PIZZA PUFFS

What’s more fun than a pizza puff? Skip the kind sold in the frozen aisle and try this homemade version. You can substitute any meat or vegetable for the pepperoni and any cheese for the mozzarella.

—Vivi Taylor, Middleburg, FL

Takes: 30 min. • Makes: 20 servings

• 1 loaf (1 lb.) frozen pizza dough, thawed
• 20 slices pepperoni
• 8 oz. part-skim mozzarella cheese, cut into 20 cubes
• ¼ cup butter
• 2 small garlic cloves, minced
• Dash salt
• Marinara sauce, warmed
• Optional: Crushed red pepper flakes and grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Shape dough into 1 ½-in. balls; flatten into ⅛-in. thick circles. Place 1 pepperoni slice and 1 cheese cube in center of each circle; wrap dough around pepperoni and cheese. Pinch edges to seal; shape into a ball. Repeat with remaining dough, cheese and pepperoni. Place seam side down on greased baking sheets; bake until light golden brown, 10-15 minutes. Cool slightly.

2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add garlic and salt, taking care not to brown butter or garlic; brush over puffs. Serve with marinara sauce; if desired, sprinkle with red pepper flakes and Parmesan.

Freeze option: Cover and freeze unbaked pizza puffs on waxed paper-lined baking sheets until firm. Transfer to a freezer container; seal and return to freezer. To use, preheat oven to 325°; bake pizza puffs on greased baking sheets as directed, increasing time as necessary to heat through.

1 puff: 120 cal., 6g fat (3g sat. fat), 15mg chol., 189mg sod., 11g carb. (1g sugars, 0 fiber), 5g pro.