Meaty Pizza Pockets Without The Meat

You will not miss the meat when you take a bite of these delicious pizza pockets made with fresh vegetables and original Mareli pasta sauce. Mareli pasta sauces are gluten-free, without added sugars or oils. You can make your dough gluten free by using oat or brown rice flour.

Ingredients 

• 2 (9-inch) pie crusts, homemade or store-bought
• ⅓ cup Mareli Original or Spicy pizza sauce
• 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese (I like a lot of cheese!)
• ½ cup diced cremini mushrooms
• ½ cup canned kidney beans, washed and drained
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 egg plus 1 tablespoon water for the egg wash

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Instructions 

1. Cut the eggplants in quarter inch thick slices and put them in a colander for at least one to two hours to drain the excess water. Once they’ve released the water, drain it and put them in a deep bowl. Cover them with milk and let them soak.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
3. Heat vegetable oil in a pan at high heat. 
4. Drain the milk from the eggplants. Bread each slice with flour one at a time and pan-fry it. Make sure you don’t let the eggplant overcook. Put eggplant aside and cover with paper towels. 
5. Once all the eggplant is fried and the oil has drained, evenly place the slices into the baking dish to make a layer. 
6. Top this layer with half of the mozzarella slices and sprinkle some grated parmesan cheese.
7. Make another layer with eggplant slices, mozzarella and grated parmesan. 
8. Place fresh chopped basil leaves on top and drizzle with olive oil.
9. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
10. Serve with your favorite gluten free pasta.