Super Bowl™ Hall of Fame Appetizers: This Pepperoni Pizza Fries Recipe Will Be the Hit of the Party by Ann Marie G. Halstead

I don’t know about you, but in my home we love appetizers for dinner. It’s a nice treat on the weekend, for a get-together with our neighbors, for a holiday like New Year’s Eve, for gameday or even for a random day when no one feels like cooking or when we want to do something fun for dinner. The kids love it, and frankly, so do I. Everyone seems happy because who doesn’t like appetizers?? If you serve several, there’s bound to be at least one that someone likes. I find you can not typically say this about a main course at dinner.

As for me, I don’t think I’ve ever met an appetizer I didn’t like. I love potato skins, mozzarella sticks (or mozzarella sandwiches), spinach and artichoke dip (or pull-apart bread), fried vegetables, air fryer potato wedges, chips and salsa. I could go on. My boys’ favorite appetizer is probably chicken wings. A newer one for us is something called pizza fries. They‘re probably what you’re picturing: french fries topped with pizza sauce, pepperoni and lots of delicious, stretchy cheese. I promise you they are a crowd pleaser!

The inside scoop: While the recipe calls for homemade sauce, I’ve used jarred sauce and heard no complaints! I’m all about saving time where I can and happy to pass the tips on to you.

Cuisine: American / Italian 
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 -  4 cups frozen “crinkle” french fries
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 15 slices pepperoni (or to taste)
• 1 - 2 ounces (a small bunch) fresh parsley, finely chopped (optional)

Sauce

• 1/2 cup tomato puree
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Here’s how to make it:

1. Place the french fries in a large baking dish or oven tray, in a single layer. Bake according to package instructions.
2. While the fries cook, in a bowl, mix the tomato paste, tomato puree, all but a pinch of the oregano, thyme, garlic powder and onion powder. (To save time and money, you can use jarred pizza sauce instead.)
3. When the fries are cooked, pile them up (rather than have them in one single layer), in the center of the dish/tray. Drizzle the sauce over the top of the fries and then sprinkle half of the cheddar and half of the mozzarella on top. Add the sliced red pepper and then sprinkle on the remaining cheese. Top with the pepperoni.
4. Place back in the oven to cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the pepperoni is cooked through. Remove from the oven and sprinkle on the chopped parsley, if desired. Serve hot.

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