Pizza Breadsticks

When it came to food, I didn't do much planning ahead for New Year's Eve. I knew I was going to bring something to the parties we were attending, but didn't think too much about what that would be. That morning, it was crunch time and I had to figure it out, and fast.

I turned to an oldie but a goodie--pizza breadsticks. I've been making these for a few years now. I've brought them to several parties and they're always a hit. I knew I hadn't served them to this particular group of people, so it was an easy decision. Plus, they don't take much time to pull together, so that's a bonus.

These are made with store-bought pizza dough. Pepperoni and mozzarella cheese are folded into the dough, then the dough is cut into small breadsticks and twisted before baked. Served with pizza sauce for dipping, these are a fantastic and addicting snack!

Pizza Breadsticks
(Source: Adapted from Rachael Ray)

Ingredients:
- 1 tube ready-made pizza dough, recommended brand Pillsbury
- 24-36 pepperoni slices (I use turkey pepperoni)
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (or use a little more or less, based on your preference)
- 1 jar of your favorite pizza sauce

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Unroll the pizza dough onto a lightly floured surface. Stretch to make a relatively even rectangle. In an even layer, on one half of the dough, place the pepperoni down onto the dough, making sure to leave a 1-inch border around each edge. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the pepperoni.

3. Fold over the other half of the dough and press down gently on the edges to seal the halves together. Gently pat down the folded dough.

4. Use a knife or pizza cutter to cut 8-10 thin strips (about 1-inch thick). Your breadsticks will be pretty long. If serving at a party, cut the strips in half length-wise so that they are a more manageable size.

5. Holding the ends of each strip, gently twist once, being careful not to let all the cheese and pepperoni fall out (some will, though). Place twisted strips onto baking sheet. After all strips are twisted and placed on the baking sheet, feel free to take any stray pepperoni/cheese pieces and tuck them back into the openings in the twisted strips.

6. With nonstick cooking spray, spray the entire pan, including the pizza breadsticks. Bake until golden brown, about 12-18 minutes. Remove from oven and serve as soon as possible. Serve with pizza sauce.