Sometimes you just want to impress a room full of people without actually trying. Enter: Pizzette. These bite-sized, cheesy, crowd-pleasing little snacks are my go-to party trick when I need something quick but still want everyone to think I spent hours in the kitchen.
Spoiler: I didn’t. I first made these for a last-minute family get-together where I totally forgot I was supposed to bring an appetizer… and let’s just say, they disappeared faster than my will to cook a full meal. If you’ve got 20 minutes and a love for melted cheese, this one’s for you.
Pizzette
Equipment
- Oven
- Baking sheet
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Spoon
Ingredients
- 20 dinner rolls
- 3 cups ready-made tomato sauce
- 11 ounces buffalo mozzarella
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F to get it ready for pizzette magic.
- Prep the Rolls: Slice each dinner roll in half and place them cut-side up on a baking sheet.
- Add the Sauce: Spoon a layer of tomato sauce over each roll half, just enough to cover the surface.
- Top with Mozzarella: Cut the mozzarella into small cubes. Add about 2 teaspoons of cheese to the center of each pizzetta.
- Season and Bake: Sprinkle with rosemary, a pinch of salt, and a bit of black pepper. Bake for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and slightly bubbly. Keep an eye on them—some ovens run hot.
- Finish and Serve: Pull them out, drizzle each one with a little olive oil, and serve immediately while hot and delicious.
Pizzette Pro Tips (Because Yes, I’ve Made These a Few Times 🙄)
🧀 Mozzarella Matters (But Let’s Not Get Snobby)
Buffalo mozzarella is dreamy, yes—but if all you’ve got is regular shredded mozz from a bag, guess what? It still melts. It still tastes like cheese. You’re good.
🍞 Bread Rolls, Not a Science Project
Any soft dinner rolls work—leftover burger buns? Yup. That weird bag of Hawaiian rolls you forgot about? Even better. Just avoid anything too crusty or dense unless you want pizza croutons.
🍅 Sauce: Store-Bought is Fine™
Look, we all want to simmer tomato sauce for six hours like an Italian nonna, but this is a 20-minute snack, not a therapy session. Jarred marinara is your best friend—bonus points if it’s garlic-heavy.
🌿 Rosemary, Thyme, Whatever You’ve Got
Fresh rosemary is fancy and fragrant, but if you’ve only got dried Italian seasoning from 2007, go ahead and live your truth. Just don’t overdo it—this isn’t a forest.
🔥 Bake, Don’t Broil (Unless You Like Drama)
Stick to baking at 350°F. Broiling sounds faster until you realize you’ve accidentally cremated your pizzette while checking your texts.
💡 Make It Your Own (aka Fridge-Cleanout Night)
Toss on olives, pepperoni, mushrooms, or that one sad slice of prosciutto you’ve been ignoring. These little guys are ridiculously forgiving and way more flexible than you’d think.
🧊 Leftovers? Ha. Cute.
You won’t have any. But if you do, reheat them in the oven—not the microwave—unless you like your pizzette soggy and sad.
