Pizza After the events of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, I was left…well… hungry. Hungry and pretty excited to try and recreate Pizza Balls just like the ones America Chavez had in that memorable scene with Bruce Campbell as the Pizza Poppa.
I knew that a recipe for these delicious creations could and should exist throughout the multiverse. So, I consulted the Darkho- just kidding. First thing I thought about was the viability of it. Also, assumptions had to be made on the contents.
The only established thing was an outside covering of cheese and pepperoni, really my only struggle here was to solve the roundness of it all. But reader, that’s where it becomes fun!
Getting right into it, I figured the best method was to not stuff these balls too much. The fear being that the dough doesn’t cook fully through, or that the internals don’t melt enough. I’ve made enough pizzas to have an idea of what complications might arise.
With that said, here is my recipe for Pizza Poppa Pizza Balls as seen in Earth-838!
Pizza Poppa's Pizza Balls
This Pizza Poppa's Pizza Balls recipe is inspired by Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Ingredients
- Pillsbury Grands! Big and Buttery Crescent Rolls - (1) 8 ounce tube
- Hormel’s Pepperoni Minis - (1) 5 ounce bag
- Mozzarella block - (1) 8 ounce block, ball or shredded
- Marinara sauce - 16 ounce can
- Melted butter - 2 tbsp
- Italian seasoning - to taste
- Grated parmesan - 1 tbsp sprinkle on top right before serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 as you prep your pizza balls.
- Remove the dough from can. Unroll dough, separate each piece and press out each dough with hands into a round shape. With each piece that you complete, place it on top of a pan that is lightly floured.
- Grab a tiny scoop of marinara and use the back of the spoon to apply it to the center surface area. Aim for a very thin layer, then crack some italian seasoning over the sauce.
- Fill each piece of dough with a couple pinches of mozzarella and 3 pepperonis. Wrap dough around cheese and pepperoni and form into ball; pinching the dough to seal any edges. Put the seam down on the pan. Putting them all inside of one cast iron skillet is the method I first tried, but a flat pizza pan should work just as well (I only recommend you place aluminum foil underneath the pizza balls so they dont stick)
- Leave about a half inch of space between the pizza balls so they cook evenly throughout the surfaces
- Using a brush or paper towel, apply a light amount of melted butter (2 minutes in a microwave safe container covered with a paper towel) to the exposed surfaces of the Pizza Balls. Whatever butter is left over, dump into the skillet.
- Sprinkle some more Italian seasoning on the top layer and place into the oven
- Leave in oven for approx 13 minutes, 375-400 F
- As they cook, prep more sheets of mozzarella to drape onto each ball.
- Pull the pizza balls out of the oven, let them rest for a minute. Grab more marinara and brush or spoon some over each pizza ball. Then start covering each ball with the sheets of mozzarella and press some pepperonis into the cheese.
- Place the pizza balls back in the oven for another 3-5 minutes until the cheese starts melting over the sides.
- Pull them out, let them sit for 3-4 minutes and serve with a dip cup of marinara or ranch.
Notes
I took some inspiration from these recipes and kind of adapted parts of both so felt it was my duty to share those.
One of my favorite scenes in any Marvel movie is when Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man has to deliver pizzas and saves time by swinging across NYC. Thankfully, Sam Raimi gave us another tummy-rumbling scene in Multiverse of Madness. As always, his inclusion of Bruce Campbell was a fun cameo as the Pizza Poppa who always gets paid.
Lucky the Pizza Dog Comics Reading Guide
Lastly, as we celebrate one of the finest foods in any universe, we couldn’t mention the Pizza Poppa without the Pizza Pupper! So our resident comic book guide master Vin tricked me into including a speed read guide for one of our hungrier heroes. With yes, Lucky the Pizza Dog!
World famous after his live-action debut in Marvel Studios’ Hawkeye, Lucky is a very good boy who loves pizza. He was adopted by Clint Barton and Kate Bishop in the very first issue of Matt Fraction’s Hawkeye series and has stuck around ever since! Along with America Chavez, Lucky is Marvel’s resident pizza mascot and one of Kate’s most loyal companions. I think he would approve of our pizza balls recipe!
- Hawkeye (2012) #1-22, Annual #1
- Secret Wars Too (2015) #1
- “Pizza Quest”
- Alternate continuity
- All-New Hawkeye (2015) #5
- Also features Lucky from an alternate future!
- All-New Hawkeye (2016) #1-3
- Hawkeye (2017) #6-16
- West Coast Avengers (2018) #2, 4, 8, 10
- Lucky the Pizza Dog Infinity Comic (2021) #1
- Hawkeye: Kate Bishop (2021) #1-5
Video games:
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- Marvel Puzzle Quest (2013)
- Marvel Avengers Academy (2016)
- Marvel’s Avengers (2020)
Extra watching:
- Hawkeye (2021) S1 E1-6
Extra reading:
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- Avengers Assemble (2012) #13
- Hawkeye vs. Deadpool (2014) #0
- Old Man Logan (2016) #2-3
- Civil War II: Choosing Sides (2016) #3
- Avengers – Another Day to Save (2016) #1
- Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (2015) #15
- Dead Man Logan (2019) #4
All images courtesy of Marvel Comics.
