Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Sabra. As always, all opinions remain 100% my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help make Poet in the Pantry possible!

Dinner prep time can be a little crazy, especially on weeknights. We’ve just walked in the door, everyone’s hungry, and we’re all trying to speak at once to relay our days. You can fight the chaos and get all stressed out…or you can embrace it. Instead of rushing through it all to get to the main event, we should spend a little more time reveling in that in between moment–one of many that make up our days, without our notice. It’s all about the journey, right?

It’s just so nice to open the fridge, grab a few ingredients, lay them out, and talk it through. Casual. Carefree. Noshing with the ones you love, without the constraints of meal plans and “dinner” time and place settings and kitchen tables. Gather round the island, instead, and enjoy each other’s company. This is the time to shine.

Relax. Restored, you’re now ready to make that meal that everyone is expecting. The edge has been taken off. This is the life.

The kids return to school this week and with that, it’s back to the daily grind. I could tense up at the mere thought of it–stressed by all those days of running around and trying to fit it all in–but I’m not. Because I really like this emphasis on those in between moments. I think we’re going to be doing a lot more of these unofficial meals. And I know my family will love it.

I really hope the “unofficial” meal catches on.

For this Pepperoni Pizza Hummus, it doesn’t get much easier than grabbing what you probably have in your fridge already. Chop some pepperoni and mozzarella (fresh is better, if you have it), spoon some jarred pasta sauce over the hummus, sprinkle your chopped goodies over that, and dig in. The fresh basil leaves make a great garnish that adds flavor, but if you start with the Basil Pesto hummus, you can skip the fresh basil, too. Simplicity is key. Satisfaction is ensured. It’s all so good.

Pepperoni Pizza Hummus

Carrie @ poet in the pantry

Print Recipe

Prep Time 2

Total Time 2

Course Appetizer

Servings 8

Ingredients

1 10- ounce container Sabra Basil Pesto Hummus
3 Tablespoons jarred pasta sauce
5 slices thick cut pepperoni diced
1 ounce mozzarella diced
4 fresh basil leaves optional

Instructions

Open container of hummus and drizzle the sauce over it. Sprinkle with pepperoni and mozzarella.
If desired, roll the basil leaves tightly and slice into thin strips (chiffonade). Sprinkle over the top.
Dig in.