Cheesy Pizza Rice Muffins (2024)

May 18, 2021 by Danielle Green 4 Comments

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These Cheesy Pizza Rice Muffins are an easy 30 minute weeknight dinner recipe for a family friendly finger food the kids will love dunking in pizza sauce!

Pizza Rice Cups

If you are scouring your pantry for an easy dinner idea, I’ve got you covered with these Cheesy Pizza Rice Muffins! They are inspired by our popular Tuna Rice Muffins. While most people will give me a side eye for making rice muffins, everyone who tries them raves about them!

My kids love the tuna rice muffins and naturally they were even bigger fans of the pizza flavored ones. Who doesn’t love pepperoni, cheese and rice?!

Muffin Tin or Casserole Pan

It doesn’t get much easier than tossing some pantry ingredients, seasoning, eggs and cheese in a bowl and making some easy pizza cups in muffin tins. You can also take a shortcut and add everything to a casserole and skip having to clean your muffin pan.

As much as I hate cleaning muffin tins, I opt to make these into muffins because they caramelize the cheese and rice on the edges which is my favorite part. It also makes them fun for kids to dunk in the pizza sauce served on the side.

How to make Pizza Muffins

To get started making these Pizza Muffins, gather the following ingredients from your pantry and refrigerator,

• 4 cups cooked rice
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 6 ounce bag pepperoni, quartered
• 2 Tablespoons onion flakes
• 2 Tablespoons parsley flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 2 teaspoons garlic salt
• 4 whisked eggs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix until well combined. Divide the mixture evenly between 6 greased muffin cups and place the muffin tin over a baking sheet to catch any grease.

Bake at 375° for 16-18 minutes until they are lightly golden brown on the top. Remove from the oven and serve with warmed pizza sauce.

Healthy Recipe Options

If you are wanting to make these Pizza Muffins a little bit healthier, then you can make a few substitutions that will add some more wholesome ingredients and nutrients to the recipe. Try some of the following swaps,

• Turkey Pepperoni can be substituted for regular pepperoni.
• Microwave the pepperoni in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute before adding to the other ingredients to remove some of the grease before baking.
• Add in 1/2 cup chopped bell peppers, olives, or mushrooms as a great way to add vegetables to the meal.
• Skip the pepperoni all together and add 2 Tablespoons melted butter and 1 1/2 cups diced vegetables instead for a vegetarian option.
• Use brown rice or a whole grain blend instead of white rice.

White or Brown Rice?

I personally opt for brown rice because that is just what we usually have on hand at our house. I’ve made them with both white and brown rice and don’t notice much of a difference either way, so it’s a good opportunity to sneak whole grains into your family’s dinner.

If you want to take it one step further, you can substitute half of the cooked rice for some cooked quinoa or use a package of cooked whole grain blend.

What to serve with Pizza Muffins

These Cheesy Pizza Rice Muffins are a delicious meal all on their own or great finger food for an appetizer on game day. They also make great leftover for packing in kids lunchboxes, hot or cold, with some fruit and veggies. I also love them for an easy lunch the next day to reheat in the microwave. They don’t loose any of their flavors or texture when reheated!

If you are wanting to make these pizza cups for a hearty dinner, serve them with some breadsticks and a side salad for a family friendly meal that will be requested again and again!

More Pizza Inspired Recipes

If you love to enjoy the flavors of Pepperoni Pizza in more way than just classic pan pizza, here are some more recipes with all the great flavors of pizza.

• Pressure Cooker Pizza Noodle Casserole – Toss everything in your Instant Pot and have a hearty dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes!
• Pizza Spaghetti Squash – This low carb dinner is a healthy take on the pizza flavors you must try.
• – One of my absolute favorite appetizers, this dip is so good on it’s own but the grilled pizza dippers put it over the top.
• Pizza Stuffed Chicken Quinoa Bake – Whole grains and chicken are baked with all the flavors of pizza for a wholesome dinner or the family.