Pressed Pepperoni Pizza Party Rolls are crispy, cheesy, dippable and perfect make ahead for serving a crowd!
The concept behind these came from the Cuban Party Rolls I made a couple of months ago. We loved them but thought that the bread was too soft and fluffy. With just a second pan and five seconds of effort we stumbled upon the most deliciously crispy pressed sandwiches ever.
We’ve since made them in all different flavors but these pizza party rolls and the Cuban party rolls are still definitely the most popular flavors. We’ve also eaten more than a healthy share of these at room temperature and can vouch for how awesome they would be as a lunch box meal. Trust me you won’t be going back to your freezer looking for pizza snacks after you’ve had these little sandwiches.
I know most people may not have two of the same size baking pan but you can also use any sort of pyrex cookware. It will make the sandwiches even better if you remember to put the pan in the oven before assembling the sandwiches. The hot pan on top will help crisp up the tops of the sandwiches to get the crispy tops you see below! And don’t worry about sticking, all that melted butter we brush on top will be getting nice and golden brown and will coat the bottom of the second pan.
If you’d like other pizza ideas we also have pizza dip, pepperoni pizza pasta, pepperoni pizza bites, and garlic knots as well as Cinnastix with icing.
Pressed Pepperoni Pizza Party Rolls
Ingredients
- 16 Hawaiian Bread Rolls (This is 1 1/3 package)
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese , shredded
- 4 ounces sliced pepperoni
- 4 tablespoons butter , melted
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper
- marinara sauce , for dipping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees with an ovensafe pan or plate for pressing.
- Cut the rolls through the middle to make them into buns (but cut through it in one sheet without pulling them apart).
- Spread the mayonnaise on the bottom layer of the bread and put the bread into an 8x8 metal square pan.
- Layer the pepperoni and shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Put the bread on top to close the sandwiches.
- Add the crushed red pepper and Italian seasoning to the melted butter and brush it over the tops of the sandwiches.
- Press a second baking pan or heavy dish over the top of the sandwiches and press down with just a bit of force.
Bake covered for 10 minutes, take foil off and cook an additional two minutes.
- Cut into 16 small sandwiches.
Is the pan size really 8X8?
I used an 8×8 but feel free to use whatever size pan you need to fit your rolls. Enjoy!