Ham and Cheese Bites
adapted from Chaos in the Kitchen’s Pizza Bites
Yield: 30 Ham and Cheese Bites
Ingredients:
- Double batch of homemade pizza dough (see recipe below) or 2 packages of purchased pizza dough
- 30 wafer-thin slices of deli ham
- 30 (1/2″ to 3/4″) cubes Swiss cheese
- 30 (1/2″ to 3/4″) cubes Mozzarella cheese
- 4 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 Tablespoons semolina flour or corn meal (for sprinkling the pan), divided
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon dried chives
- 3/4 teaspoon granulated onion
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning or seasoning salt
Divide the pizza dough into 30 equal-ish pieces. Let rest.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Lay out one piece of deli ham. Top with a cube each of mozzarella and Swiss cheese. Tuck the ham around the cheese to form a little packet. Place on a plate. Repeat with remaining ham and cheese. Set the plate aside.
Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the bottom of a 9″x13″ rimmed baking pan. Repeat in another pan with the other olive oil. Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon over the olive oil in each of the pans.
Working with one piece of dough at a time, spread out into a circle (or blob) roughly twice the size of your ham packets. If the dough tears, do your best to patch the holes before wrapping the dough around the ham and cheese. Pinch the dough closed and make sure there are no openings. Place the dough, seam side down, in the prepared pans. Repeat with the remaining dough, making five rows of three dough balls in each pan.
Place the butter, chives, onion, garlic, and seasoning salt into a small microwave-safe dish. Warm in the microwave until the butter is melted. Stir together with a fork and brush over the dough. Place pans into hot oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. If desired, you can brush again with any leftover butter when you remove the pans from the oven. Allow to rest for five minutes before removing from the pans. Serve warm with your favorite sauce. Ours is…
Creamy Horseradish Mustard Dip
You can serve this on sandwiches and no one will hate you for it. No need to restrict it to the Ham and Cheese Bites…
Ingredients:
- 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons prepared horseradish mustard
- 1 Tablespoon smooth Dijon mustard
Stir all ingredients together with a fork or a small whisk. Store unused portions tightly covered in the refrigerator.
Semolina Pizza Dough
adapted from The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion
Ingredients:
- 1-3/4 cups (7-3/8 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1-1/4 cups (7-1/8 ounces) coarse semolina flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1-1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1-1/4 cups (10 ounces) water
In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook (or in a large bowl with a wooden spoon) mix together all the dough ingredients until a soft, cohesive dough forms. It will not be perfectly smooth, it should have a rather rough appearance. Cover and let the dough raise for an hour at room temperature. At this point, you can use the dough or refrigerate it for up to 36 hours.
