Whole Grain Pizza Rolls

Whole Grain Pizza Rolls

The last time I made homemade cinnamon rolls, I started to think how fun and yummy it would be to make a savory version using pizza ingredients.  There are endless options of things you can bake with pizza dough, but I have never tried to just make a pizza and then roll it up and slice it into pretty rolls.  My daughter even helped me make these, which made it easier to convince her to eat one (she did) and it was a lot of fun to do together.  They would be really great with some finely diced veggies or meat inside as well.  However, if you like crispy pizza dough, this may not be the best option as these rolls are very soft and chewy. But my kids loved them and they were even great the next day, cold, out of the fridge.  I am sure they would be perfect for a kid's school lunch as well.  Something fun and different, and of course, well balanced and nutritious. Get rolling!

Italian Sausage Pizza Casserole

Italian Sausage Pizza Casserole

The smell of this baking is just heavenly.  A cross between pizza, bread and tomato sauce, all mixed up into one delicious aroma of warmth and sustenance. This meal is super easy to assemble and because it takes a little while to bake, it leaves time for other things in between, like helping out with homework and preparing a side salad.  Made of super healthy, easy to find and inexpensive items, it is not only delicious and filling, but packed full of vitamins, antioxidants, fiber and protein.

Italian Sausage Pizza Casserole is also extremely versatile and the particular ingredients can be swapped out easily so long as the underlying recipe remains the same.  Don't want to use regular milk? Use plain soy or almond milk.  Prefer a different type of cheese? go ahead! Don't like spinach? Use some cooked broccoli or peppers. Rather use cooked pork sausage, cooked hamburger meat, vegetarian soy crumbles or canned white beans?  All of them could easily be used in place of the organic chicken sausage.  Trust me, I plan to try different variations of this casserole and promise to post the results.

Whole Grain Pizza Dough

pizzas made with love for my kids

I used to think that making my own pizza required spending a couple of hours in the kitchen watching dough rise, or giving in and using store bought dough, but this recipe changes all that.  By using quick rising instant yeast and organic whole wheat flour, you can now make a delicious and nutritious pizza in about 40 minutes, start to finish.  Of course the nutrition content all depends on what you top your pizza with, but that is the fun part about making your own: you can use whatever you like and whatever you happen to have on hand.  And it is a great dinner for kids to help out with.  My daughter is much more likely to eat a pizza that she helped create and you can make them in all sorts of shapes and sizes.  I have even experimented with sweet toppings like fruit and ricotta cheese with a drizzle of honey.  The possibilities are endless!!