Turning childhood treats into meals for “grown-ups” is one of my favorite things. Whether it’s adult-ified mac n’ cheese (check out this recipe) or a vegan version of my mom’s hearty beef stew, a simple dose of nostalgia is sometimes just what the doctor ordered.

Enter in Bagel Bites, one of my all-time favorite after school snacks (I even tried to convince my cousin to buy Bagel Bites for my wedding shower a couple years ago, but she wouldn’t do it). Can we all just agree that a tiny bagel is the perfect vehicle for delivering a bite-sized dose of pizza goodness to your pie hole?

Please humor me and join me on a trip down memory lane with this quick, easy, tasty and cheap alternative to my beloved Bagel Bites.

For this recipe, I went with English muffins rather than bagels, because English muffins are just so dang classy and sophisticated. The trick to avoiding soggy muffins is toasting them briefly before adding the sauce/cheese/toppings to give them a nice crunch.

I opted for a traditional flavor combo—classic marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese and a few choice toppings—but feel free to get creative with it! Pesto + goat cheese would be delicious, or even a spicy BBQ sauce with pineapple chunks (sue me) would do the trick. Serve these English Muffin Pizzas as an appetizer, or make them the star of the show with a little salad or some grilled vegetables on the side.

INGREDIENTS

• English muffins

• Pizza sauce of choice

• Shredded mozzarella cheese or favorite vegan cheese

• Toppings (I went with a combination of banana peppers, kalamata olives, onions and mushrooms)

• Olive oil cooking spray

• Freshly cracked black pepper

STEPS

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a small serrated knife to cut the English muffins in half. Spray the halves with olive oil cooking spray and season them with freshly cracked black pepper. Bake for five minutes.

2) Remove the muffins from the oven and spread a small spoonful of sauce onto each half. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and add desired toppings.

3) Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool for a couple of minutes and enjoy!