Pizza Cups
Before I gush about how good these Pizza Cups are (and I’m going to), I want to get serious for a minute. I try hard to stick to talking about food and recipes, but on a day like today I feel like I need to take a moment to acknowledge what happened in Boston. To put it simply, I’m devastated for those who were affected by yesterday’s bombings at the Boston Marathon. Everyone I know personally who lives in Boston or was present at the race is physically okay and I am grateful for that, but I have been crying on and off since the moment I heard of the attack. My thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathies go out to those who were affected. It’s so difficult to ask why someone would do something like this and have no answers. There are none. It’s terrible.
I spent much of yesterday morning feeling frustrated over my own troubles. I’m having car issues. I cracked my cell phone screen. I didn’t get enough sleep. I texted my boyfriend to complain that I was having “the worst day.” It seems so ridiculous and petty now. I’m embarrassed to admit to that. I’m reminded not to get dramatic over issues that really aren’t a big deal in the long run and to focus on what’s important. Things like letting the people I care about know that I love them or going out of my way to do something nice for a stranger. It shouldn’t take a tragedy, but it certainly puts things in perspective.
In addition to feeling great sadness and re-focusing on what’s important, I am also blown away by all the stories of great bravery and kindness everyday citizens and first responders showed yesterday. There are truly heroes among us and it’s humbling to hear their tales. Anyone who held a hand, offered a place to stay, rushed into the smoke, helped get the injured to safety or said a prayer for those affected by the blasts has my sincerest respect and gratitude.
Okay, onto the Pizza Cups. I apologize to those of you who just wanted me to get to the food, I just felt that needed to be addressed.
I’ve wanted to make some kind of pizza cup for a while now. I’d considered making one wonton-style like my Lasagna, Cheeseburger, French Dip, Taco or Buffalo Chicken “Cupcakes,” but it seemed important to me that the crust of the pizza be better represented. I considered using biscuits or pizza dough but then I remembered how crusty and delicious the French bread cups from my Mini Spinach Dip Bread Bowls were and I knew that’s what I needed to use. These turned out even better than I imagined in my head. The bread cups mimic pizza crust perfectly and hold plenty of sauce, cheese and toppings. I decided to use pepperoni and mushrooms in these because they’re two of my favorites, but you could easily mix it up and use any toppings you like. I really do recommend making it as listed though, because these were just perfect. It tastes just like you’re eating a slice of pizza! Don’t skip out on the Italian Seasoning either – I think it adds a lot of flavor.
These cups make a great lunch, dinner, appetizer or snack. The hot pizza flavors appeal to kids and adults alike and for 124 calories or 4 Weight Watchers SmartPoints each on the Green, Blue or Purple myWW plans you can’t go wrong! To view your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, click here!
Pizza Cups
Ingredients
- 2.5 oz fresh white mushrooms, diced
- 20 slices turkey pepperoni, chopped
- ½ cup pizza sauce, I used Classico Traditional Pizza Sauce and it was awesome
- 1 (11 oz) can Pillsbury Crusty French Loaf refrigerated dough
- 1/3 cup shredded 2% reduced fat Mozzarella cheese
- ¼ - 1/3 teaspoon of Italian Seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly mist 8 cups in a standard muffin tin with cooking spray.
- Lightly mist a small skillet with cooking spray and bring over medium heat. Add diced mushrooms and cook for a few minutes until wilted/browned. Place the mushrooms in a medium bowl and add the chopped pepperoni slices and pizza sauce. Stir to combine and set aside.
- Open the package of French bread dough and lay the log of dough on a clean, dry surface. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 8 equal rounds. Using your hands or a rolling pin, press the dough pieces into 3-4” flat rounds. Press each round into a prepared cup in the muffin tin, forming the dough into a bowl shape and pressing it up the sides.
- Evenly distribute the pepperoni/mushroom mixture into each dough cup with a spoon. Sprinkle Mozzarella cheese over the top of each cup and follow with a pinch of Italian seasoning on each cup to taste.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes until bread cups start to brown on the edges and are crusty to the touch. Let cool 3-5 minutes before serving.
Notes
124 calories, 20 g carbs, 3 g sugars, 3 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 6 g protein, 1 g fiber (from myfitnesspal.com) MyWW SmartPoints per (1 pizza cup) serving: (SP calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com) Green: 4 SmartPoints/ Blue: 4 SmartPoints/ Purple: 4 SmartPoints Weight Watchers Points Plus:
3 per cup (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)