Picnic Pepperoni Rolls

     I love picnics.  I mean, I really, really, really love picnics.  I look for any occasion I can find to take out all my picnic supplies even when it would be much easier to just stop and pick up a bucket of chicken.  I love every bit of planning for a picnic, preparing the food for the picnic, packing the car for the picnic, and then enjoying our meal outside.

   At the top of my list of favorite picnic foods are pepperoni rolls.  Not only are they absolutely delicious and easy to eat, they are great for picnics that are a little farther from home because they taste just fine at room temperature.  I will tell you, though, that they smell heavenly and trying to not eat them on the way to the picnic site can be pretty tough!

  My family and I had our first taste of pepperoni rolls at a tiny roadside bakery in Gap Mills, West Virginia.  We had to travel way up into the mountains to get to these rolls we had heard so much about but once we tasted them, we knew we would be back.  The bakery is also well worth the drive for their cinnamon rolls.  The first time we went, we took our bag of warm pepperoni rolls and ate them in the car while we sat in the parking lot.  I am pretty sure not one of them made it home that day.  We learned pretty quickly that we just needed to buy more of them the next time!

  One of the last memories I have of my grandmother is of convincing her to leave the assisted living facility where she lived to take a road trip to the little bakery.  My mom was certain that she wouldn't agree to the trip since traveling had become quite difficult for my grandmother.  Never underestimate the lure of the pepperoni roll!  After very little protesting, we helped her in the car and headed up the windy roads.  If I close my eyes, I can still see my grandmother in the front seat of the car enjoying her roll.  I treasure the memory of that beautiful drive up and of her happiness that day.

  While I in no way can pretend that I can duplicate the exact taste of those homemade rolls, I CAN promise you that my recipe is quite simple and quite tasty!  These little gems are perfect for your next picnic.

Picnic Pepperoni Rolls (click for printable link)

24 frozen dinner rolls (I prefer Kroger brand rolls)
48 slices of sandwich style pepperoni, sliced very, very thinly (I often use Genoa salami for my girls since it's less spicy)
garlic powder to taste

4 T. butter
garlic powder to taste
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese
crushed red pepper to taste

Place the frozen rolls on a baking sheet sprayed well with non-stick spray and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap that has been sprayed very well with non-stick spray.  Defrost the rolls but do not let them rise.  If I am making them in the morning, I will often just defrost them in the fridge so that they don't rise.  If you defrost them on the counter, just keep an eye on them so that they don't rise much at all.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees or whatever temperature the bag of rolls says to preheat the oven to.

Using one defrosted roll at a time, roll out the dough with a rolling pin into a circle (don't worry if the circles aren't perfect) until it is flattened well.

Place two slices of pepperoni (or salami, which is what I used in this picture) on the roll, overlapping and leaving a little bit of space on the edges.  Sprinkle with garlic powder.

Pull two opposite edges out a little and fold them toward the center but not all the way into the center.  Sorry if this sounds a little confusing!  You aren't trying to make the edges meet is what I am trying to say.  You will need to sort of fold the edges of the pepperoni in as you go, too.

Pull the bottom edge up and roll over entirely to seal the roll up.

Place the rolls on a greased baking sheet (or just use Reynolds Release Foil like I do) with the rolls  barely touching one another.

Bake for about 15 - 20 minutes or until the rolls are browned.

While rolls are baking, prepare the butter topping by melting the butter in the microwave.  Add garlic powder to taste, crushed red pepper to taste, and Parmesan cheese.  Stir well.

As soon as the rolls come out of the oven, brush with the butter mixture.