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When it comes to meal planning, I’ve learned that you should always anticipate the unexpected. Schedules change, ingredient shortages happen, and sometimes the meal you felt inspired to make a week ago no longer sounds appetizing. Shortcut ingredients, like refrigerated dough, can help you pivot at a moment’s notice. You can easily whip up satisfying dishes like cheesy chicken pockets, pizza topped with leftovers, or a quick and easy pot pie—all without the hassle of dough making.
Recently, Aldi shoppers spotted a pre-made spicy pizza dough on shelves and fans are already coming up with creative uses for the budget-friendly find. Now, the $0.99 dough is going to be a staple in my fridge.
How To Use Mama Cozzi's Jalapeño Pizza Dough
Mama Cozzi’s Jalapeño Pizza Dough features bite-sized chunks of jalapeños, offering a fiery twist on the brand’s original pizza dough flavor. Each 16-ounce portion is proofed and ready to use right out of the bag, which cuts hours off of your prep time compared to making pizza dough from scratch.
The jalapeño-infused dough can be cooked on a pizza stone, in a cast iron skillet, or in a 9×13-inch baking pan for a deep dish version. Beyond pizza, it can be used in a variety of recipes including garlic knots and breadsticks.
In a recent Reddit thread, Aldi fans shared even more creative ways they have been using the refrigerated shortcut.
“We had tacos last week so we made it into a calzone with taco meat, Cheddar cheese, and salsa. It was really good!” said one Redditor.
“I made a loaf of bread with it. My husband used it for lunch four times that week and loved it,” another chimed in.
One person transformed their dough into savory ham and cheese cups. “[I] let [the dough] sit out [then I] separated it into 1-inch balls, stretched them out to fit a greased muffin tin, and added some diced ham and Cheddar cheese. Baked at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 20 minutes. They were really good,” wrote the user.
Tips for Using Refrigerated Pizza Dough
Refrigerated pizza dough isn’t complicated to work with but a few simple tricks can improve your overall experience and ensure success no matter what you choose to bake.
Let it warm: When the dough is cold, it can be hard to roll out. If it retracts after you press it out onto your pizza pan, let it rest for 5-10 minutes, and then try again. Taking the dough out of the refrigerator 30-60 minutes before you intend to use it will make it easier to stretch. Alternatively, if you know you’ll be eating pizza in the near future, stretch out the dough onto a pan as soon as you return home from shopping. It will be warm from sitting out during transit, making it the ideal time to shape. Then, cover the entire pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate until mealtime.
Add an egg wash: If you plan on making empanadas or stromboli, brush the tops lightly with an egg wash before baking to achieve a golden brown, glossy appearance. For bread and dinner rolls, consider brushing with melted butter after baking to add flavor and prevent dryness.
Adjust bake time as needed: Use the package indicated time and temperature as a guideline for your dough but don’t be afraid to adjust it as necessary. Look for visual doneness cues, like rise and browning, but if you’re unsure, check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer. For soft bread, such as copycat Domino’s Stuffed Cheesy Bread, aim for 190 degrees F (88 degrees C). Whereas, for crusty bread and calzones, 200 degrees F (95 degrees C) is ideal.
Aldi’s new spicy, ready-to-bake dough can be found in the refrigerated deli section—right next to its classic pizza dough. It seems to be an every day item, so you won’t have to worry about it leaving the store after one week as an Aldi Find—but it still might sell out fast.
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