them a try. It'll be awesome.

Looking for more awesome after school or party snacks? Try some Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels or a Spaghetti Quesadilla.

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I'd love for you to leave a rating and a comment if you made this recipe. How did it go? Was it totally delicious? Let me know.

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