Pizza Crescent Ring

Pizza night is a weekly event at our house. That’s why I’m never ashamed of using store-bought pizza crust on the days that I forget to prep homemade pizza dough in advance. But I sometimes forget that pizza dough isn’t my only option—and this pizza crescent ring recipe is proof. It uses refrigerated crescent roll dough in place of pizza dough to make a crisp and buttery vessel for a stuffing of delicious pizza toppings, including Italian sausage, Canadian bacon and plenty of cheese.

This tasty crescent roll recipe is great to share as a game-day snack. And with only 30 minutes of combined prep and bake time, it also makes for an easy weeknight dinner the whole family will love.

Pizza Crescent Ring Ingredients

• Italian sausage: This recipe calls for one pound of bulk Italian sausage. You could also use seasoned ground pork, or use unseasoned ground pork and flavor it with fennel seeds, dried Italian herb seasoning and salt and pepper as it cooks. For a lighter take, you can also substitute turkey sausage.
• Pizza sauce: Use your favorite brand of pizza sauce or make pizza sauce from scratch with a few pantry staples, including canned tomatoes, herbs and seasonings.
• Shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese: For the best flavor, grate the cheese yourself. Use aged mozzarella for this recipe; fresh cheese will add too much moisture.
• Canadian bacon: Canadian bacon is a type of bacon that is cured and smoked, and which tastes like ham. Swap in pepperoni if you prefer.
• Refrigerated crescent rolls: Two tubes of refrigerated crescent roll dough bring this pizza crescent ring together in a flash.

Directions

Step 1: Make the filling

Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until it’s no longer pink, breaking it into crumbles. Drain any excess grease.

Stir in 1/2 cup of pizza sauce, 1 cup of shredded cheese and the chopped Canadian bacon.

Step 2: Prep the dough

Unroll the crescent dough and separate it into triangles. On an ungreased 14-inch pizza pan, arrange the triangles in a ring with the points toward the outside and the wide ends overlapping at the center, leaving a 4-inch opening in the center.

Press the overlapping dough to seal the pieces together.

Step 3: Add the filling

Spoon the filling onto the wide end of each triangle.

Fold the pointed end of each triangle over the filling, tucking the points under to form a ring (some of the filling will be visible).

Step 4: Bake the pizza crescent ring

Bake the crescent ring at 375°F for 12 to 15 minutes or until it’s golden brown and heated through.

Sprinkle it with the remaining cheese. Bake the ring for an additional five minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Serve it with the remaining pizza sauce.

Pizza Crescent Ring Variations

• Skip the meat: For a vegetarian pizza crescent ring, skip the meat and go heavy on veggies, like sauteed mushrooms, onions and peppers.
• Make it a supreme: In addition to sausage and Canadian bacon, add pepperoni, chopped red and green pepper, olives and onion to make it a supreme pizza crescent ring.
• Have it Hawaiian-style: Instead of sausage and Canadian bacon, add cooked chopped ham and crushed pineapple or drained pineapple chunks to make a Hawaiian pizza crescent ring.
• Give it some garlic: For added flavor, brush the dough with melted garlic butter. To make garlic butter, saute two teaspoons of minced garlic in two tablespoons of melted butter until they’re fragrant, about 30 to 45 seconds. Brush the garlic butter immediately over the prepped crescent roll dough, then proceed with the recipe as written.

How to Store Pizza Crescent Ring

Store leftover slices of the pizza crescent ring in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

How long does a pizza crescent ring last?

When stored properly in the refrigerator, the pizza crescent ring will last for up to four days.

Can you freeze a pizza crescent ring?

Yes, you can absolutely freeze a pizza crescent ring. After allowing the crescent ring to cool, wrap it in a double-layer of foil and freeze it for up to three months. To reheat the pizza crescent ring, first allow to thaw for at least 30 minutes in the fridge. Then, remove the foil, place it on a baking sheet, and cook it in a 325º oven until it’s heated through.

How do you reheat a pizza crescent ring?

Although you can reheat leftover slices of pizza crescent ring in the microwave or oven, reheating them in the oven will give you the best texture. To reheat a pizza crescent ring in the oven, place it on a baking sheet and cook t in a 325º oven until it’s heated through, about 10 minutes.

Pizza Crescent Ring Tips

How do you make sure the pizza filling doesn’t spill out?

The wide ends of the crescent dough triangles hold the pizza filling at the center of the ring. Overlap the wide ends and press them together to seal the seams as you arrange the dough into a circle. Place the filling only on the wide ends of each triangle, rather than spreading it across the entire triangle. Also, fold the pointed ends firmly underneath the ring so that the filling doesn’t spill out as the pizza crescent ring bakes.

What else can you serve with a pizza crescent ring?

This pizza crescent ring will fit right in with other game day and party favorites such as fried chicken wings, soft beer pretzel nuggets, spicy chili and baked nachos. A pizza crescent ring is also a fun alternative for pizza night; for a full dinner, serve it alongside a big green salad or a veggie side dish such as sauteed green beans or roasted broccoli.