Pizza Logs
06 NOVEMBER 2018
pizza logs
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Here is one of my all-time favorite snacks, hailed straight from my hometown in Buffalo, New York. These delicious, deep-fried, pizza-filled won-tons are the definition of comfort food. I used to eat them when I was young as a special treat, and they still satisfy me to this day!
Nearly every bar and grill has pizza logs on their menu in Buffalo, but ever since I’ve relocated to Central New York, I’ve had the hardest time finding these bad boys anywhere! And if you can find them, they’re super expensive! It didn’t seem that complicated, so I set out to devise a recipe myself.
This recipe is great for kids, teens, young adults — heck, anyone who loves pizza! Pizza logs are a great game-day recipe too!
Here’s the recipe video I created for your viewing pleasure (and learning experience!):
PIZZA LOGS: The Healthier Version
It’s pretty simple — string cheese, pepperoni, and marinara sauce in an egg roll wrapper that’s fried to perfection! Since I like to find healthier ways to enjoy my favorite not-so-healthy snacks, making these pizza logs at home are BY FAR the best choice. It’s comfort food without all the calories!
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- Instead of full-fat mozzarella cheese, you can opt for reduced fat versions. I personally like the nut cheese options you can find at your local grocery store.
- To reduce the fat content and calories of pepperoni, buy turkey pepperoni like what I used in the video. It tastes just as delicious — and in fact, cuts the “grease” factor down exponentially.
- The egg roll wrappers are fine just the way they are, but feel free to explore different brands as they have their own varying caloric content.
- Make sure to pick a low-sodium marinara sauce. You don’t use enough to make your own sauce (unless you have some left over of course!) — and canned marinara works just fine. Choose something smooth — chunky sauces don’t work great in the pizza logs.
- I also like to pan-fry my pizza logs. Deep frying is messy and allows the pizza logs to absorb way more oil than pan frying. (You could bake these, but it’s not nearly as good. The egg roll wrapper really needs to touch oil to get that airy-crispy-crunchy effect)
PIZZA LOGS: Expert Tips
Let your the sealed package of egg roll wrappers sit out in room temperature for at least 10 minutes before preparing. If they are too cold, they will crack when trying to roll up.
Do your best to keep the marinara on the pepperoni, and not on the wrapper itself. It will cause the wrapper to become too wet and will most likely break the pizza log apart during the frying process.
Don’t crowd the pan when frying the pizza logs or they will take much longer, and may even stick together. Fry in batches.
Don’t fry in oil that is too hot, or you will burn the outside without even melting the cheese on the inside!
- 1 package egg roll wrappers
- 1 package low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese sticks halved
- 1 package pepperoni regular, or turkey
- 1 can marinara sauce
- 1/2 cup frying oil canola, vegetable, etc.
- Lay egg roll wrapper down diagonally. Place 3 pepperoni, slightly overlapping, in center, from left to right. Spoon a light dribble of marinara sauce over the pepperoni. Place your halved cheese stick on the sauce, in line with the pepperoni.
- Lightly wet your fingers with water and spread along each side of the egg roll wrapper. Starting from the bottom, roll over the center, gently fold in the corners, and roll up to the top -- pressing every-so-slightly to seal the pizza log. Repeat until out of wrappers.
- Heat oil in frying pan to medium/medium-high heat. Place 2-4 pizza logs (depending on size of pan) in the oil so they begin to sizzle, seam side down. As they begin to brown, turn the over to evenly cook all sides.
- Once browned, remove and let cool on paper towel to drain excess oil. Serve with a side of marinara and enjoy!