Certainly, we've all heard of jalapeno poppers, but the inspiration for this Pizza Poppers idea came from another source. About ten years ago, an Italian company came up with the idea of on-the-go pizza served in a cone. Yes, a cone!
Honestly, when my husband, Marc, and I first learned about this, our jaws dropped in horror. Once we got over the shock, however, we began to have fun thinking up ways to write it into one of our Coffeehouse Mysteries. Here's how we did it...
In our 9th Coffeehouse Mystery, Roast Mortem, our amateur sleuth (Clare Cosi) travels to Brooklyn to question a murder suspect. This suspect is about to launch his own Cone Pizza franchise in America, starting with a flagship store in Brooklyn, but what Clare discovers during her investigation upsets her far more than the atrocity of pizza served like an ice cream cone.
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| To learn more about The Coffeehouse Mysteries, set in a landmark Greenwich Village coffeehouse, click here. |
Today's recipe is simply my way of doing cone pizza without the cone. There's not much flavor in a cone, anyway, and when it comes to toppings, I'm a sausage-and-peppers girl, and so...ta-da! Sweet pepper poppers stuffed with Italian sausage and mozzarella, and served with a little dish of warm marinara dipping sauce.
For my full Pizza Poppers recipe, click here to download it or scroll down....
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| Cleo Coyle, author of The Coffeehouse Mysteries |
No Crust
Pizza Poppers
How to pop the taste of pizza in your mouth with far less carbs and calories...
To download a free PDF of this recipe
that you can print, save, or share, click here.
that you can print, save, or share, click here.
Ingredients:
(1) Sweet Mini Peppers - I buy mine at Costco but lately I've noticed my local grocery's produce section is stocking them, as well.
(2) Shredded Cheese - I use mozzarella
(3) Raw Ground Meat, well-seasoned - I use Italian sweet sausage.
It's already seasoned and I love the taste, but you can use
any ground beef, chicken, pork, or turkey, just be sure to season
it up or the results may be bland. See my seasoning suggestions
at the end of the recipe.
How much? Use this basic ratio: For every 5 peppers you’ll need about 3 ounces of meat and 1 ounce of cheese.
Directions: Cut the tops off your mini peppers and scrape out the seeds to create a clean, hollow interior. Fill with layers of sausage (or seasoned ground beef, turkey, pork, or chicken) and shredded cheese, finishing with the cheese. Bake them in a 350 degree F. oven. Here's how...
When is it done cooking? The sausage should no longer be pink and an instant read thermometer should register a reading of at least 160° Fahrenheit when stuck deep into the sausage filling. (Ground chicken and turkey should be cooked to 165° Fahrenheit.)
WARNING: The melting cheese topping the peppers may spill a bit inside your oven, so place an old baking sheet on the rack below the muffin pan. (You can certainly put the flat pan directly under the muffin pan, but the heat will circulate much better if you put it on the rack directly below it.)
Another option - Sheet Pan: On a flat, foil-covered pan, cook for (40 minutes total) 20 minutes on one side, then turn and cook another 20. NOTE: On a flat sheet, you will have to use a spoon to scoop the cheese back into each pepper. When is it done cooking? The sausage should no longer be pink and an instant read thermometer should register a reading of at least 160° Fahrenheit when stuck deep into the sausage filling. (Ground chicken and turkey should be cooked to 165° Fahrenheit.)
SERVE: These poppers are great as is, but to complete the pizza taste, you can certainly serve with a dipping sauce of warm marinara or your favorite tomato sauce.
SEASONING YOUR MEAT: To cut the calories even more on this snack, you can use raw ground chicken or turkey instead of Italian sausage, just be sure to season up your meat or the final peppers may taste bland. Using clean hands, blend the raw ground meat in a bowl with a mix of Italian seasonings, including: oregano, basil, rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Stuff the peppers and bake as directed in the recipe.
F o o d i e
P h o t o s
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| To download a free PDF of this recipe, click here. |
Eat with joy!
~ Cleo Coyle
New York Times bestselling author of
The Coffeehouse Mysteries
Filled with wonderful twists
and surprises, this is one
Coffeehouse Mystery you
won't want to miss!
To pre-order now, click links for...
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Yes, this is me, Cleo (aka Alice).
Friend me on facebook here.
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Visit my online coffeehouse here.
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☕ ☕ ☕ ☕ ☕
Coming from Penguin Random House...
The NEW Coffeehouse Mystery!
On sale January 10, 2017
Filled with wonderful twists
and surprises, this is one
Coffeehouse Mystery you
won't want to miss!
To pre-order now, click links for...
* * *
Our newest bestselling hardcover
is now a bestseller in paperback!
Join amateur sleuth Clare Cosi
as she sets out to caffeinate
our nation's capital and solve
a capital crime.
Join amateur sleuth Clare Cosi
as she sets out to caffeinate
our nation's capital and solve
a capital crime.
as she sets out to caffeinate
our nation's capital and solve
a capital crime.
To buy now, click links for...
☕ ☕ ☕
This culinary mystery includes
more than 25 delicious new recipes!
Get a free Recipe Guide by
clicking here!
more than 25 delicious new recipes!
Get a free Recipe Guide by
clicking here!
* * *
The bestselling Penguin hardcover
is now a bestseller in paperback!
Once Upon a Grind
by Cleo Coyle
To buy now, click links for...
A Best of the Year Pick ~ Kings River Life
"Fresh and fun...clever" ~ Booklist
A Mystery Guild Selection
*
Join coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi as she solves the crime against "Sleeping Beauty," opens secret doors (uptown and down), and investigates a cold case that's been unsolved since the Cold War.
*
*
Join coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi as she solves the crime against "Sleeping Beauty," opens secret doors (uptown and down), and investigates a cold case that's been unsolved since the Cold War.
*
* Dairy-Free "Cinderella" Pumpkin Cake
* Dairy-Free Almond Milk Custard
* Caramel-Dipped Meltaway Cookies
* Black Forest Brownies
* Cappuccino Blondies
* Shrimp Kiev
* Dr Pepper Glazed Chicken
* Silver Dollar Chocolate Chip Cookies
* Poor Man's Caviar
* Snow White Chocolate Mocha
...and many more recipes, including
a guide to reading coffee grinds...
* * *
Billionaire Blend:
A Coffeehouse Mystery
To buy now, click links for...