Mini Pizza Bites

Today is my Friday, YAY!  I'm so annoyed by people who update their Facebook with this--especially if it is a Tuesday and not my Friday.  Anyway, we are bringing in the end of our wedding season with a bang this weekend--one wedding tomorrow (the real Friday) and one on Saturday.  We have been really busy with all of the weddings this year and last year (19 in two years really is quite amazing!!!)  We are so excited and happy for all of our friends and family who were married!!! 

Anywho, this post isn't about weddings--it's about birthdays!  The most important birthday of all, my favorite person in the entire world, Mr. Schwartz!!! His birthday was this Monday and I was just a pile o' crap for it.  I feel like failure of a wife, I was sick and basically did the best I could.  He wanted tacos for dinner...I thought great, I'll make some awesome tacos (despite not feeling well) and make a cheesecake (per his request as well).  Then found out he wanted the regular ground hamburger tacos, kinda lame in my book, however I was pretty grateful because it's really all I had in me.  Then I found out that cheesecakes have to "season" at least over night so we couldn't have the cheesecake I made for dessert on his birthday.  How sad.  But, Mr. Schwartz said his birthday was perfect after all--I vow to really knock it out of the park next year, I swear.  

We did celebrate over the weekend with family and friends.  It was a lot of fun finally entertaining in our new home.  Here is another recipe from the party: Mini Pizza Bites.  I had never made them before and honestly they really came to me randomly.  I wanted to make some sort of pizza appetizer since Mr. Schwartz loves him some pizza.  He especially loves the Hot Italian at a little pizza joint near his office. I figured I would try to recreate this in a mini version.  From the sounds of it, and from what I tasted, it was pretty good.  

I'm sure you can really adapt this to your favorite pizza as well.  This was quite spicy (which we really enjoy) but it might not be for everyone.  

Anyway, enjoy this little pizza ditty.  Now to dust off my dancing shoes for the weddings this weekend. 

Musical Selection: Where Them Girls At by: David Guetta.  Yep, totally my getting ready guilty pleasure.  Getting ready to tear it up on the dance floor this weekend.  Mom--put your sound on mute, you don't need to hear this trash.  : ) 

Start by browning the sausage--I used one package of hot Italian sausage and the other was just regular.

Once it is browned, drain the meat on a plate lined with a paper towel.

Return the meat to the pan and add the pizza sauce.

Give it a good stir.  I did this the night before the party.  I kept it in the refrigerator overnight and it was good to go in the morning.  

The day of I started assembly.  I really wish I had more than one mini muffin tin.  Seriously, if you really want to do this, get more than one, it will make your life much easier.  Anyway, get these little Won Ton wrappers ready to go...

I used a biscut cutter to cut them to the right size.  In retrospect you really can keep them in a square--but don't they look prettier this way?

Place them into the muffin tin...

And fill with the sausage/sauce mixture..

Then add your toppings--we did mozzarella cheese and salami..

And a thin slice of peperoncini.  Yum.

Pop them in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is nice and melty.  Don't these look great?  I really enjoyed the crispiness of the won ton wrapper--much like a very thin crust pizza.  

Please note that I could have made a ton more of these--I would cut this recipe down in half if you are not planning for a large crowd.  And again, get another mini muffin tin so you don't have to assemble when your guests are there--that was a bad idea.  Thanks to  the Mrs. Schwartz and my sister (in-law) Jenna for your help in assembling! : )  

Mini Pizza Bites: 

2 lbs Ground Sausage (I used one Italian one regular)

2 12 oz cans of pizza sauce

2 packets of Won Ton wrappers 

2 cups Mozzarella Cheese 

10 slices of thinly cut salami (sliced thin into strips)

10 peperoncini peppers thinly sliced 

(any other pizza toppings would work as well)

Start by browning the sausage in a large frying pan. After it is browned, drain on a plate lined with paper towel.  Add the sausage back to the plate and pour in the pizza sauce.  Let bubble for a few minutes.  You can make this portion ahead of time if you wish.  When it is time to assemble no need to reheat this mixture. 

When you are ready to assemble, cut the won ton wrappers with a biscuit cutter and place them one at a time into a mini muffin tin.  Fill the won tons with the pizza sauce and sausage mixture about 3/4 of the way full. Top with cheese, salami and peperoncini (and or other pizza toppings).

Place the muffin tin/s in a 375 degree preheated oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.  

Enjoy!!! 

Recipe by: Mrs. Schwartz