Photo by Quentin Bacon
These Turkey Sausage Stuffed Pizza Pockets are a fun meal you can eat with your hands. It’s like having a slice of pizza with all the best toppings—sauce, cheese and sausage—wrapped up into the crust. It’s even more fun when you get to dip it in some extra marinara sauce. Two pockets make for a filling meal, but one is a perfect afternoon snack, that is easy for an older child like my husband (kidding, Thom) to reheat on his own. These also make for a perfect game-day party food.
Turkey Sausage Stuffed Pizza Pockets
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces uncooked Italian poultry sausage
[1/3] cup marinara Sauce
4 cups lightly packed chopped fresh arugula or spinach leaves
1 tablespoon cornmeal or flour
1 pound whole-wheat pizza dough, thawed if frozen
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the sausage from its casing; add it to the pan, and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until it is browned and crumbled, about 4 minutes. Add the marinara sauce and cook, stirring, until the liquid is nearly all absorbed or evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the arugula or spinach and cook until just wilted, 1 minute more. Set aside to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, sprinkle the cornmeal or flour onto a clean work surface and use a rolling pin and/or your hands to stretch out the dough into a large rectangle about 12 x18 inches. (Helpful hint: if the dough keeps springing back let it rest for a few minutes before you begin to stretch it again) Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into eight equal-sized rectangles.
Stir the mozzarella cheese into the cooled sausage mixture. Place about [1/4] cup of the filling on one side of each rectangle
Brush the border of each rectangle with some of the egg, then close the dough over the topping and use a fork to crimp the edges and seal each one closed. Brush the tops with the egg and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Place the pockets on the prepared baking tray and bake until golden-brown, 15 to 18 minutes.
Serve with warmed marinara sauce, if desired.
Makes 4 servings
Serving size: 2 pockets and 1 cup marinara sauce, optional
Per serving: Calories 480; Total Fat 19g (Mono Fat 4.8g, Poly Fat .9g, Sat Fat 5.6g); Protein 28g; Carb 54g; Fiber 6.5g; Cholesterol 110mg; Sodium 970mg
Excellent Source of: Calcium, Folate, Iron, Protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K
Good Source of: Fiber, Manganese, Phosphorus, Riboflavin, Selenium
