I had plans to blog about something else today but you guys convinced me that I can no longer hold out on you on the monkey bread recipe (as seen here and here). Better yet, I have a special treat for you – a giveaway that will go perfectly with the recipe. Am I good or am I good? 
Not sure what I’m talking about? Well, all I have to say is that you’ve come at the right time. I’m talking about a savory monkey bread made of pizza dough balls stuffed with pepperoni and cheese. Each individual ball is brushed with garlic butter (oh yeah!) and then nested inside a bundt pan.
They puff up beautifully together in the oven, which creates a nice crust on the outside and incredibly soft/fresh-out-of-the-oven softness on the outside. Seriously incredible! The original recipe came from Confessions of a Foodie Bride so please check out her post for more gorgeous mid-process photos. I used this recipe for the dough the first time – make sure to double it - and 2 store-bought dough balls the second time. Easy! On and because I wanted each ball to be uniform in size, I weighed them prior to stuffing (3/4oz is perfect!)
The “stuffing” possibilities are of course endless but I’d argue that cheese, garlic butter and some quality tomato sauce are a must.
This Pomi Pomodoro e Basilico sauce was sent to me by the company to review and I really enjoyed this fresh tasting, slightly chunky tomato sauce. The basil and other spices were not too overwhelming, which allowed the tomatoes to shine. I also really love that all Pomi products come in cardboard boxes, which are BPA-free and have a lower environmental impact (since they are lighter than cans to ship). This was the perfect dipping sauce for these pizza bites!
It’s like a little surprise inside 
OMG, I want one in my belly right now (Btw, can you see how it’s crusty on the top and soft on the bottom? Who’s hungry??! Just me?). I served these at a football-watching gathering and the whole thing was gone in less than 2 minutes. I honestly wish I took a video of this. People were on top of each other, ripping off bun after bun. There was lots of mmmm’ing going on. My blogger friends were a little more well-behaved when I made it the second time, but it was still gone in minutes! Yup, make it. Asap.
And now it’s time for a Pomi giveaway! One lucky winner will receive 1 box Pomodoro e Basilico, 1 box Alfredo, & 1 box Vodka sauce. I tried the vodka sauce as well and enjoyed the flavor although it seemed a bit runny. I have more in the fridge to taste-test
Ready to win? Here are the rules: there are plenty of ways to enter.
1) Leave a comment on this post – Tell me whatever you’d like, like how good this monkey bread looks (lol), what stuffing you’d use when you make it (you are going to make it, aren’t you?), what your favorite game day snack is, or whatever else you feel like telling me.
2) Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway (my twitter handle @elinaholbrook and a link to this post must be included to qualify)
4) Subscribe to Healthy and Sane by email
5) Like Healthy and Sane on Facebook.
6) Link to this post on your Facebook page.
7) Add Healthy and Sane to your blogroll.
8) Like Pomi on Facebook
9) Link to this post on your blog, if you have one. If you don’t, let someone else know about this giveaway and tell me so in the comments section after they’ve entered the giveaway.
Please leave a separate comment on this post for each qualifying entry. This giveaway is open to US residents only (sorry!) and ends at midnight on Sat October 8. I will randomly choose 1 winner using random.org and announce him/her the following Monday. Good luck! 
Oh my gosh, this looks amazing. What a great idea to make it for a party. I will definitely be making this at some point. Thanks for sharing.
Great giveaway!
I can’t wait to make this next time I’m watching the game! I’ll have to figure out everyones favorite meant and cheese combo.
What a great idea! I used to eat the cinnamon sugar monkey bread when I was little! This is such a great spin on that! Thanks for sharing!
I had the cinnamon version last year and LOVED it. This savory version is just as awesome… in a different way of course
This bread is making me so hungry! I love this pasta sauce, it is hard to find in Minnesota so I would love to win some.
Wow, yum. My mom always made the cinnamon version for Christmas morning, so I have very fond memories of monkey bread. I’m thinking up vegetarian options for stuffing right now. Cheese and garlic, cheese and all different veggies. Yum. Thanks so much for sharing this.
oh my gosh, this looks SO amazingly delicious!! I am making it and then planning to consume it all myself. it’s just like eating a small pizza right?
or 2 regular ones. But who’s to judge?
I want this in my belly right now too! It was amazing… and easier to make than I’d think. Thanks for introducing me to this dish!
Thank you for helping me make it! It’s super easy but a tad work intensive with shredded cheese. I couldn’t have done it without you!
I was all sold on a buffalo chicken filling until someone had to mention turning it into a dessert… Now either I need to choose, or I need to be prepared to invite double the guests over to share.
Buffalo chicken filling? What?! NEED.
You’ve never had the cinnamon version? It’s like cinnamon buns but in fluffy form. I suggest you make one of each
I’m OBSESSED with anything buffalo chicken related… I was thinking of marinating the chicken in the sauce, with some chopped celery, for the filling and then have blue cheese dressing for dipping.
Both?! Oh boy…
Oh I can taste it right now and I WANT some!! SEriously I could do some damage to that right now, it was soooo good! Perfect party food! I really liked the sauce you served with it too!
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That looks soooo good! I love dipping anything in tomato, so that Pomi would practically be drank from the carton in these parts, lol.
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You’re on my blog roll!
I’m pretty sure I “like” you on FB, though I locked myself out of my account and can’t confirm. =/
And yes, I tweeted. (Completely against my better judgement…)
And of course I like you on Facebook…
…And I like Pomi on Facebook…
(I told you – I’m a Chicago girl, ballot box-stuffing is a skill learned at birth…)
… And you are absolutely on my site’s “friend list”: http://bit.ly/nxV9zB …
There is no denying this looks amazing! I adore that everyone is now discovering ways to make monkey bread savory instead of sweet. I am a savory gal myself!
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I’d love this with a cheese sauce as well, and fresh basil! What a fun idea, savory monkey bread!!!
Holy yum! I love the sound of this. I was wondering if there was something delicious inside. Since fall is upon us, I’m now thinking some sort of pumpkin money bread would be fantastic. Hmmmmm…..
That monkey bread was seriously amazing. I have actually been daydreaming about it whenever I get hungry now. Guess it’s time for me to make it myself (and I might not be as generous about sharing as you!)…
I pretty much can’t think about anything, but monkey bread right now!
My favorite game day snack is a spinach and artichoke dip I make with goat cheese and trader joe’s sweet potato tortilla chips. heaven in a dip bowl for me!
[...] See the article here: Pizza monkey bread + Pomi giveaway | Healthy and Sane [...]
Ummm yes I want to make this!! I would probably try a mozzarella and prosciutto combo, or even buffalo chicken and blue cheese!
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you’re on my blogroll via google reader!
That pizza monkey bread looks incredible!!
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You are on my blogroll:-)
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1) Hi I love you!
I would love this sauce : )
um yes i can attest to the awesomeness of this bread! made it on saturday for a party and people went crazy for it!! i can’t wait to make it again!
I had the cinnamon version of monkey bread at a brunch a few weeks ago and forgot how amazing it was…I can’t wait to try this for football Sunday!
My favorite football snack is stuffed mushrooms with crab meat, cheese, garlic, onion, etc. However, Erin and Pete don’t like them so I don’t make them often. Thanks for the monkey bread idea. I’ll stuff mine with loads of veggies.
Yum! I’ve always wanted to make one of those monkey bread things!
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This monkey bread looks fantastic! I am going to make it for the next potluck party I attend!
OMG! That looks AMAZINGLY tasty! I’m definitely making this. Especially since my toddler is constantly asking for pizza and I’m feeling really bad about feeding her 1/4 of a Totino Party Pizza’s at least once per week. Classic Pepperoni and Cheese would be my favorite. I bet it would be an awesome spin on BBQ Chicken pizza. Yup, I’m trying this!
random comment-but after I saw your review on “Sea to You,” my husband and I got the Groupon, and I made him read your post-I’m psyched to go some weekend this winter. Great giveaway!
Hehe, awesome. Enjoy!!
Im sorry to be such a b*tch but Im gonna be the one to come out and say what Im sure other readers that are not your actual friends think.
I used to LOVE your blog, I would come back and check it everyday. You were my motivator and also your blog was like the best healthy cook book ever.
Now , with your “diet free living and or intuitive eating whatever” plan that you have, you have basically made it an excuse to eat whatever you want. That’s totally cool of course because you can do whatever you want but then stop complaining that you are gaining weight and don’t fit into your clothes.
Seriously girl what did you think? You went from cooking amazing healthy and delicious recipes to cooking everything that is straight up junk. Your recipes have all become breads, pizzas, pretzels, crepes etc.. If I wanted one of your healthy recipes I would probably have to scroll back like a year.
I don’t count my calories either and im all for REAL intuitive eating which is what I do. This does not mean I bake bread or pizza or crepes and chocolate cookies every single weekend. Its okay to enjoy it yes, but you seem to do it just a bit much.
#1 on your list should be to stop buying the crap that makes you gain weight. If its not in the house then no matter how emotional, no matter how bad your day was, no matter how lazy to cook you can be, if its not there then you wont have to fight yourself not to eat it don’t you think?
I am really not trying to hurt your feelings, I just wanted to share how I feel about reading on my once favorite blog from my once favorite motivator about a girl complaing and complaining about not being happy with her weight yet continuosly buying and cooking things that do this to her come on!!
Hi Alyssa, thank you for your comment. I don’t think you are a bitch and I know you are not trying to hurt my feelings but I think you may be expecting something different from this blog than what it has become. Yes I’ve changed but please remember that the blog format has changed as well. I used to blog about every single thing that went into my mouth so of course you saw more healthy things. I still eat them; they are just not the ones that often excite me and provide for good blog material. I actually scrolled through 12 pages of the blog and saw plenty of healthy things but of course plenty of more indulgent treats too. I am happy with being free to cook whatever without being paralyzed by the number of calories they have. And yes, I get excited about pretzel buns fresh out of the oven and pizza monkey bread. If you are here for strictly healthy recipes, then I’m sorry to say this blog is no longer for you. I truly believe that you can have all sorts of food without labeling it as bad or fattening and still be fit and healthy. I know that I gain weight not because I have cookies around the house but because I abuse myself with food. And I used to do the same thing even when I was blogging about healthy recipes!! You can overeat on anything. And not having treats in the house actually used to make me more anxious as I tried to fill that need with other things that just didn’t measure up.
[...] best part was definitely Elina’s Monkey Bread Pepperoni Bread. It’s pretty amazing and I can’t wait to make it myself. I’ve made [...]
That bread looks amazing! I am attracted to food by its look, as much as taste, so I would probably dive right into that if I saw it at a party. Thanks for the idea – I will definitely give it a try. And if I had Pomi sauce to dip it in, that would make it perfect.
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SAVORY MONKEY BREAD??? Why didn’t I think of that! Ha… something to try this weekend, thanks!
OH MY. this looks incredible! Great giveaway, too
I am still devastated that I missed the pizza monkey bread.
Now you can make your own!
I think this monkey bread is calling for a double cheese stuffing. Maybe with some basil so that there’s SOMETHING green.
Elina, I absolutely love your blog (both blogs, actually) and I wished I was as good a cook as you are. All your recipes look incredibly delicious and I am not saying it because i want to win the sauce
) but because I really believe it !
I’ve been using POMI products a lot lately – great for the lower sodium content as well as being good for the environment (ok, and they are Clean Eating Mag – endorsed!) I haven’t tried these products yet though (well, I guess I have tried that tomato sauce, just didn’t know it!) and I’d be happy to
Cara when did you see them in clean eating mag? That’s so awesome. I’ve never tried Pomi but it sounds like a good product
tweeted!
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I love Pomi! Their products are great!
I tried Pomi tomatoes from a box once & i was very pleased. I had never known how different they tasted when they have been stored in metal cans! Now, of course, I can my own in glass jars, but I’d love to have some ready-made sauces on hand!
I tweeted!
I FBd!
I follow you on Twitter!
I subscribe to the newsletter!
I like you on FB!
I like Pomi on FB!
Great seeing you the other night! Have fun in NOLA and see you soon…at a grocery store I hope:)
Yup, let’s make plans soon!
my goodness, that monkey bread looks amazing! seriously thinking of re-creating it this weekend. maybe with a ton of basil and rosemary inside? and i love spicy — so chili olive oil from the boston oil co is a must! thanks for the recipe and great idea!
LOVE the olive oil co. Got the jalapeno white balsamic from there a little while back. So amazing!!
I would make this with mushroom and pepperoni!
[...] reminder about the Pomi giveaway. I’ll be announcing the winner on Monday.* October 7th, 2011 | Tags: healthy recipes | [...]
Ooh I hadn’t thought of savory monkey bread before! How original!
I’m a fan of Healthy and Sane on Fb!
I’m also a fan of Pomi on Fb!
OK – I’m finally subscribed through email (and my own RSS feed)…
And it’s on my FB page too: http://on.fb.me/nEMrMt
Glad I made it home in time to sneak in my last entries! Right under the wire too
Haha, I was definitely holding back – I could have polished off at least half by myself…
SOO good 
My favorite game day snack is Italian ice
[...] we’re back (hopefully by Wednesday) so I figured I’d drop in and announce the winner of the Pomi giveaway and then show you our bathroom reno pics (we just finished the 2nd one a few days [...]
[...] we geared up to watch the Flames and Leafs play. We are couple divided over hockey. I made some monkey bread in celebration of the event. Sadly for me the Flames lost but on the upside the monkey bread was a [...]
[...] few weeks ago Elina had a little gathering at her house, and I arrived just in time to help her finish assembling some [...]
[...] chicken thighs on the grill, Batali’s grilled calamari with chickpea salad, and pepperoni pizza monkey bread (<– does this count as a meal? It’s definitely a new go-to for [...]
I want the recipe forPizza Monkey Bread+Pomi