Not Just For Muffins

When I was a working girl one of my favorite places to "go to lunch with the girls" was Uno's Pizzeria.  One, because they were close to the office, and offered a 15 minute lunch. From the time you ordered, to the time they brought you the food, it was 15 minutes, or it was FREE! When you only have an hour to spare, that's a pretty great deal. And two, because they had, hands down, two things on their menu that to me, they did better than anyone else.

The first favorite I had was their fish n chips. Oh my word. It was this huge piece of beer battered cod, served with a huge helping of their yummy fries. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water. But the other was an in-house specialty...their deep dish pizza. I'm not really a deep dish fan, but theirs? I could not get enough! They did it better than anyone. After all, they originated in Chicago, and nobody does deep dish like Chi-town! The crust was the absolute best I have ever eaten, and it was the perfect indulgence during a busy work day.

Well, Uno's closed here in Fort Wayne quite a few years back, and I have not had a deep dish pizza since. No joke! But when a friend told me about these cute little appetizer pizzas she had a party, I figured they might just be a great way to get me out of the rut. Not because they would even come close to the one I loved so much, but they were easy, and I love something that can play multiple rolls. Sure, they make a great appetizer, but make enough, add a salad and you've got a meal the kids will love! Oh, and any time I can find a new use for my muffin tin...I'm in!

Add your favorite toppings and make these a fun new pizza party treat! Get the little ones in the kitchen and let them help! If you've got extra tortillas left over from tacos earlier in the week, turn them into something completely new! There are so many reasons these would be a star in your kitchen, and you will be a total rock star for making them!

I miss those deep dish pizzas a lot, and don't know if I'll ever find another I enjoy as much, but until then, I'll munch on these to ease my pain!

Mini Deep Dish Pizzas

4 large flour tortillas

Cooking Spray

1 c. mozzarella cheese

12 turkey pepperoni, cut into 4 pieces each

1 (15 oz.) can pizza sauce

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 TBS Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 400. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray. In a small bowl combine pizza sauce, Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese. Stir well. Using a glass or the empty pizza can, cut 3 rounds from each tortilla. (You want to make sure the rounds are just a little bigger then the wells in your muffin tin.) Place tortilla rounds in muffin tin, so each well is covered on the bottom and up the sides a little. Fill each with about 2 TBS of pizza sauce. Sprinkle with cheese. Top with 4 pieces of pepperoni each. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden and crispy. Let stand 2 minutes and remove with fork.

Shared on The Country Cook Feb. 28, 2014