Just when you thought there couldn’t possibly exist a food item better than pizza, we bring you Vegetarian Pizza Scrolls! Now there’s hasn’t been much competition for pizza; the age-old king of comfort food.
Whether it’d be a date, movie night, a high school party, or family dinner, pizza has always been your safest bet. That is till now, however. As of now, we bring to you these tempting savory pastries filled with two kinds of cheese, the tangy taste of tomatoes, crunchy vegetables, and herbs rolled and baked to perfection. Suppose the fact that it tastes like a pizza but is actually a roll isn’t enticing enough. In that case, it also only takes about 20-30 minutes to prepare.
What are Pizza Scrolls?
Pizza scrolls are like little delights of pizzas packaged into a roll. The first pizza roll ever was invented by Jeno Paulucci in the 1960s. Paulucci had his own Italian frozen food company, which sold packaged lasagne at the time. Many say that Paulucci was inspired by Giuseppe Agiro. He came up with the idea of pepperoni rolls in West Virginia way back in the 1920s. The concept of the pepperoni rolls was to give some convenience to the coal miners. He always saw them eating a sausage from one hand and bread roll from the other, so he put two and two together. Although we’re not sure if Paulucci was really inspired by the pepperoni rolls or not, he did sell the idea of his pizza rolls to Pillsbury in the 1980s. Pillsbury still says these pizza rolls under the name of ‘Totino’ today.
Why this recipe works?
Yes, you can find pizza scrolls in the store or a nearby food supermarket. Nonetheless, will they satisfy your soul just as these homemade baked goods would? With crispy edges and the rolls feeling softer to the mouth as you get closer to the centre, each layer is imperfectly baked. An imperfection you’ll crave for once you get your hands on these homemade cheesy bursts of absolute happiness.
These delicious rolls can be served at breakfast, lunch or even at dinner. They are also quick and easy to make, can be customized to your liking, kids love them, and they are perfect for parties.
What’s in the Pizza Scrolls?
Puff pastry: Find this in the frozen aisle of your nearest grocery store
Pizza sauce: You can make your own variety or buy from the store
Dried thyme: This is a herb; you’ll probably prefer ordering online. Even a single packaging will last you a very long time.
Mozzarella cheese: Preferably grated!
Bell pepper: Fresh and finely chopped
Green olives: Necessary for the true Italian taste
Feta cheese: Also preferably grated beforehand
How to make Vegetarian Pizza Scrolls?
Once you have all the components ready, with the vegetables chopped and cheese grated, you can start with the preparation:
- Before anything else, preheat the oven to 200˚C.
- Next, Line a baking pan with baking parchment. Begin patiently rolling out the puff pastry sheet till it is laid out evenly in front of you.
- Mix the pizza sauce, thyme, and salt in a separate small bowl. This mixture needs to be spread out evenly across the puff pastry sheet. Make sure you’ve provided the puff pastry sheet with a dense layer of sauce and left out about a centimetre at the ends dry. Subsequently, sprinkle the mozzarella and feta cheese, bell pepper and olive slices over the layer of sauce we just created.
- Tightly roll one of the long sides of the puff pastry sheet into a Swiss roll.
- Take your time, and be careful not to spill anything out. It’s natural for this process to get messy, but do take your time.
- After this, you’ll find yourself standing in front of a large unbaked Pizza
Scroll. This giant Pizza Scroll needs to be evenly cut into slices about 3 cm thick. - Lastly, put the scrolls cut side up on the baking pan before placing them into the oven.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown.
- Allow them to cool before you serve. Your yummy baked savoury goods are ready. We hope they are worth the wait.
Top Tips!
- We know you love being generous, but avoid smothering the puff pastry sheet with too many toppings or cheesy. Too much filling will only make the scroll rather tricky to roll. Don’t forget that the final scroll will have a couple of layers of pastry and toppings, so there is no need to worry about the lack of filling in the roll.
- Before cutting your big Swiss roll, press down on it gently, so you know that all the puff pastry layers and toppings have stuck together nicely.
Recipe Variations
The sky is the limit with Pizza Scrolls. You can put any choice of toppings, from vegetables to proteins like ham, tuna or chicken. Here are some combinations that we suggest you try:
- Chicken, some pineapple and cheese
- Canned tuna with some tomatoes and onions
- Sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, feta cheese and mushrooms
- Try just spinach and cheese
- Goats cheese, spinach, pine-nuts and mushroom is something you can try
- In place of thyme, you can also go for some basil pesto or other herbs of your choice
Serving Suggestions
These Pizza Scrolls don’t just taste like pizza; they can literally take their place. You can enjoy these for brunch as a snack, but kids love them as packaged goodies in their lunch boxes. It’s also a way to sneak some vegetables and nutrition into their child’s tummy. They’re also a crowd pleaser and work as great appetizers for some incoming guests. Serve these pizzas with any drink you fancy.
Recipe FAQ’s
Yes! You absolutely can. While some enjoy these baked goods cooled down, others enjoy them hot and gooey with cheese. If you would like to reheat your mini pizzas, by all means, you can. To reheat them, place them over the oven tray and bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 5 minutes or until you feel that they are warm enough. These Pizza Scrolls can also be reheated in a microwave oven or an air-fryer. They would estimate it to take about 30 seconds to heat individually in the microwave.
Yes, you may choose to freeze these Pizza Scrolls for later. Firstly, once out of the oven, let them cool. Ensure each individual scroll is wrapped with baking paper to avoid sticking together before placing them in an air-tight container. You can freeze these Pizza Scrolls for a good two months. When you decide to defrost, just take them out of the freezer and place them in the refrigerator. You can also defrost them at room temperature. Just make sure to thaw them before consumption.
This is a quick and easy recipe that will have you devouring these savoury delights in no time! However, we understand your interest to try and make these from scratch. We assume it is healthier than store-bought puff pastry and pizza sauce. The puff pastry sheet will only require flour, butter, water and a French rolling pin. Whereas the pizza sauce can be quickly whipped up using a large number of tomatoes, choices of your herbs, olive oil, onions, spices and chilly. Like always, let us know how your Pizza Scrolls turned out when made from scratch!
More Recipes
Vegetarian Pizza Scrolls With Puff Pastry
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry
- 2 tablespoon Pizza sauce
- ¼ teaspoon thyme , dried
- ¾ cup mozzarella cheese , shredded
- ½ bell pepper , finely chopped
- ¼ cup green olives , cut into halves
- ¼ cup feta cheese , crumbles
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200˚C and line a baking pan with baking parchment.
- Roll out the puff pastry sheet.
- In a small bowl, mix pizza sauce, thyme, and salt, then spread the sauce equally over the puff pastry sheet (leave a centimetre at the ends).
- Sprinkle over the mozzarella and feta cheese, bell pepper and olive slices.
- Tightly roll one of the long sides of the puff pastry sheet into a swiss roll, cut it into slices 3 cm thick.
- Now, put the rolls cut side up on the baking pan, bake for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown.
- Allow to cool, then serve.
Notes
- We know you love being generous, but avoid smothering the puff pastry sheet with too many toppings or cheesy. Too much filling will only make the scroll rather tricky to roll. Don’t forget that the final scroll will have a couple of layers of pastry and toppings, so there is no need to worry about the lack of filling in the roll.
- Before cutting your big Swiss roll, press down on it gently, so you know that all the puff pastry layers and toppings have stuck together nicely.
Recipe Variations
The sky is the limit with Pizza Scrolls. You can put any choice of toppings, from vegetables to proteins like ham, tuna or chicken. Here are some combinations that we suggest you try:- Chicken, some pineapple and cheese
- Canned tuna with some tomatoes and onions
- Sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, feta cheese and mushrooms
- Try just spinach and cheese
- Goats cheese, spinach, pine-nuts and mushroom is something you can try
- In place of thyme, you can also go for some basil pesto or other herbs of your choice
Nutrition
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Hannah Max
Perfect for lunch boxes. My sone love them.