Broccoli Mozzarella Pinwheels

My friend called these "savory cinnamon buns of deliciousness." That's really all you need to know.

But, you know me. I can't leave well enough alone. I need to gush on and on and on. And these golden brown, ooey gooey beauties are worth gushing about.

So here's the thing. I've made many homemade pizzas before. And that includes homemade pizza dough, plain // whole wheat // honey whole wheat, I can do it. But trust me when I say, for pinwheels, a store-bought dough is the way to go. Yes, it's in a can, yes, you pop it open with a spoon, and YES your pinwheels will be perfect every time!

My Broccoli Mozzarella Pinwheels are loaded with finely chopped, garlicky broccoli and melty mozzarella cheese. A sprinkle of red pepper flakes adds the perfect amount of heat and keeps your taste buds happy with every bite.

But I promised you next-level pinwheels, and that means they need some extra-special lovin'. Just before we bake these beauties, we melt a whole bunch of butter in a saucepan with chopped garlic and parsley. The butter is brushed on top of the pinwheels, then they get sprinkled with grated parmesan cheese. Golden brown glory.

This recipe can easily be doubled for a party, or served for dinner with a light salad. I always put out some marinara sauce for dipping. You can cut the rolls as big or as small as you want, I can usually get between 6 and 10 rolls depending on how much I roll out the pizza dough. No matter how you cut em, you're going to l.o.v.e. em!

Here's what you need for Broccoli Mozzarella Pinwheels* (Print Recipe!)

1 cup chopped frozen broccoli
1 Pillsbury pizza dough (traditional, not thin crust)
1 8-oz package sliced mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
salt, pepper, garlic powder and red pepper flakes to taste
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
oil, to grease the pan
flour, for rolling the dough

Here's what you do

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease an 8 or 9 inch round or square pan.

Place broccoli in a microwave safe bowl and cook on high for about 1 minute or until tender. Drain, then take a paper towel and press down on the broccoli, getting out as much water as possible. Set aside.

Lightly flour the counter and a rolling pin. Roll the pizza dough out as much as you can, with the long end closest to you. I probably got mine to 14 inches long by 10 inches wide. Lay the mozzarella cheese evenly over the surface of the  dough. Sprinkle the broccoli on top, leaving about 1/2 inch space at the edges. Sprinkle half the parmesan cheese on top. Fold the two short edges in to help seal in the filling then, starting with the end closest to you, tightly roll up the dough into a log. Pinch the seam to seal. Cut out 6 to 10 rolls, depending on how long your log is, and arrange them in the pan.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and parsley. Using a pastry brush, brush a generous amount of butter over each roll. Sprinkle remaining parmesan onto the tops of the pinwheels and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.



*Gas Stove Girl Original Recipe