Family Food

Parent-Friendly Pizza Rolls

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Do a Pinterest search for kids lunch options and you will find pizza rolls galore. I knew my girls would love some pizza rolls so I gave it a go - and it worked! They loved them. I’m calling these “parent-friendly” because honestly, parents love them as much as the kids do. They taste like pizza but are packed with veggies and your kids (and your tastebuds will never know) - a total win. The best part is they are delicious fresh from the oven or at room temperature and can be made, frozen, then reheated. I see these being a staple in our lunch boxes and after school snacks this year.

Ingredients:

Prepared Pizza Dough (you can using any kind - I like a gluten-free option like Bob’s Red Mill or Simple Mills or a whole wheat version like the kind available in the Publix Bakery)

1 small jar marinara (Look for one without any added sugar like Rao’s)

Shredded mozzarella

2 cups chopped veggies (anything you have will work)

Dried Italian Seasoning (oregano would work here too)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400F.

  2. Heat a saute pan over medium-high heat and saute veggies for 5-7 minutes or until tender.

  3. Remove veggies and add to a blender. Pour in marinara and blend until smooth.

  4. Roll out prepared pizza dough into large rectangle.

  5. Add a nice layer of marinara (leaving room on the sides for rolling) and sprinkle with mozzarella and seasoning.

  6. Starting from the far side, roll pizza dough toward you, creating a large roll. Place seam-side down and cut into 12 pieces. Place pieces in a nonstick or greased muffin tin.

  7. Bake 15-18 minutes or until outside is golden brown and inside is cooked through.

Serving suggestion: warm leftover veggie marinara in a dish for dipping.

Creating Your Own Snack Board

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Making a snack board meal has proven to be one of the best ways to encourage my kids to try new foods. I love it because it means I’m not having to prepare a full meal and I can utilize leftover food or food that is about to go to waste in an easy way. They love it because there is so much variety and it’s pretty…girls :)

Here’s my go-to snack board formula, but feel free to get creative!

Snack-Board Supper

2-3 Proteins - Ham, Turkey, Pepperoni, Hard-boiled Egg, Hummus

1-2 Cheeses - string cheese, cheddar cubes, Babybel, spreadable cheese wedge

2-3 Raw Veggies - carrot sticks, celery sticks (or celery with peanut butter), sliced bell peppers, raw broccoli or cauliflower, pickles

2-3 Fruits - berries, apple slices, mandarin orange pieces, kiwis, watermelon chunks, raisins

1-2 Grains - crackers, pretzels, pita pieces, tea sandwiches

At least 1 Fat - nuts, olives, avocado chunks or slices

1 Sweet - yogurt covered pretzels, chocolate chips, sweet fruit dip, dried fruit