Monkey bread is definitely not just for a sweet breakfast on Christmas morning. You can make it a savory treat as well.
When I came across this blogger's recipe multiple times online, I just knew that it would be the perfect snack for watching a football game. Who doesn't want bites of pizza while cheering on her favorite football team?
It's simple to put together, and you can switch up the flavors however you like. Here is the basic recipe for pepperoni pizza monkey bread.
First, make the garlic butter to coat the bundt pan with and dip each pizza ball in. Simply melt four tablespoons of butter in a small skillet and add two cloves of garlic, minced or sliced, and cook until the garlic becomes golden brown. After the garlic finishes cooking, place the pan off the heat and let the butter cool a little bit.
Now, begin to assemble the pizza balls. You can use your own pizza dough, or use a store-bought pizza dough; just make sure you have enough for two whole pizzas.
Flatten the dough and tear off a small piece to roll into a ball. Place all of the dough balls on a cutting board or flat surface.
Next, place one piece of pepperoni on each of the dough balls. While you do this, press down the dough to flatten each piece out. Finish by placing a cube of mozzarella cheese on each pepperoni slice.
Wrap the dough around the pepperoni and mozzarella cheese to seal in these two ingredients, and pinch the dough at the point each side comes together.
Brush the inside of the bundt pan with the cooled garlic butter and dip each pizza ball in the rest of the garlic butter. After you dip each ball in the butter, place the balls on the surface of the pan and begin to stack to create the monkey bread appearance.
Bake the pizza monkey bread in a preheated 400 degree oven for 35 minutes. The tops of the dough will begin to brown, but the bottom balls may take a little longer to fully cook, so move the pan to the bottom rack in the oven if this is the case.
Once the bundt pan is cool enough to touch, flip the monkey bread onto a plate and you're ready to serve; place a bowl of marinara sauce on the side for dipping if you want. You can also use a different cheese or meat if you prefer something other than pepperoni. Sausage, Canadian bacon or chicken with a complementary cheese would work as well.
It's so easy to rip off a pizza ball while enjoying a football game. Just rip, dip and say mmm.
Follow Eating Our Words on Facebook and on Twitter @EatingOurWords