Spinach Pizza Bites {Nelly’s Big Day}

Today is a special day. It’s Nelly’s (aka: Marnely, @Nella22, author of Cooking with Books, one of the nicest girls around, etc.) big day! She’s getting married and we’re throwing a {virtual} wedding shower in her honor. I’m bringing a quick and easy appetizer that is sure to please everyone. It tastes like pizza and who doesn’t love pizza?

We’re all giving Nelly and her man advice or words of wisdom for her new marriage.  There are so many things that could be said like:

“Don’t go to bed mad” (Sometimes easier said than done. Let’s be real here.)

or

“Always make time for each other”

or

“Make sure to plan date nights” (Hubs and I? Not so good at this one)

But really? I have one word of wisdom. Marriage isn’t always easy, any married person will tell you that. For my husband and I, not being married is not an option. We take our vows very seriously. We’ve seen “better,” we’ve seen “worse.” And I’m positive there are more “better” times and more “worse” times to come.

Because that’s life.

But we’re committed to each other and our marriage. Divorce isn’t an option. How can something happen if it isn’t even an option? That’s our mindset.

Sidenote: Obviously in situations where there is infidelity or abuse sometimes new “options” have to arise, but that is a different conversation for a different time. I just don’t want any nasty emails. 

Honestly though? Brian cooks for Nelly and Nelly bakes for Brian. What else do you really need? I see a long and happy marriage for these two!

Spinach Pizza Bites (Makes 16)
(I really want to call these “Pizza Balls” but I’m trying to keep it classy for the wedding shower)
recipe adapted from Everyday Food magazine

1 pound frozen pizza dough, thawed and at room temperature
one 10 oz package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and as much moisture as possible squeezed out
1/2 cup ricotta (I used part-skim)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
marinara sauce for serving

1. Preheat oven to 375*F. Spray an 8×8 baking dish with non-stick spray. Cut pizza dough into 16 pieces.
2. In a bowl, combine drained spinach, ricotta, Parmesan, salt and pepper. In another small dish, combine olive oil and Italian seasoning.
3. Take one piece of dough and stretch into a 3 inch round (it doesn’t have to be perfect!). Fill with one tablespoon of the spinach mixture and bring dough around the filling. Place in pan with seams side down. Repeat with the remaining dough and spinach mixture. Brush tops with your oil/seasoning mixture. Season with more salt and pepper if desired. You can also sprinkle some Parmesan on the top (I didn’t do this).
4. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes and serve with marinara sauce.

Verdict: Delicious. So delicious. Everyone who tried them loved them.
Husband’s take: “I could live on these!”
Changes I would make: None necessary, but the fun part about these is that you could make tons of changes. Throw any of your favorite pizza toppings inside. I think next time I make these I’m adding a little mozzarella to the inside so you get a little gooey stringy cheesy action.
Difficulty: Easy. Make them “rustic.” I did. They don’t have to be perfect.

What advice would you give to a newlywed?

Special thanks to Sanjeeta kk at Lite Bite for hosting, and Heather for the beautiful logo.

CONGRATS NELLY! We love you!

Make sure to follow the links to all the other recipes in the virtual wedding shower! And don’t forget to show Nelly some wedding love on Twitter and Facebook!

Tagged as: appetizer, nellysbigday, pizza, small bites