Mouthwatering Meatball Pizza Bread combines two tasty Italian treats into one amazing appetizer, perfect for any occasion!
Meatball Pizza Bread is a feast for the eyes and the taste buds! Featuring juicy, Italian-seasoned meatballs and fresh spinach smothered in melty mozzarella and parmesan, cocooned in a soft, pillowy, golden-brown pizza crust. Bake, slice, and dip in marinara for melt-in-your-mouth yumminess!
Supper, Snack, or Super App!
It’s an afterschool snack…it’s a hearty dinner…it’s a heavy hors d’oeuvres…it’s everything stuffed in-between! I LOVE this easy recipe that takes just seven simple ingredients (you can use leftover meatballs or frozen ones!) and can be altered based on what I have on hand – meaning I can swap the mozzarella for provolone or trade the spinach for green bell pepper or use bread dough instead of pizza dough – and it’s always going to be warm, comforting and incredible!
HINT: To make this kid-friendly, finely chop the fresh spinach. It only takes a minute, but this “disguises” the spinach in the cheesy bread ring so the kids will never know how much healthy green stuff they’re eating!
Other Recipes to Serve with Meatball Pizza Bread!
- Try this Homemade Meatball Recipe to make our yummy pizza rolls, Spaghetti & Meatballs, or both!
- The Best Ever Pizza Sauce is exactly what you need for dipping!
Ingredients
Dough: A premade pizza dough keeps this recipe delicious and straightforward, but you can always make a homemade pizza dough if you prefer!
Meat: Frozen store-bought meatballs are excellent for this pizza bread – thaw and slice them according to the directions below!
Cheese: We love the combination of mozzarella and parmesan for this pizza bread!
Seasoning: Italian seasoning combines all the best authentic pizza flavors to make this meatball bread savory and delicious!
Spinach: Spinach is a terrific addition to pizza bread! The mild flavor complements, but doesn’t overwhelm, the other ingredients, and it adds a wealth of nutrition!
Shine: An egg wash makes the crust crispy, shiny, and golden all over!
How to Make Meatball Pizza Bread
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out the pizza dough into a large rectangle (approximately 10×18 inches) and brush it all over with one beaten egg (set aside some of the egg wash for the end).
STEP TWO: Top the dough with halved or quartered meatballs, spinach, shredded mozzarella, and grated Parmesan. Sprinkle a teaspoon of Italian seasoning over the top.
STEP THREE: Starting on the longest side, roll up the dough like a jelly roll. Pinch the seams to seal it off, then circle the dough, seam side down, onto the baking pan. Brush the outside with the remaining egg wash.
STEP FOUR: Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown on the outside. Remove the bread from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. Then, slice and serve with your favorite marinara sauce! So good!
Tips for Success
- Use frozen meatballs and store-bought pizza dough, or make your own – this is as “super easy” or “from scratch” as you want it to be!
- Feel free to add traditional pizza toppings as you like, from pepperoni and mushrooms to onions and green peppers.
- Use a can of your favorite marinara or pizza sauce for dipping.
- Add a few shredded basil leaves to the spinach to enhance the authentic Italian flavor!
- Sliced mozzarella can work just as well as shredded.
- You can halve or quarter the meatballs to make it easier for little hands to handle!
- Make a double batch and freeze half for a super-fast, ready-made dinner or appetizer when you need it.
What Do You Serve with Meatball Pizza Bread?
Anything or nothing! This Meatball Pizza Ring provides a complete meal in itself, with protein, carbs, and veggies, and is especially delicious when dipped in a rich tomato marinara sauce. If you want a great side, a spinach salad would be the obvious, delightful choice here, topped with Italian dressing. Any roasted green vegetable would be great, as well as a cold fruit salad. Yum!
How Do I Make a Ring-Shaped Stuffed Appetizer?
Ring-shaped apps, such as Crescent Roll Taco Ring or cheese-stuffed pepperoni rolls, are pretty easy to make in several ways! You can roll pizza or bread dough into a rectangle, top it with cheese & toppings, then roll it into a log. Bend the log to form a circle, bake, and slice. Or take the uncooked roll and circle it into a greased bundt pan or cast-iron skillet and bake. You can use crescent rolls and lay the raw dough triangles into an overlapping circle, add fillings, and fold over the skinny side of each crescent to make a ring. Ring-shaped appetizers are always a hit, and the open center provides a space for a bowl of marinara sauce, jam, guacamole, and the like for dipping.
Other Practically Perfect Pizza Recipes!
- Pepperoni Pizza Puffs
- Air Fryer Biscuit Pizzas
- Pizza Nachos
- Pepperoni Pizza Potato Skins
- Pizza Lasagna
- Pizza Pinwheels
*This post originally posted on 10/07/2015.
Ingredients
- 1 pound pizza dough (pre-made or homemade)
- 1 egg beaten
- 10 meatballs sliced (see note)
- 1 ½ cups baby spinach
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Marinara sauce for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Roll the pizza dough into a rectangle about 10 inches x 18 inches. Brush the dough all over with the beaten egg, reserving some egg for later.
- Top the pizza dough with sliced meatballs, spinach, mozzarella, Parmesan, and sprinkle 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning all over the top.
- Starting on the long side, roll up the dough like a log and pinch all seams together to seal. Place the bread seam side down on the prepared baking sheet, and brush the outside with the remaining beaten egg.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown on the outside. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before cutting into slices and serving with marinara sauce for dipping.
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