School lunches made easy: Cheesy chicken pizza pockets

Keep your kids' lunches simple this back-to-school season with easy recipes that are perfectly portable and ready in no time.

As parents prep to get kids back to school, mom and Just a Taste food blogger Kelly Senyei shared a recipe that can be baked ahead of time and packed in a lunchbox to get kids out the door without a hitch.

These cheesy chicken pizza pockets are totally customizable to fit the tastes of your kids and what ingredients you have on hand. Plus, pack a small container of homemade or a favorite store-bought marinara for a deliciously dunkable lunchtime experience.

You can go full-blown DIY and make the dough and sauce from scratch, but Senyei said if you're looking to make your life a little easier, swap in your favorite store-bought dough and marinara sauce.

Cheesy chicken pizza pockets

Ingredients
1 pound homemade or store-bought pizza dough
1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
1/3 cup mini pepperoni
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh spinach
2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup homemade or store-bought marinara sauce, divided
1 large egg
1 tablespoon whole milk
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon pizza seasoning or dried oregano

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roll the pizza dough into a 12-by-8-inch rectangle. Cut the rectangle in half lengthwise. Cut each smaller rectangle into three 4-inch squares for a total of six squares.

In a medium bowl, combine the shredded chicken, mini pepperoni, spinach, cheese and 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce, stirring until combined. Divide the mixture between each of the six pizza dough squares placing it in the bottom corner of the dough and leaving a 1/4-inch border around the edges.

Whisk together the egg and the milk then brush the two edges of the dough nearest the filling with the egg wash. Fold the unfilled side of the dough over the filling and very firmly pinch the two pieces of dough together. Place each pizza pocket on the prepared baking sheet then brush the tops with the egg wash and sprinkle them with the Parmesan cheese. Cut a small slit in the top of each pizza pocket.

Bake the pizza pockets for about 20 minutes or until the tops are golden and the dough is fully baked. Remove the pizza pockets from the oven, sprinkle them with the pizza seasoning and serve them with the remaining 1/2 cup of marinara sauce for dipping.

Notes:
If you can't find mini pepperoni at your local grocery store, you can slice regular size pepperoni into smaller pieces.
Pizza dough is easier to roll at room temperature, rather than when it's chilled.