Name: Six-step Cheesy Mushroom and Ham Pizza Pockets
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 x 250g packets fresh dough balls; 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for rolling; 150g button mushrooms, sliced; 1 clove garlic, crushed; 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp dried; 2 tbsp pizza sauce; 1 ¼ cups grated Perfect Pizza 3 Cheeses; 100g sliced smoked ham, chopped; Mixed salad, to serve

I’d never used an air fryer prior to working at New Idea Food. You might even say I was opposed to it – what can it do that an oven can’t?

Why do I need yet another bulky kitchen gadget to add to my collection? So I gave the Ninja Crispi Pro a try.

When I unboxed it, I didn’t even know where to start: what is this spaceship-looking thing and what am I meant to do with it? But that’s just the thing – you can do anything with it. It has six functions to play with, including air-fry, bake, crisp, and re-crisp.

I was searching for something interesting to try – not just a bag of frozen chips or a pie. Just to see how much the work the appliance could actually do.

I came across our Cheesy Mushroom and Ham Pizza Pockets and knew these would be perfect. After all, I did have frozen dough in the freezer and leftover pasta sauce at the ready.

So, let’s just say this recipe inspired me.

I used the air-fry temperature and cooking time as a reference and improvised the rest (which just goes to show that you can too). I loved that I could stare through the glass container and watch them cook in real time – it really adds to the experience and makes you feel like you can control time.

Fifteen minutes into the future and these improvised pizza pockets emerged golden and crispy, and warm and cheesy in the middle.

Ingredients

2 x 250g packets fresh dough balls

1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for rolling

150g button mushrooms, sliced

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 tbsp chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp dried

2 tbsp pizza sauce

1 ¼ cups grated Perfect Pizza 3 Cheeses

100g sliced smoked ham, chopped

Mixed salad, to serve

Method

Step 1

Remove dough from fridge 2 hours prior to cooking.

Step 2

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add mushrooms and garlic. Cook for 5 mins until golden. Transfer to a bowl. Cool. Stir in basil.

Step 3

Cut each dough ball into 2 equal pieces. Lightly oil a clean surface and using oiled hands, gently stretch one piece of the dough. Place on oiled surface. Push or roll the dough into an 18cm circle. Spread over 2 tsp of the pizza sauce, leaving a 4cm border. Top with a quarter of the mushrooms, cheese and ham.

Step 4

Bring edges of dough up and around filling, pinching edges together to enclose filling. Turn over, shape into a round, flatten gently into a round disc. Repeat with remaining dough and filling ingredients.

Step 5

Lightly spray a 7-litre air fryer basket. Arrange 2 pizza pockets in basket, smooth side down. Air fry on 180C for 10 mins, turning after 5 mins. Repeat with remaining pizza pockets.

Step 6

Serve with mixed salad.

Lara Carlucci Editorial Assistant

Lara is an Editorial Assistant to Managing Food Editor Karen Buckley for New Idea, New Idea Food, Woman’s Day, Take 5, and That’s Life, and an Assistant and Writer for Diabetic Living. With a Bachelor of Media (Communications & Journalism), a Bachelor of Arts, and a Bachelor of Arts and Social Sciences (Honours), she’s always nurtured a passion and love for writing in whatever form it takes, wanting to share stories that matter. Food is her second love: shaped by her Italian heritage, and the countless large family gatherings that are always comprised of wholesome, generous meals prepared by loved ones. If not around the banquet table, she’ll take every opportunity to sample Sydney’s endless supply of cuisines – having visited over 70 food joints in the last year alone!