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.
Christy, I use ground turkey cause it’s more budget friendly, but this is a great recipe. Don’t know why I never thought about cooking it up all at once and freezing it for spaghetti, lasagna, chili, ziti, etc. I, too, like to add onions, garlic, peppers, and herbs. My son, who has a blended family, will absolutely love this recipe.
This will be a very big hit with the kids!! Thanks so much for sharing.
Christy, I love these. I like you always have pre browned hamburger (next time will follow your pre cooked way) and pre sauted veggies (onion pepper and mushrooms added to the sandwich.) in the freezer. So I made these today. Talk about a hit. There were none to put away. Next time I will double it so there are extras put away.
Hope you and your family had a great 4th.
Thanks again for your site, and for taking the time to do the step by step. I’m coping these to a word document with all your woinderful comments. I love them all. They are definalty a great read and pick me up after a long busy day. Plus a great way to get my (21 yr old, who has been taught to cook.) to cook. He has no questions, or can’t do with the step by step instructions.
Oh yea, the Easy Peasy Cherry Cheese Cobbler was a hit at our church picnic last week. Thanks Christy and Bill………..
Anonymous, I think you may have stumbled onto the wrong site, are not familiar with Southern manners or are just plain rude. I’ve never understood the motives of people who go to sites to “police” them or to “set other people straight”, according to their lofty opinions. If you don’t like it, don’t eat it. I would think your time would be better spent cooking pine needles, munching on roasted flax seed or hugging a tree. I will continue to make these wonderful recipes, eat in moderation and exercise. It works for me and I’m barely over 100 pounds. Keep posting these great dishes, Christy, and don’t let a rotten tomato spoil the whole bushel. I appreciate how you kill the trolls with kindness.
Ok, so I was looking at the recipe for the Butterfinger cake (which is in the oven now)to see what was next, when I “stumbled upon” this awesome recipe. Gonna try this week. As for that “Anonymous” person goes, I think I have it figured out ya’ll. See if this cranks your tractor.
2 lbs ground beef, browned and drained***having to kill the cow, process, package and distribute. (remember the word process here)
2 C Mozzarella *** she/he left this one out..
1 Dozen sub rolls***there are such things as wheat sub rolls.
2 – 15 oz jars of pizza sauce***glass/plastic jars are used here, bet they thought we don’t recycle.. well I DO !
1. Used wheat rolls ***see note above
2. Made your own 15 minute sauce with tomatoes, garlic, and herbs
***We do this, and we buy store bought also. Oh, and we recycle those jars.
3. Used ground turkey*** now here’s the kicker. One shell will get the bird, no processing like beef, draining of fluids, cleaning. etc, you get my idea, and then you pretty much use the whole bird at once if you live around my parts, but if you purchase the turkey from the store, then you are still getting the processed product. Guess this could be the 1 shell vs. the whole killing process of the beef.
You could:
1. Provide your family with some nutrition***beef and turkey both provide nutrition, along with bread and sauces.
2. Have about 1/3 of the sodium***depends on if I purchase the low sodium (which was not listed either way by Christy)or when I make my sauce, I cut back on that salt that I love so much.
3. Use less processed ingredients***processed.. there’s that word again.. umm beef or sauce
4. Have less cholesterol and more protein***beef has protein, or at least the beef we eat does
and possibly
5. Have less of an environmentally negative impact***beef/bird..glass/plastic (recycled)..
what the heck was this person thinking?? Maybe they were switching between this site and a “green” site.. who knows.
Now, I’m jumping off my soap box cause I gotta get that caramel and milk mixed before the cake is done.
Thanks Christy for getting me back in my kitchen after an extended “vacation” from it.
Lol. Thank YOU for the big grin this beautiful Sunday evening!!!!
I LOVE THIS WEBSITE I AM SO GLAD I FOUND IT
I was just wondering do these get soggy? I think someone else ask but didnt see an answer.
THANKS
KIm
OH girl these are awesome. Thanks so much for sharing. I think I’ll go devour one now 😉 I’d love to hear some more ideas for food on the go or food thats easily ready in the fridge for on the go families!!
Jillian
Oh…and P.S. veggies (onions, green peppers, anything) can be shredded and added to the tomato sauce, not to the meat, making them even harder to find…you can add them to store bought or your own and nobody will be the wiser… simmer a bit and they will blend right in!
Ground turkey and wheat bread is more expensive than ground beef but you have to figure in the cost of cholesterol medication or the cost of losing someone to heart attack etc. to see if the extra cost is worth it! (and no, I’m not anonymous!)
Most shrink wrap stuff is microwave friendly…
and you should be able to freeze this, provided the meat wasn’t frozen after cooking and the bread wasn’t either.
If you use raw meet, cook it up, then make this and freeze it in bread that hasn’t been frozen before, you’re good..
In any case, this is yummy stuff!