I Made The Pioneer Woman’s Pizza Pockets and They’re a Family-Approved Snack

Want to surprise your family with a freezer full of homemade Hot Pockets? Follow this Pioneer Woman Pizza Pocket recipe! Her pizza pockets look just like Hot Pockets, but because they’re made from scratch they have fewer preservatives. Best of all, you can fill them with whatever pizza toppings your family loves.

This version is for meat lovers. Ree Drummond combines three kinds of meat (sausage, pepperoni and Canadian bacon) with marinara sauce and fresh mozzarella. You can stash the pizza pockets in the freezer, ready to heat up for lunch, a casual dinner or an after-school snack.

The Pioneer Woman’s Pizza Pocket Recipe

Nancy Mock for Taste of Home, getty images

The recipe makes 18 meat-filled pizza pockets. Be sure to allow about 3 hours for the rise and rest times for the pizza dough.

Ingredients

Dough:

• 2 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast
• 8 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2/3 cup olive oil (plus more to coat the bowl)

Filling:

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 16 ounces Italian sausage
• 1/2 cup marinara sauce (plus extra for dipping)
• 16 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced into 18 pieces
• 8 ounces pepperoni
• 8 ounces Canadian bacon
• 1 egg, beaten with a little water
• Optional: Maldon Sea Salt Flakes and ranch dressing

Tools You’ll Need

Rectangle Cutter

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Baking Sheet

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Pastry Brush

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• Rectangle Cutter: It’s the easiest way to get perfectly-sized pockets. You can also cut the dough rectangles with a knife.
• Baking Sheet: Use a baking to freeze the pizza pockets.
• Pastry Brush: Beaten egg brushed on the pockets gives them a golden brown color after baking.

Directions

Step 1: Make the pizza dough

Stir the dry yeast into 3 cups of warm water. Let stand for 5-10 minutes to activate.

Use the paddle attachment on a stand mixer to blend together the flour and salt. With the mixer running on low, drizzle in the 2/3 cup olive oil until it’s mixed in. Next, pour in the warm water-yeast mixture. Run the mixer until the ingredients are just combined, and the dough comes together in a sticky ball.

Do you know?  You can freeze pizza dough. Try the best way to store pizza dough for future pizza nights or last-minute cravings!

Step 2: Let the dough rise

Grease a large bowl with some olive oil. Shape the dough into a ball and put it in the bowl, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise at room temperature for 1 hour. Then, place the bowl in the fridge for at least 2 more hours. The dough will continue to rise and will cool down to be easier to handle.

(You can also hold the dough for as long as a day or two in the fridge.)

Step 3: Prepare the meat filling

Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet. Crumble the Italian sausage into the pan; cook it for 5-10 minutes until the sausage is browned, breaking it up into small pieces as you stir it. Let the sausage cool.

Slice the Canadian bacon into small pieces.

Step 4: Roll and cut the dough

Start with half of the dough; hold the rest in the fridge. Roll out the dough on a floured surface into a large rectangle, to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Cut out rectangles that are about 4-1/2 x 3 inches in size, using a rectangular cutter or a ruler and a sharp knife. You want a total of 18 rectangles from this half-batch of dough.

Step 5: Fill and seal the pockets

Place half of the rectangles on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet that will fit in your freezer. Top each rectangle with one teaspoon of marinara sauce, a slice of fresh mozzarella, some crumbled sausage, a couple of slices of pepperoni and a few pieces of Canadian bacon—leave about 1/2-inch of the dough edges clear all around.

Lay the other half of the dough rectangles over the tops and press the edges down all around to seal. Use a fork to crimp the edges of all the pockets. Brush the tops of all the pockets with the beaten egg and water. Sprinkle sea salt flakes on the tops.

Repeat these steps with the remaining dough and fillings, to create nine more meat-filled pockets brushed with egg.

Step 6: Flash freeze the pockets

Place the baking sheet in the freezer and flash-freeze the pockets for 30 minutes. They should be firm enough to be lifted from the pan and hold their shape. Once they’re flash-frozen, transfer them into freezer-safe, resealable bags. Store the pizza pockets in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How to Bake the Pizza Pockets

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the frozen pizza pockets on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes. They should be baked through and golden brown on top. Enjoy the pockets while they’re warm with marinara or ranch dressing dipping sauces. And, for dessert make these millionaire bars.

Editor’s Tip: You can also skip the freezing step and bake the pockets right after they’re filled and crimped. Bake them at the same temperature for 10-15 minutes until browned.

Here’s What I Thought

Nancy Mock for Taste of Home

I love the idea of a homemade take on Hot Pockets! The handheld pockets have a soft, bready texture and a sprinkle of salt baked on the outside is a nice addition. My family and I really liked the combination of meats nestled with melting mozzarella. We enjoyed these pockets for a weekend lunch, and because they only take 15 minutes in the oven, they’re easy enough to make for a midday snack, too.

Of course, the best part about homemade pockets is that they can be filled with anything you want. My next batch will be a four-cheese version with mozzarella, ricotta, Parmesan and goat cheese. Ree Drummond’s Pizza Pocket recipe includes a mushroom filling made with garlic and white wine. Whatever your go-to pizza toppings may be, they can be tucked inside these pockets.

And for dessert, make The Pioneer Woman’s Chocolate Pie.

Can You Freeze Baked Pizza Pockets?

Yes! Instead of freezing the unbaked pockets, you can bake them first and then freeze them. Immediately after filling and sealing the pockets, bake at 450° for 10-15 minutes until browned and cooked through. Let them cool, then freeze the baked pockets inside resealable freezer bags.

To reheat: Bake the frozen pockets on a baking sheet at 350° for about 10 minutes until heated through. They can also be reheated in the microwave: Wrap a piece of wax paper around the middle of the pocket, leaving the ends open. Microwave for 30-40 seconds, just until it’s heated through.

A Note on the Pizza Dough

Several of the comments on Ree Drummond’s recipe share that the dough is difficult to work with. When I tried her recipe, I also found it to be a bit finicky. It’s very sticky and it has the tendency to snap back during rolling and lose its shape once cut. Here are a few tips to make her dough easier to manage:

• Keep your board and rolling pin floured so the dough won’t stick as you roll it
• If the dough resists rolling out, let it rest for about 10 minutes and try again
• Line your baking sheet with parchment paper. Once the rectangles are cut out, press them to the paper. This will help keep their shape and prevent shrinking
• Some reviewers noted that letting the dough rest for one or two days in the fridge made it easier to handle

You can also opt to use a pizza dough recipe that you know and love, or even try a store-bought dough.