Pepperoni Sliders

It’s almost time for the Big Game, and you know what that means – SUPER SNACKS!!!

I love football. Mostly college football. But I’ll make an exception for the NFL when it’s THE game of the year. Plus, I mostly care about rating the best (and worst) commercials and making my way through one of my favorite yearly dinners of all. APPETIZER DINNER.

Appetizer dinner is basically a giant potluck get together with your closest friends and family where everyone brings their favorite appetizer, snack, dip, nosh, nibble, or bite. It’s perfect for keeping your taste buds interested (because let’s be honest, two minutes on the clock could really end up more like ten minutes in real life), and between the pre-game, the halftime show, the commercials, and the game itself you’re going to need some variety.

For me, I love putting a fun spin on a classic indulgence. In this case – pizza. How can you not love pizza? It’s a staple of my gameday traditions. But for appetizer dinner, you don’t want to fill up on a slice of pepperoni and extra cheese and have no room left for all of the other goodies to come! *Cue the horror music now!!!*

That’s why I developed these Pepperoni Sliders! They’re pizza pockets that pack all the punch of a regular slice with way more portability. Ooey-gooey cheese, pepperoni, and sauce are the highlight inside these sweet rolls topped with more cheese, parsley, and all sorts of seasoned butter. While we’re definitely meat eaters in my house, you could easily sub out the pepperoni for veggie toppings or any other favorite filling of your choice.

My advice? Make two trays to take to your gameday spread. You’ll thank me later, I promise 🙂

Pepperoni Sliders

Serves 12|Hands-On: 10 Minutes | Total Time: 25 Minutes

Ingredients

• 4 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
• 3 Tbs. roughly chopped parsley
• 1 tsp. garlic salt
• 1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
• ½ tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
• ½ tsp. minced garlic
• 2 Tbs. shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 package Hawaiian sweet rolls (12 count)
• 1.5 cups marinara sauce
• 1 (5 oz.) package pepperoni slices
• 2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Spray a 9′ x 11′ dish with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Make the garlic butter topping: Mix ingredients 1 – 7 together in a small bowl and set aside.
4. Cut sweet rolls in half lengthwise and place bottoms in the prepared dish.
5. Top with pizza sauce, pepperoni, and Italian cheese blend. Place tops of dinner rolls on top of the cheese layer.
6. Coat rolls with half of the garlic butter topping.
7. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes (or until the cheese has melted).
8. Brush rolls with remaining garlic butter mixture and serve.
9. Enjoy!