Pizza Balls (Feta Spinach)

I was looking for a feta pizza recipe (this happens when you buy feta from Costco and you like to bake.) I found a Pizza Ball recipe that looked fun for tonight.

Ingredients:

• One pound pizza dough (I used 1/2 of this pizza dough recipe)
• Two 10-ounce packages (or one 1-pound bag) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
  (I had maybe had half the spinach needed, so I also used a diced bell pepper. You could also use your favorite pizza ingredients.)
• 4 ounces crumbled feta
• 7 to 8 ounces shredded mozzarella
• 6 green olives - diced small
• 1/2 medium Vidalia onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/3 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/3 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/3 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray in each cup. 
2. Have the dough ready at room temperature.
3. Squeeze the defrosted spinach to remove as much water as possible.
   (I sometimes squeeze out the water with a clean kitchen towel.)
4. Put the spinach in a medium bowl. Add in the feta, onions, spices, and pepper., olives, and onions. Stir to combine.
5. Lay the dough on floured cutting board. Cut into 12 equal pieces.
   (I cut into quarters, and divided each quarter into thirds, then evened up with a scale.)
6. Cover all but the dough you are working on with plastic wrap.
7. For each roll: 

• Pat each piece of dough into a rough circle, about 4” in diameter.  
• Put about 2 tablespoons of filling in the center (I used a large cookie scoop).




• Pull the edges of the dough around filling and seal into a ball. 
• Roll the ball gently with your hands to make it more spherical.
• Put the ball into a muffin cup, seam-side down.

8. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
9. Brush the tops of each ball with some olive oil. 
10. Sprinkle each ball with about a teaspoon of Parmesan. 
11. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until tops are golden brown.



12. Allow to cool for a few minutes before eating—the insides will be quite hot!

Carole's Notes:

We liked these! Two balls with a big green salad would work well for an adult dinner - we ate 3 with our oranges.
You can either use some pizza sauce for dipping, or mix some in the filling.

Here's an interior shot:




Adapted from http://debbiekoenig.com/2012/01/24/muffin-tin-spanakopitza/