Pizza Poppers Recipe

Our family does appetizers and finger foods for Christmas and I wanted to take something different this year, so I ask my Facebook friends for some recommendations of their favorite recipes for easy appetizers. Courtney from Timeless N Chic, said Pizza Puffs and shared a recipe from Pinterest. 

I love pizza, could seriously eat it all the time (but I don't) and they looked good, so I give it a try! I did tweak the original version, because we are beef people, instead of the sausage that was called for in the original recipe. I also added more spices and seasonings. They were a hit at the Christmas gathering and Jeff has been asking "when are you going to make more Pizza Poppers" almost every single day since then! 

I made Pizza Poppers for supper one night this week and documented with pictures and wrote down my version, so I thought I would share with all of you! I think it would be a hit for Super Bowl parties or any other party where finger foods are on the menu. I love to dip them in marinara sauce. Jeff likes them with spicy mustard. Ranch dip would also be an option. 

First step - Brown a half pound of ground beef in a cast iron skillet, coated with olive oil cooking spray.  I chopped two cloves of garlic, threw in a generous portion of minced onion, some salt, fresh ground pepper, and about a teaspoon of garlic and herb seasoning. Somehow, I ran out of Italian seasoning and didn't realize it, so either one you have will work just fine. 

On a side note, how neat is this skillet handle? My mom crocheted a set of towels, pot holder, and this handle cover for a Christmas gift! 

While the meat is cooking, grate 2 cups of Parmesan cheese. 

At this point, I was reminded of another recent Facebook conversation where we discussed the 

"oldest thing you own and still use." 

I have many of my Grandmama's old kitchen utensils, including the All-in-One Cheese Grater, the copper colored measuring cups, and stainless steel mixing bowls. While probably not that old, I love the mixing bowls. They are light weight and those little thumb hooks are the best! We've got newer ceramic mixing bowls and I seldom, if ever use them. I believe the cheese grater is from the 1950's.  

My kitchen is not fancy or full of the newest kitchen gadgets. We have a small house, therefore space is limited. We use what we have and what works best for us. My sweet Grandmama died just a few months before we got married and I was fortunate to get some of her kitchen items and sewing machine (that I can't date, but that's another post.) You may notice that I used a pudding bowl for serving the marinara in. I've also been known to serve dips in wine glasses or cute coffee mugs! 

 When I post a picture of my vintage style canisters, someone will always ask where I got them. I've had them for years, although I did a search and found them on Amazon, so you can still get them!
(aff link)

Now, back to cooking - stir together the two cups of cheese, 1 1/2 cups baking mix (such as Jiffy or other biscuit mix), additional teaspoon of Italian or garlic and herb seasoning, and a third of a cup of chopped pepperoni in a mixing bowl. I used pepperoni with jalapenos for a little extra kick.

When beef mixture is cooked, stir into biscuit mix. (I use lean ground beef, so I don't have to drain meat.) Add 6-7 tablespoons of buttermilk to create a batter. Then spoon or shape into balls on cookie sheet and cook at 400 degrees for 7-10 minutes or until golden brown.

You can easily double the recipe for a crowd or reheat leftovers. This made 26 pizza biscuit bites this week and we will eat about 3 meals (6 servings from this recipe). All the flavors of pizza, without having to roll out a pizza crust. 

Hope you enjoy them and please let me know if you try them!