Homemade Pizza Rolls
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These homemade pizza rolls are like Sloppy Joes with a pizza twist! In our soft sub rolls, we add ground beef cooked in pizza sauce and lots of melted mozzarella cheese.
Ever have a homemade pizza roll? Well, if you have had one then you know what I am talking about. But if you haven’t, here’s what you have been missing. These incredibly satisfying homemade pizza rolls are like Sloppy Joes without the mess. We add ground beef coated in pizza sauce and a generous serving of cheese to a hearty sub roll. Make a batch ahead of time and have a quick grab-and-go meal whenever the need arises. And the best part is… no pizza dough is needed!
I’ve been enjoying a pizza roll for lunch, dinner, and okay, maybe even breakfast most of my life. I’ve found them to be real family pleasers, especially during those times when everyone is going in different directions and schedules have a hard time matching up.
My mom used to make these when she and my dad went out of town. With a batch of these in the fridge and a little extra money for any unforeseen needs, she could go off for a weekend confident that we wouldn’t starve to death. I love to make these from time to time, especially on Fridays or when the Super Bowl is around the corner because it means I can take the weekend off from cooking!
One of the best parts of this homemade pizza roll recipe is that you only need 4 ingredients: ground beef, pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and sub rolls. Cook the beef in the sauce, pop it into the sub rolls with the cheese, and store in the fridge until you’re ravenous. That’s all there is to my quick and easy homemade pizza rolls. Doesn’t get better than that! I’ve also included suggestions below but seeing as there’s “pizza” in the title, feel free to go wild and add your favorite pizza toppings. If you love pizza as much as I do make sure to check out some of my other pizza recipes like Stuffed Pizza Sticks, Cowboy BBQ Chicken Pizza, Deep Dish Pizza Casserole, Air Fryer Pizza Rolls Made From Scratch, and Taco Pizza Recipe.
Recipe Ingredients
- or marinara sauce (I have a recipe for too, click here).
- Ground beef
Helpful Kitchen Tools
We’re going to make a dozen of these . If you’d like to make only six, just halve the ingredients.
How to Make Homemade Pizza Rolls
Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
You could add pepperoni here, or Italian sausage, or whatever cranks your tractor.
This is also where you could have this skillet full of sauteed onions and bell peppers as well. Another great option for this dish.
After your beef is brown, stir in both jars of pizza sauce.
Stir well and cook on medium until bubbly.
Slice each of your rolls as you would a hot dog bun, careful not to go all the way through.
I like to get the buns that aren’t sliced so that I can have them like this, it makes the sub so much easier if it isn’t sliced all the way through to the other side.
Fill with beef mixture.
Top with mozzarella cheese.
You can mix it with parmesan cheese too if you like.
Wrap in plastic wrap.
Tuck the ends onto the side and you’ve got a pizza roll!
Now that we know what to do here, let’s set up an assembly line for the rest.
All done!
I like to save my original sub-roll bags to put the wrapped rolls back in for an extra layer of protection in my fridge.
Plop these homemade pizza rolls in the fridge and whenever you want one, just get it out and microwave it for one minute!
For a crispier bun, open the sandwich and broil it in the oven or in the air fryer.
Enjoy!
Storage
- The wrapped leftover pizza rolls will last in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave, oven, or air fryer.
- Alternatively, store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the frozen pizza rolls overnight in the fridge before reheating them as above.
Recipe Variations
- Add pepperoni slices, salami, chorizo, or crispy cooked bacon bits.
- Add additional Italian seasoning to the cooked beef.
- Spread garlic butter on the sub rolls.
- Use a different type of cheese, like a combination of mozzarella and parmesan, shredded cheddar cheese, or provolone.
- Add veggies of your choice: onion, bell pepper, olives, etc.
- Sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes for heat.
Recipe FAQs
What goes well with pizza rolls?
Honestly, this main dish works well with just about anything! You can enjoy them with a dipping sauce like marinara sauce or ranch dressing. You can serve them with french fries or coleslaw, like burger slaw or vinegar slaw. Alternatively, you can even have them with a salad on the side.
Do these freeze well for lunches?
These freeze well to have any time, whether it’s lunch or dinner. And after they are thawed in the oven or microwave you can add some olive oil or garlic butter as well to take it over the top. You can slice the rolls up into bite-size pieces as well and have them in a lunch. You can also make them and refrigerate them instead of freezing them to add to lunch boxes for the week.
What other types of rolls can I use?
You could use crescent rolls. Bake them up and slice them if you want a smaller version. I like the thicker rolls better as the sauce doesn’t seep through as easily when I refrigerate them. But if you eat them right away and typically like thinner pizza crust from a thinner pizza dough then the crescent rolls may be perfect for you.
Do you use any other meats besides ground beef?
If you like pepperoni pizza you can use pepperoni slices and I have used Italian sausage too. You can also use another type of ground meat, like ground turkey or ground pork. Basically, any other type of meat you would like on a pizza would normally go well on this sandwich.
Check out these other sensational subs, rolls, and sandwiches:
Air Fryer Pizza Rolls Made From Scratch
French Dip Sandwiches Recipe (With a Twist)
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 dozen sub rolls
- 2 15-oz jars pizza sauce
Instructions
- In a large skillet, brown beef over medium-high heat while breaking it up into small pieces, until it's no longer pink. Drain off any grease.2 lbs ground beef
- Add both jars of pizza sauce to the cooked beef in the skillet. Stir and cook on medium until bubbly.2 15-oz jars pizza sauce
- Slice each bun almost through and spoon the beef mixture into the bun. Add cheese on top and seal with plastic wrap.2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, 1 dozen sub rolls
- I like to save the bag the rolls came in and place the sealed ones back in there for an extra layer of protection. Place in refrigerator.
- When ready to eat, heat individual rolls in the microwave for about one minute.
- Can be stored in the fridge for several days.
Okay I made these last night along with the top to bottom ham and cheese sandwhiches for a UFC party, and I must say, “WOW!” They were delicious. I did fancy them up a little bit though. I added a lot of garlic to the ground beef while it was browning; I added a touch of sugar to the final pizza sauce (I like my Italian sauces a little on the sweet side); I used provolone cheese on the sandwhich and topped it with mozzerella; and finally I added 4 pieces of pepperoni to each sandwhich before filling with the meat; They were so delicious that everybody was asking for the recipe; my family was fighting for the last one in the fridge today (I won.) You’re a goddes, Christy.
Oh goodness, that sounds delicious!! I am so glad everything was such a hit!!
These were great!! My kids loved them and especially my dh! I had made some homemade pizza sauce yesterday so I used that all up 🙂 I also added some sauteed onions and green peppers for me and dh, thanks for a wonderful and super easy recipe!
Christy,
this sounds like something I would like a lot. I wonder how it would be with browned Italian sausage made like ground meat crumbled? That sounds nice to me. I would like other stuff in it too, like pepperoni, Italian seasoning, with loads of mozzarella, etc.
I am so happy with your Southern Plate. Com. I made your fried pork chops today in the House Autry Hush Puppy seasoning. Yummy! Thanks for sharing such delicious sounding recipes.
Lord bless you and your family,
Linda
I think it would work great using those ingredients Linda!
Hi Christy, these sound like something my family would love. I was wondering if you had tried freezing them and how well they held up if frozen. Looks to me like everything would. They would make great take-to-work lunches. I may make them and put one in the freezer to try……love your site!!!! I am disabled, but have always loved to cook. It’s not so easy anymore to do sometimes, so quick and easy is what I’m looking for.
After reading today’s issue of Southern Plate… my mouth is drooling with the cake recipes!… but back to the issue… after reading today’s issue, I just HAD to come here and find the comment from anonymous… if your looking for it too, you have to click on the “older” comments.
I won’t condemn anonymous for his/her comments, as he/she was just trying to put others onto a healthier way of eating. Now why would I say that? Well, when I first signed up for Southern Plate, I had some major medical issues, but none involving cholesterol or heart problems or diabetes. But back in February, I was diagnosed with diabetes. For those of you who don’t really know this disease, it’s one of the WORST FRICKIN THINGS TO GET. You have to not only stab yourself for blood up to 5+ times a day to test your glucose (sugar) levels, but you have to change your whole way of eating. Meaning… everything you love to eat is either off your menu list or you can have it, but in the tiniest teeniest portion, like only being able to have 1/2 a serving of a SMALL French fry, or 1/2 of a hamburger bun, etc. Who can eat 1/2 of a SMALL ORDER OF FRIES? I can’t, so now I just don’t have them. Your doctor normally sends you to a NUTRITIONIST AND A DIABETIC NURSE, where you are then instructed on how to EAT HEALTH SO AS NOT TO HAVE SOME OF YOUR LIMBS CUT OFF OR DIE.
I don’t want any limbs cut off and I just had my 1st grandchild, so I don’t want to die either… so now I watch every morsel put into my mouth. Why did I become diabetic? It could be a “gene” thing passed on from family, but my personal belief is that it is because I ate anything I wanted to eat at any time. I put on 45 pounds doing that over a 10 year period. But now that I’ve lost weight by watching what I eat, my blood sugar levels are becoming more normal. Will I ever be free of diabetes? NO! ONCE A DIABETIC, ALWAYS A DIABETIC.
So even though I really shouldn’t eat most of what is published here, I can eat it but in the smallest of small portions. I have learned PORTION CONTROL. Instead of pigging out & eating an entire dessert in 2 – 3 days, I now make that dessert last me a week or more.
So as to anonymous, I agree, yet disagree, but none of us should condemn he/she. My diabetes has shown me that. I wish no ill health concerns on any one. If your healthy now but eat like a pig, or don’t care about what your eating, you’ll pay for it in the end. The question is, IS IT WORTH IT? Enjoy the recipes here, BUT IN MODERATION! And for your children’s sake, keep all of this info in mind. No one should wish any health problems on their children, so by teaching yourself and your children how to eat healthy, you will ALL be healthy. (my friends daughter was diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes at age 12… she died at age 16 and now I understand what she went through)
POINT: What we eat now can kill us later. Make the recipes here, but substitute some ingredients with healthier stuff, such as I now don’t buy sugar, I buy Splenda which tastes just like sugar but which is so much more expensive, but that’s my fault for giving myself diabetes.
Christy, don’t be mad at me or anonymous for our comments. Maybe anonymous is like me… healthy at first, but ate foods that contributed to something like heart disease or diabetes. I not only subscribe to Southern Plate, but to numerous other food websites, including ones for diabetics that shows us how to convert a recipe such as some here at this website, to healthier versions for us diabetics. But I honestly think you don’t want to hear that. Sorry, no offense is sent your way, but I do see a resentment in your words in your articles for those who make any attempt to mention how un-healthy a recipe of yours maybe. If I didn’t want your newsletters, I’d unsubscribe, but I haven’t, because I’ve learned how to convert your recipes into healthier ones for myself and my family and friends. And honestly, healthier substitutes make the recipe taste just as good. So Southern Plate can not only have delicious recipes, but healthy ones, for those of us who care about our bodies. Going to go slap myself now for posting this… OUCH.
Hey Mary ,
I was reading a book and checked my comments and saw this one and it took me a minute to figure out where it came from, lol. Then I noticed it was on Pizza rolls and had a lightbulb moment. I decided to open up my computer and respond to you (and also not check my comments anymore when I’m reading a book , lol)
First of all, your comment is nothing like the anonymous one. You’ll note a good level of unkindness there in that one and also something you can’t see but i can (because comments show IP addresses) is that anonymous was a one hit wonder. Showed up, left a nasty comment on the only post they’d read, and left.
Your comment shows clear thought and effort to be kind while making a point you feel personally convicted to make. I respect that and appreciate your kindness and the validity of your points.
I would like to add that I agree wholeheartedly with your moderation as that is how I eat myself and have mentioned a few times on Southern Plate that when I make a dessert, I take out four pieces (one for each of us) and give the rest to neighbors, people at school, church, outside family, etc. Still, some people (not in any way implying you-please know that!) will read today’s post and get it in their head that I’m making six cakes for my family of four to eat this weekend.
I also hope you will check out my posts on “Diet Friendly-er Southern Recipes” where I list that I, actually, don’t eat sugar desserts beyond a bite or two and explain the recipes that I use Splenda in as well. There is also a section in my cookbook where I talk about all of the recipes in the book that are Splenda Friendly. I had to fight to get that in the final published book but did so because it was very important to me personally. I don’t even use sugar in my tea, as I’ve mentioned on the site also.
On the very first recipe I ever posted, I use splenda and talk about it throughout the post https://www.southernplate.com/2008/07/homemade-banana-pudding-tutorial.html
As for you sensing resentment in my words I really hate that you feel that way. It can be often difficult to put as much as I do into a website and offer it free to everyone and then from time to time get a very nasty email attacking me or saying something ugly about my children or family out of the blue (like all mothers, talk about my kids and my teeth come out pretty quick). It would make your hair stand on end the things I’ve received. As a result, I can be defensive or make an attempt to make light of making a dessert on Southern Plate knowing that someone is going to decide I’ve made those six cakes and plan on feeding my children nothing but this entire weekend :). Then that someone will send me an email that is so nasty I honestly don’t think you or I would even be capable of writing such a thing. If not for the grace God has shown me, I would not be able to deal with such matters on a daily basis. (Keep in mind that this website gets over 20 million hits a month so you can imagine the wide variances of nasty people I’ve had to deal with – although I am thrilled to say that I have seen, firsthand, that 90% of the worlds population is made up of really good hearted folks). I appreciate you telling me you were sent here to find the comment based on today’s post. That got me to investigating it and found what sent you here, a comment I made in another post from three years ago. Wow, I’ve come a long way in three years, thank goodness! Had I not, I would have never been able to hang in here. I’m going back to that post now and taking out the line that sent you here. It really was more stinging and hurt feelings than resentment, because back then I let nasty folks get to my heart. Here is the line I just deleted from the Butterfinger Cake Post, made three years ago “You know, it just kills me when folks come to my blog and expect to find health food. Alright, so far only one person has remarked about it and I am certain he/she really needed a life. Still, for entertainment purposes y’all go look at comments under Pizza Rolls.” Nowadays I would have just ignored it, but back then, just two months after i had started blogging, it was very hurtful. Also, back then my blog was read mostly by folks I knew who knew my sense of humor.
If you’ll notice, I never did respond to Anonymous. That came at a time where I was just getting my legs about me with this whole blogging thing and i didn’t know how to respond with grace – so didn’t respond at all. I’m much more used to the occasional negative comment now and still have a policy of handling it with grace or not at all. Please not that I don’t consider someone offering a healthy substitution a negative comment- as long as it is done with kindness.
I work very hard on SouthernPlate.com and I consider it a wonderful blessing and my goal is to love everyone who comes here and show them kindness. Sometimes I am better at that than others but I am so tragically human, like all of us, and will of course fail even when striving not to from time to time.
I’m glad you are taking my recipes and making them your own and I thank you for being a great part of the family and for the obvious care you took in writing your comment 🙂
I am also very sorry you are having this struggle with Diabetes. I know it is frightening and my heart and prayers are with you.
Instead of slapping yourself, just go make yourself some sugar free banana pudding or a nice cup of coffee 🙂
Your kindness hasn’t offended me 🙂
Gratefully,
Christy
This is just like the television…..if you don’t like what is on, turn it off and find something else. If the recipes don’t suit you, go to another site of gluten free, peanut free, sugar free, or whatever. So sick of people who are rude, nasty, and are bullies!
Christy I have to say you are one real lady and God bless you.
Thank you Bonnie, may God bless you as well!
As a diabetic myself, always check the nutritional info on bread products and subtract any fiber from the carb count and just know that these products can vary greatly on carb counts. Sub rolls will be a lot higher in carbs than hot dog buns and some hot dog buns can be under 15 grams of carbs which is a single serving in the diabetic diet. Try to use wheat or sourdough buns as they are processed better in our bodies. Also, jarred sauce can vary greatly in carb content so always look and try to find the lowest count. When on sale, I will buy the lowest carb jar of Classico spaghetti sauce as they can double as canning jars using regular lids and rings. You can also make this vegetarian by using Boca or Morningstar Farms frozen crumble in place of ground beef/turkey. I used to use these in place of ground beef in my crock pot as there is no browning required. I now brown up tons of ground beef when it’s on sale and store in freezer bags in my freezer and will also buy bone-in chicken breast when on sale and cook in the crock pot with a can of chicken broth and then shred it and freeze in freezer bags like the ground beef. Also, use 2% shredded cheese to lower fat content if you like. Me, I buy 96% ground beef and use full fat cheese as I prefer the “melty” factor of full fat. Hope this helps anyone considering “healthifying” this or other recipes. Love this recipe because I have fibromyalgia and arthritis and this makes meals easier when I don’t feel up to cooking.
These were very good. I made them with leftover pasta sauce and hot dog buns. Economical and yummy!
Made these this morning for dinner tonight; wrapped them in tin foil and then popped them in the oven for 15 minutes-turned out perfect! 🙂 All three of my kids LOVE them and requested them every week from now on! Thank you for the recipe!!