Heart Healthy Football Appetizers – Pizza Pops

Richard E. Collins, MD
The Cooking Cardiologist
South Denver Cardiology Associates
 
Football Season is now in full swing and so are Monday nights, Thursday nights and Sunday parties. Here is a dish that will be a favorite with your friends and the kids, not to mention the importance of serving good healthy football appetizers. Go Broncos!
If it can be eaten, it can be grilled and pizza is no exception. This presentation here is unique. Meat balls are wrapped in pizza dough, grilled and served on a stick. Dunk them into a pizza sauce, and they will sure to be crowd pleaser for kids and even served as a fun appetizer.

Ingredients:

• 1 13.8-ounce package of Pillsbury® Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain
• Flour for dusting
• 1 12-ounce package of Open Nature® Italian Style Meatballs, approximately 15
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
• ½ cup fresh chopped basil
• 1 egg white
• 1 T olive oil
• 2 cups pizza sauce of choice
• 15 woodened tongue depressors available at hobby shops or craft stores

 
Roll out pizza dough onto a floured surface. Roll thin to approximately ¼  inch. Cut 3¾ inch circles with a cookie cutter. Place a small portion of cheese onto the pizza dough with a few chopped basil leaves. Prepare an egg white wash with 1 egg white and 1 tablespoon of water. Whisk. Begin wrapping each meat ball with the pizza dough. Brush the edges with the egg wash. Seal the edges. Brush with olive oil and set aside until all 15 meatballs are wrapped.
On a medium heated grill with a pizza stone or soapstone, add the pizza pops. Watch carefully and turn frequently to brown all sides, approximately 15 minutes. Be sure to lower the lid to create an oven like effect. When the dough is firm,  remove and insert a wooden stick into each pizza ball. Heat the pizza sauce and serve as a dipping sauce.
Serves 7-8. Serving size: 2 pizza pops.

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South Denver Cardiology

Randy Cupps Graduated from Western Colorado University in Gunnison, Colorado, in 1983 with a degree in Physical Education with an emphasis in Exercise Physiology. Randy started his medical career in 1980 as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) working on an ambulance and in an emergency room. He then joined South Denver Cardiology in 1986 when it was South Denver Cardiac Rehabilitation as an Exercise Physiologist conducting a wide variety of Graded Exercise Testing on a diverse patient population. Randy continues to keep his EMT current, and he is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine as a Clinical Exercise Physiologist. In 2012 Randy acquired the role of business development, marketing, and physician relations manager at SDCA.

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