Picture an entire pepperoni pizza rolled up like cinnamon rolls, topped with buttermilk ranch dressing and served with tomato dipping sauce. We call it Pepperoni Pizza Rolls, and we bake it on the Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill!
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- Blending the tomato sauce raw before reducing it gives a smooth texture without hand-crushing, and the reduction step still concentrates the flavor
- Leaving a one-inch border on just one long side of the dough means the roll seals cleanly at the end instead of the filling squeezing out both edges
- Tucking the border underneath each cut roll pins the fillings in from the bottom, so cheese and pepperoni stay contained instead of leaking out during baking
- Building two separate rolls from one batch of dough and filling lets each roll get its own even bake, rather than one oversized roll cooking unevenly in the middle
Pepperoni Pizza Rolls
Tom Jackson
Rated 4.3 stars by 4 users
Category
Appetizer
Cuisine
American
Servings
12
Prep Time
40 minutes
Cook Time
55 minutes
Calories
506
Satisfy your cravings with this recipe for Pepperoni Pizza Rolls! Enjoy the classic pizza flavor in a new way - a delicious combination of pepperoni, creamy buttermilk ranch, and a side of tomato dipping sauce. All rolled up like cinnamon rolls!
Ingredients
-
1 batch pizza dough (recipe here)
- 1 batch ranch dressing (recipe below)
- 8 oz pepperoni, diced
- 8 oz pepper jack cheese, grated
- 8 oz smoked low moisture mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup green onions, sliced
-
Cattleman’s Grill Italiano Seasoning
-
Cattleman’s Grill Pit Fire Hot Sauce
- 1 egg, whisked
-
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-
1 (28 oz) can Ciao Italian Style Tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
-
1 tsp Cattleman’s Grill Italiano Seasoning
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tbsp buttermilk
- 1/4 cup parsley, minced
- 1 tbsp green onion, green only, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh dill, minced
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
-
Noble Saltworks Hickory Smoked Salt
- Black pepper, to taste
For the tomato sauce:
For the ranch dressing:
Directions
- To make the tomato sauce, combine all ingredients in a Vitamix and blend until smooth. Transfer to a Lodge 10” Cast Iron Skillet. Cook over low heat until reduced to desired consistency, about 10-15 minutes.
- Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill to 450°F, set up with the diffuser (or door) removed and second shelf in place.
- Divide the pizza dough into two dough balls. Rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, covered in plastic wrap.
- Using a rolling pin, roll a pizza dough ball out into a rectangle, roughly 10”x16” and 1/8” thick.
Spread about 1/3 cup buttermilk ranch dressing across the surface of the dough, leaving a 1” border on one long side of the rectangle. Add half of your Pepperoni and Drizzle Cattleman’s Grill Pit Fire Hot Sauce over the ranch, to taste.
- Combine the pepper jack, smoked mozzarella and green onions in a bowl and mix well. Distribute half of the mixture evenly over the surface of the dough/ranch (save the other half of the cheese mixture for the other dough ball).
- Roll the dough into a tight log, starting opposite the long side with the border. Roll all the way up to the border. Slice 1/2” off each end and discard. Cut the log into 6 equal sized rolls. Stand the rolls upright and pull the end of the dough where the border was and place underneath the roll to hold the fillings in from the bottom.
- Repeat the assembly process with the other half of the ingredients.
- Transfer the rolls to a Lodge 12” Cast Iron Skillet, greased with Cornhusker Kitchen Spray Duck Fat (or other fat/oil). Space the rolls out evenly. Brush the rolls with the whisked egg.
- Place the skillet on the far right side of the second shelf of the grill (next to the stack, opposite the fire box). Bake until browned on the surface and cooked through, about 45 minutes.
- Remove from the grill and serve the Pepperoni Pizza Rolls with the tomato sauce and extra ranch dressing, for dipping.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why blend the tomato sauce ingredients before reducing them on the stove?
Blending first gets a smooth, consistent texture without hand-crushing the tomatoes. The reduction afterward still concentrates the flavor and thickens the sauce to a dippable consistency.
Why leave a one-inch border on only one long side of the rolled-out dough?
That bare edge is what seals the roll once it's rolled all the way up. Without it, there'd be no clean seam to close the log, and the filling would be more likely to spill out the side.
Why tuck the dough's border underneath each cut roll instead of just standing them up as-is?
Pulling that seam underneath pins the cheese and pepperoni in from the bottom, keeping the filling contained inside each roll rather than letting it ooze out onto the skillet as it bakes.
Why split the dough and filling into two separate rolls instead of making one large one?
Two smaller rolls bake more evenly all the way through than one oversized roll would, where the center could stay underdone while the outside browns.
How do I know when the rolls are actually done baking?
Look for the dough to be browned on the surface and cooked through in the center, about 45 minutes at 450°F that visual and textural check matters more than the clock alone, since oven and grill temperatures can vary.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
5 out of 5 this bakes in a cast iron skillet in a regular oven exactly the way it does on the grill; the pellet grill is only being used as an outdoor oven, not for smoke or char.
Recipe Highlights
Blended-then-reduced tomato sauce: Gets smooth texture without hand-crushing.
Single-side dough border: Creates a clean seam for sealing the roll.
Tucked-under seam: Pins the filling in from the bottom of each roll.
Two separate rolls: Bakes more evenly than one oversized log.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 8.4 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 506
- Carbs
- 53 grams
- Protein
- 23 grams
- Fat
- 23 grams
- Sodium
- 1263 milligrams
