Cheesy Pepperoni Quick Bread

I am a food snob. I admit it. I blame all of the blogs, delicious new recipes, and homemade tortillas...and my dog...and the mailman. I came from a packaged meal type of family. When I got married, I remember standing in the kitchen and crying because I had absolutely no idea where to start or what to do. Sure, my new husband loved my version of chicken and dumplings, but we couldn't have it for dinner every single night. 

Almost three years later, I find myself more confident in the kitchen than ever. I like buying ingredients and transforming them into something completely different. There is great satisfaction in that for sure. However, there are some favorites like Poppa's favorite casserole that will remain a forever part of my menu rotation - cream of chicken soup and all. 

This quick bread was great - I had all of the ingredients and wasn't feeling like putting all of the effort into a huge meal. It all came together quickly, was in the oven, and was golden and beautiful in no time. The hardest part of this recipe was to wait the thirty minutes to let the bread cool and firm up. 

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

1 cup quartered pepperoni slices, about 32 slices

1/2 cup marinara sauce

1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese

Instructions 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray a small pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Place flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper into the bowl and mix to combine.  Slowly add in eggs, oil, milk, all but ¼ cup of the Mozzarella, and pepperoni until just combined.  Pour half of batter into prepared pan.

Top evenly with marinara sauce and pour remaining batter over sauce.  Top with Italian seasoning and additional Mozzarella cheese.  Bake for 45-55 minutes or until toothpick placed in center comes out clean.  

Let cool for 30 minutes before removing from pan.  Slice and serve warm or room temperature.

Source:  Picky Palate