A Packet Of This Soup Gives Your Pizza Rolls A Totally Different Flavor

Pizza, in its classic form, is always a crowd-pleaser that delights and inspires — think of the time that we ranked frozen pizza brands, for instance. The components of pizza — dough, cheese, and sauce (at the bare minimum) — are so flexible, however, that we're often moved to "pizza-ize" different foods and create snacks that scratch that 'za itch in a unique form. Around the Super Bowl, we like to use crescent rolls to make pizza bites, and we're obsessed with their close philosophical cousin, homemade pizza rolls. In roll form, dough envelops a layer of Italian goodness, kind of like a savory pizza cinnamon roll. But man can't live on pizza rolls alone, which is how this flow chart of culinary inspo took another step forward: rolling retro French onion dip, made from French onion soup mix, into dough. That's followed by baking it into a sweet, salty roll that screams "comfort food" and will vie for a place on your dinner party table or appetizer tray. 

A packet of French onion soup is kind of like the Swiss Army knife of condiments, given how many diverse uses it enjoys in creative cooks' kitchens. You could use it to reconstitute brothy soup or upgrade scrambled eggs, but why stop there? We can't stop thinking about making onion-y appetizers by rolling a mixture of onion soup mix and sour cream or mayo into a log of pizza dough, then cutting it into rounds and baking them up. A TikTok reel showed a tray of golden-brown, puffy handheld pastries probably redolent of scrumptious onion and perfect for folks who chow down on traditional onion bialys or onion rolls.

If you really want to commit to the French onion soup idea, elevate your onion-y pizza rolls exponentially by folding caramelized onions and shredded Gruyere cheese into the mixture. The inside of your rolls will be downright heavenly with a filling of sweet, gooey onions in a flavorful, cheesy cream. Of course, caramelized onions all by themselves are time-consuming, which might turn this upgraded French onion pizza roll into more of a "special occasion" treat arranged beautifully in a lined basket on your holiday table.

Laboriously nursing caramelized onions in a skillet isn't the only way to make your rolls more succulent. Keep the shredded Gruyere (you can substitute Swiss cheese for a more accessible option in a pinch) and swap the sour cream and mayo for chive and onion cream cheese. You can even grab a flavored cheese product like Boursin and whip it to make a more unctuous base for your French onion soup packet. If alliums are your thing, get some chopped scallion, sautéed shallots, and garlic in the mix. 

Don't think you are tied down to the cinnamon roll method of making these treats, either. You could have equally delicious results using crescent roll dough and making tidy filled pockets that puff up in the oven and contain a creamy, dreamy filling. Ultimately, French onion dip made from a soup packet is a mighty delicious and wholly versatile base for delicious "pizza" rolls, minus the pizza, no matter how you slice (or stuff!) it.