Pizza Cup Things

This recipe was straight up made up. I derived it from a dip recipe of Rachael Ray's that I loved. We were going to a party, so I wanted something portable. Thus, the birth of the Pizza Cup Things.


Pizza Cup Things
Samantha @ The Long Haul

1 medium onion, chopped finely
1 lb bulk sweet Italian sausage
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 .5 bricks of cream cheese (12 oz?), room temperature (I used low-fat)
1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese
3/4 cup of tomato sauce
2 cans of refrigerated crescent rolls
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

1- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2- Saute the sausage over medium heat, breaking it up into pieces as it cooks. Once the sausage is no longer pink and there is a bit of fat in the pan, add the onions and garlic. Continue cooking, stirring periodically, until the onions are translucent.

3- While the meat combination is cooking, spray 2 (24 cup) mini-muffin tins w/baking spray. Pop the crescent rolls cans open and break off pieces of the dough. Press the dough into the muffin tins and push up the sides to make a cup. I found it easiest to roll the dough into a ball first, approximately 1 inch in diameter, before pushing it into the cups.

4- Put the muffin tins into the oven for 3 minutes. The dough should puff up, but not change colors.

5- When you take the tins out of the oven, immediately use your thumb (or a spoon if the dough is too hot) to press the puffed-up dough back into a cup, the put aside. This first bake helps them hold their shape.

6- Put the cream cheese into a large mixing bowl. Add the sausage mixture. Stir to combine well. Once thoroughly combined, add parmesan cheese and tomato sauce. Stir to combine.

7- Scoop the cream cheese mixture into the dough cups (still in the muffin pan). You can mound them a bit on the top, but make sure you have enough for all of the cups first.

8- Garnish each filled cup with a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese.

9- Put the muffin tins back into the oven. Bake for approximately 10 minutes, or until the mozzarella on top gets melty and gooey.

10- Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Once they are cool to the touch, pull the Pizza Cup Things out of the tins. These taste equally delicious warm and room temperature.