We love having Friday Night Pizza Night over in my house. My family goes ga-ga over pizza, especially homemade pizza where I can control how much marinara, cheese, and toppings land on my pie! Who says you have to order takeout when you can make an even tastier version of pizza at home?! If you’ve never tried Pizza Monkey Bread, you’re totally missing out on one of the best pizza recipes EVER! If you’re into sweet breakfasts, you’ll fall in love with my mouthwatering Monkey Bread!
This is a family favorite around here and I completely understand why! If you cook this creamy and savory Pizza Monkey Bread, I bet you’ll enjoy every delicious bite as much as we do. The toppings are versatile and can be switched up to vegetables for a meatless Monday or vegetarian dinner. Who doesn’t like Italian food?! My husband, toddler girl, and I, all love pizza, but they enjoy it much more than I. If you like this recipe, then you’ll drool over my French Bread Pizza and Calzone Pinwheels!
This is a kid-friendly recipe. Even for a picky toddler like my own daughter, this one is a winner for her dinner! My insanely delicious Pizza Monkey Bread contains refrigerated pizza crust, extra virgin olive oil, mozzarella, Italian seasoning, dried oregano, garlic, tomato sauce, and any optional toppings you wish such as pepperoni, ham, Canadian bacon, or chopped veggies.
Ingredients in Pizza Monkey Bread
Pizza crust. Buy refrigerated pizza dough such as Pillsbury to make the pizza crust.
Extra virgin olive oil. High quality extra virgin olive oil adds flavor, nutrition, and blends well with the other ingredients.
Mozzarella. For the best taste, freshly grate your mozzarella as pre-shredded cheeses contain additives that prevent it from clumping.
Italian seasoning. Italian seasoning provides aroma, flavor, and seasoning to the monkey bread pizza.
Dried oregano. Dried oregano is a staple when making pizza and adds zest and flavor to this savory pizza dish recipe. According to Healthline’s post, oregano is packed with vitamin K and is rich in antioxidants – which are compounds that help fight damage from free radicals.
Garlic. Not only does freshly minced garlic pack a whole lot of taste, but garlic has historically been used for its health and medicinal properties. Healthline’s article points out that garlic may help prevent and reduce the severity of illnesses like the common cold and flu. Garlic also contains properties that have been shown to reduce blood pressure in those with hypertension.
Tomato sauce. You can use tomato sauce or pizza marinara for this recipe.
Pepperoni. Feel free to add any toppings you desire such as pepperoni, ham, chopped vegetables, and so forth.
How to make the best Pizza Monkey Bread
STEP 1: Preheat your oven and grease a baking dish. We love this Lodge cast iron dish.
STEP 2: Lay out the dough and cut into 1-inch pieces.
STEP 3: Add the dough to a large mixing bowl. Add the olive oil, half the grated mozzarella, Italian seasoning, oregano, and garlic, and mix until well combined.
STEP 4: Pour half the mixture onto the prepared baking dish. Top with tomato sauce, about half of the remaining mozzarella, and pepperoni, if using. Pour the other half of the pizza dough mixture on top and spread evenly. Add tomato sauce, the remaining mozzarella, and pepperoni. Optional: sprinkle dried oregano and sea salt on top.
STEP 5: Bake for 45-60 minutes, until dough is cooked through the bottom.
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Final Thoughts
Finally, if you make this Pizza Monkey Bread, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love to hear from everyone who makes this recipe and always try my best to respond to all comments.
If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag #elisemccollister on Instagram! It makes me so happy to see your recipe photos!
Pizza Monkey Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 (13.8 oz.) rolls refrigerated pizza dough such as Pillsbury
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 16 oz. mozzarella freshly grated
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- 1/3 c tomato sauce can sub pizza marinara
- pepperoni, ham, chopped veggies, etc. optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a baking dish.
- Lay out the dough and cut into 1-inch pieces.
- Add the dough to a large mixing bowl. Add the olive oil, half the grated mozzarella, Italian seasoning, oregano, and garlic, and mix until well combined.
- Pour half the mixture onto the prepared baking dish. Top with tomato sauce, about half of the remaining mozzarella, and pepperoni, if using. Pour the other half of the pizza dough mixture on top and spread evenly. Add tomato sauce, the remaining mozzarella, and pepperoni. Optional: sprinkle dried oregano and sea salt on top.
- Bake for 45-60 minutes, until dough is cooked through the bottom.
- If you make this, don't forget to leave a rating and comment!
Notes
• If not using any meat, grate extra mozzarella and or add some freshly grated parmesan on top
• Add some diced vegetables on top for a vegetarian dinner
Nutrition (per serving)
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