Pizza Bites

These Pizza Bites are a nod to the famous Bagel Bites that changed my family's after school snack game in the 90s. We were treated to these on rare occasions not only because they were a little pricey, but because it wasn't common at the time to have a ready-made product sold in stores that was allergy friendly. While the nostalgia for these snacks remains, I find it easier (and much less expensive) to make these little guys at home. It's also a simple and fun snack for kids to help put together.

 

I used FODMAP friendly shredded mozzarella for this, but you can easily make it allergy friendly or vegan by using a plant-milk based cheese. You can get creative with the toppings, use just cheese or add on the odds and ends hanging around in your refrigerator or pantry. The base of these bites are leftover dinner rolls I had from a potluck. Stale bread makes for great Pizza Bites and saves it from being thrown away.

 

Ingredients

• Six dinner rolls of choice, sliced in half
• 1 cup tomato sauce of choice
• 1 cup shredded cheese of choice (use more if you want it extra cheesy)
• 1 cup toppings of choice (leftover roasted veggies/sausage work well)
• Dried Italian herbs, to taste

Directions 

1. Spread 1-2 tablespoons of tomato sauce onto each halved roll.
2. This is where the debate of adding the cheese first or the toppings first hits a gray area. Some people love bubbly cheese blanketed over the toppings. Others want the crispy toppings covering the cheese. These are your Pizza Bites; layer however you want!
3. Sprinkle Pizza Bites with Italian herbs before baking at 375°F for 5-10 minutes until toppings are hot and cheese is bubbly. Eat while they're hot.

Note: All ingredients can be customized to accommodate your tolerance of FODMAPs and for food allergies. These freeze and reheat really well. Make a batch or two and freeze with a layer of parchment paper in between the Pizza Bites so they don't stick together.

 

What will be your go-to topping for these Pizza Bites? Let me know in the comments below and don’t forget to subscribe to my blog and check in for my regular posts over on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.