The Gourmet Mama

You know how sometimes you just need something really quick to eat? Frozen foods are perfect . . . but expensive and full of junk. Make your own pizza pockets and freeze them and you’ll always have a fast, healthy food on hand.

I made these the other day and my kids and husband ate the entire batch, to tell you the truth, so I didn’t get to freeze any. But they were delicious! You can also add a lot of things to these, since the filling is mostly hidden. Blend some spinach or corn into the sauce, add pureed pumpkin . . . use your imagination. You can also alter the fillings according to what your family likes. I stuck with the basic ham and cheese, since I didn’t know if anyone would actually eat them.

Homemade Pizza Pockets

Makes 1 doz.

Bread

1 1/4 c. warm water
2 Tblsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. oil
3-4 c. flour (start with 3, add more if dough is sticky)
2 Tblsp. yeast
1 T. garlic powder
1 T. dried oregano

Filling

1 package ham (about 1 c. chopped ham)

1/2 c. pasta sauce of your choice

1 c. grated cheese

1 Tblsp. chopped, fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried

Mix the yeast, sugar and warm water in a bowl. Let sit for five minutes.

In a larger bowl, mix remaining ingredients. Add the yeast mixture and mix until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Flour a board and knead the bread on it, adding more flour if necessary to get the right consistency. Set aside, covered with a tea towel to rise, 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350º.

Meanwhile, mix the filling ingredients together. Everything should be just coated with the sauce, not dripping.

Divide the bread into four sections and roll one out as thin as possible. Cut into 4″ circles. I used a plastic bowl to cut mine out, or you could use <a href=”http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000DE12D?ie=UTF8&tag=athomemom-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0000DE12D”>dough presses</a><img src=”http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=athomemom-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0000DE12D” width=”1″ height=”1″ border=”0″ alt=”" style=”border:none !important; margin:0px !important;” />.

In the middle, place a spoonful of the filling, moisten the edges of the dough with water and fold over. Use a fork to crimp the edges. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.

Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 min. or until golden brown. Cool and enjoy or freeze and reheat in the microwave as needed.

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