Feel like you’ve tried every type of pizza imaginable? I bet you haven’t had a Pizza Ball!? They’re such an easy weeknight meal and a ton of fun.

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I swear my kiddos would eat pizza every night if I let them. But who am I kidding, wouldn’t every kid?! For years we’ve had a tradition of Friday pizza and a movie night. But sometimes I like to switch things up to keep it interesting. These pizza balls have quickly become one of my little ones favorites. Dare I say, maybe even over pizza itself!

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I dig these Pizza Balls. When they’re piping hot, the little spheres pull apart to reveal gooey melted cheese and whatever other toppings you can think of to put inside. You can fill them with vegetables, ham and pineapple, a variety of cheeses and more. The sky’s the limit! Let your kids be the guide in making the recipe their own and enjoy every last bite of the insanely delicious meal.

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The portion size is smaller than a big slice of pizza, making them easy and fun for little hands to hold. I also find them a bit less messy than slices, which can drip cheese and sauce everywhere. Great to go from dinner to the lunchbox!

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You’re definitely welcome to make this recipe with store-bought marinara sauce and prepared pizza dough, but there’s something so satisfying to me about making my own sauce and dough. Plus, it just makes the pizza itself taste fresher and even tastier! If you’re looking to make your own, my recipes for Pizzeria Pizza Dough and Veggie Heavy Pizza Sauce bring this recipe to a whole other level.

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Another great thing about this delicious meal is how easily they freeze. Just spread the unbaked balls on a sheet, and freeze. When frozen, you can move them to a ziplock freezer bag. Just add 5 minutes to the baking time when ready to cook and voila! Pizza balls whenever that craving kicks in.

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Pizza Balls

Feel like you've tried every type of pizza imaginable? I bet you haven't had a Pizza Ball!? They're such an easy weeknight meal and a ton of fun.
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Servings: 4
Author: Catherine McCord
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients  

  • olive oil
  • 1 pound white or wheat pizza dough
  • 3/4 cup chopped broccoli florets
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 1/2 cup pizza sauce
  • parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 425F and grease a 9-inch pie plate with olive oil.
  • Divide the dough into 16 even pieces.
  • In a bowl, combine the broccoli* (or whatever addition you choose), mozzarella, and pizza sauce.
  • Roll out a piece of dough into a 3-inch round, and place 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture in the center.
  • Bring the edges of the dough to the center, pinching to make sure they stick together, then roll the dough into a ball.
  • Place the ball, seam side down, in the pie plate. Repeat to form the rest of the balls.
  • Brush each ball with olive oil and sprinkle with a bit of Parmesan cheese.
  • Bake for 25 minutes or until golden.
  • Optional additions: pepperoni, kale, spinach, ham, pineapple, peppers, olives, mushrooms or your favorite pizza toppings. 

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Did you make this recipe?Mention @Weelicious or tag #weelicious!

About the Author

Catherine is a mama of three. A Kentucky girl living in California. Here’s what I know: all kids can be great eaters and mealtime must be easy. I create simple, healthy recipes the whole family will love.

Comments

  1. Katherine he never cut his finger, not sure where you reached that verdict, please not so quick to judge.
    . Catherine, looks yummy as usual! A blessing to find your site and book both. So many friends are obsessed with your granola bars and bananas granola cookies! I made cinnamon chip cranberry granola bars the other day, yum. Am enjoying any crockpot recipes you have too! Looking forward to more (wink wink;) thanks again girl!

  2. a child and a knife is bad news and when he cuts his finger and tells mom – she just ingores him………!

  3. I store them in the fridge and pack an ice pack with lunch so by lunch time it is room temperature! Yes, freeze them! They can remain frozen for about 3 months.

  4. My son starts school next year and I am actually looking forward to making him some creative lunches for his lunch box. When you pack these, do you heat them up and put them in a thermos? Or just leave them room temperature? Also, can you freeze extras?

    Thanks! Can’t wait to give ’em a try!

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  6. So it’s like making pepperoni rolls, but with different fillings…and they aren’t long! Yes, I’m from WV! Yum! I always used Texas roll dough balls from the freezer to make them.

  7. I guess I’m the only one who had a son who does NOT like pizza!!! I don’t get it…he loves cheese and bread but doesn’t like cheese melted and doesn’t like tomato sauce. I may need to try these and see if he’ll eat them. I have to keep trying, right??!!!

  8. hey, i was wondering if you could say where you got that sqaure dough from. the only refrigerated dough my store has is a ball of pizza dough which is so hard to work with. i would love to find something already in a square!!

  9. Looks delicious. My kids love pizza and these should travel better in a lunchbox than regular pizza. Can you share the website where I can find that safe kids knife? Right now I only let my son use plastic and it doesn’t always work well. Thanks!

  10. My son LOVED these, if his comment, “Look Mama! It’s yummy inside!” is any indication. One problem I did encounter, however. I must not have sealed the balls sufficently, because halfway through baking, I noticed some pizza sauce had leaked out. I just took a paper napkin, dabbed it dry and let it continue baking. Any tips on how to seal the dough so this doesn’t happen?

    And thanks again for the great idea!

  11. YES!!! I was hoping that today’s video would be Pizza Balls. I will be making these today 🙂

  12. Fantastic timing! It was my Kindergartener’s last day of school. We were having a special lunch to celebrate. I made these, well a hybrid really. Delish! The only change I did was to bake them individually in muffin tins instead of in the pie plate (I actually don’t own a pie plate!). They were quick, easy, and a hit with the kiddos age 1 to 6 years old. Thank you so much for this idea. Best of all they will fit perfectly in our laptop lunch box come September!

  13. Your son is so cute 🙂 I love how you get him involved with everything thats what my husband and i do with my son he is only 15 months old but it’s never too young to get them involved with stuff!

  14. I let them cool about 10 mins before serving, but you can break them in half right out of the oven and they cool faster.

  15. My son used to be an excellent eater, but lately he seems to not want anything I make for him. But he never turns down pizza. I love the presentation it makes with it being in the pie plate, I was just imagining it with a yummy green salad on the side. About how long does it take to cool down enough so the kids can handle it? I am thinking of doing this for dinner tonight. I have all the stuff. I am always amazed with all the creative ideas you come up with.

  16. oh, now I am thinking it must be one of those plastic knives for cutting lettuce… Your site makes it so clear that you are a great mom and always thinking of your kids and family first. I really just found myself holding my breath when I first watched!! Boys! I’m bracing myself as my little one gets older!
    Many thanks again 🙂

  17. What a great idea and a good way to sneak some healthy vegetables in when they don’t even realize they are eating them!

  18. It’s a knife used specifically for kids. His school even bought sets for the kids to use there after they saw it. I’m SUPER careful with kids and knives. WHen they know they can use their own knives and understand the difference between mommy’s knife and Kenya’s knife it helps a lot.

  19. Hi 🙂 The recipe looks great but I haven’t been able to watch all the way through – I love the interaction between you and your son, but it makes me so nervous seeing him with that knife! Is it a ceramic knife? It looks like it is very sharp and I keep gasping for fear of his little hands!
    I’ll definitely try this recipe though! Thanks!

  20. Super excited to try this one! Thanks! I love the videos as I’m a very visual person. It helps to see how it should look.

  21. These look really yummy! And would be a great way to use up leftovers with the husband and kids knowing!! YAY! 🙂

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