Photo credit: Hannah Phillips

Remember I posted a recipe for easy homemade french bread? I use the french bread recipe to make the best pepperoni roll. If you don’t feel like making the dough from scratch, you can use Pillsbury French Bread refrigerated dough in a can. My way is cheaper and probably healthier.

In addition to your dough, all you need is SANDWICH pepperoni and provolone cheese. You can use any meat, veggie and cheese combo you like. I found that the provolone was less gooey than mozzarella, but I substitute or mix them depending on what I have on hand.

Once the dough is kneaded and divided in half, roll one at a time into a rectangle that isn’t longer than your cookie sheet.

Layer 3-4 slices of cheese, then 8-10 slices of pepperoni. I generally do 3 layers of cheese and 2 layers of pepperoni. Cheese first and last.

Next pull the broad sides together and pinch together being careful not to rip. Pinch the ends closed and flip seam side down onto the lightly oiled (I use olive oil) cookie sheet.

Make 3-4 slices across the top of the dough to vent steam. Then repeat the whole process with your second half of dough.

Preheat the oven to 450°. While the oven is preheating, the dough rises slightly. You can let it rise a little longer but I wouldn’t go more than 30 minutes. This just gives you a puffier roll out of the oven.

Bake for 15 minutes. At about the 10 minute mark, I spread the top of each loaf with butter for a nice golden brown color then return to the oven for 5 minutes. It also makes the crust a little less dry but this step is optional.

This is an easy meal for a busy night or a quick lunch for a big crowd of kids. Start to finish, I can bang these out pretty quickly because I’m so used to making the bread dough. If you use the refrigerated dough, I think you unroll it from the can and it’s already the shape of a rectangle. Naturally, this would be quicker with less cleanup.

Enjoy!