Ham & Pepperoni Pizza Pockets

Bringing back some nostalgia for you aren't I? In elementary school I loved having pizza pops for lunch. Hot, cheesy, meaty, and fast. All the requirements for a great school lunch. A few years ago I saw that friendly box in the grocery freezer section and decided I needed to experience the joy one more time. The unfortunate part is that those pizza pops didn't taste the same as they did all those years ago. That, combined with what I now know as an adult about healthy eating, made them a huge failure.

After I came across the recipe for the Creamy Chicken Pockets, I finally came up with a way to have my delicious pizza pops from the past in a more grow up, and slightly better for you, way! The trick to making these amazing is obviously the filling. Building flavour by allowing each ingredient to caramelize a bit before adding the next ingredient, really sets this filling apart from other fillings. The tender crescent rolls are delicious but the crumb topping provides some texture and takes it right over the top. Well, now that I'm drooling and kinda wish I was making these for supper, on with the recipe!

Ham & Pepperoni Pizza Pockets (Makes 4)
1T olive oil
3/4 cup diced onion
1 green pepper, diced
2t garlic
1/2 cup diced, cooked ham
1/2 cup diced pepperoni
28oz crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese #1
2 pkg. Pilsbury crescent rolls
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese #2
1/4 cup panko
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375°. Mix together panko and parmesan cheese in a small bowl and set aside.
Heat oil in a pan over medium high heat and saute onions, green pepper and garlic until the onions start to brown ever so slightly. Add the ham and pepperoni and continue to cook until the meat begins to brown. Remember, brown is flavour! If you notice bit starting to stick to the bottom of the pan that's fantastic! So the next time someone says "Hey! You're burning supper" your response should be "No, I'm developing flavour". Stir the crushed tomatoes into the pan and heat until it starts to bubble up. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in cheese#1 until it is completely melted. Set the filling aside to cool completely.

You want the filling to be completely cool because if it's still warm it will start to melt the butter in the crescent rolls, and then you'll have a heck of a time trying to roll them up. Trust me. You also want to keep the crescent rolls in the fridge right up until you are ready to use them, or you risk softening them too much and it will make using them very difficult. Again, trust me. Aren't you glad I make mistakes so you don't have to?

Separate the crescent rolls into 4 rectangles and slightly spread them out using your hands. Place a good size mound of filling in the centre of the rectangle, about 3-4 tablespoons, and top it with a good sized pinch of cheese #2. To close up your pocket, bring the corners of the rectangle into the centre, opposing corners at a time, then bring up the side to meet in the middle. Very gently pickup your pocket and place it seam side down on a parchment lined baking sheet. If your centre seam splits, don't panic! You can try and pinch it back together, but if that doesn't work don't worry about it. It will bake up just fine, it will just be slightly open faced. Sprinkle the panko and parmesan mixture over each of the pockets and baking at 375° for 11-13 minutes. I like to turn on the broiler for a few minutes too just to crisp up the top, but keep an eye on it or you'll have black pockets.

To freeze: Bake as directed and allow to cool completely. Flash freeze pizza pockets on a parchment lined baking sheet, then transfer them to a freezer bag once frozen.
To serve: Place pizza pockets on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 375° for 30 minutes.