Calzone at Home!

Who doesn't like bread and cheese? Add a little wine and you're in heaven! Unless you have children like mine then it's 'whine' and you want to start drinking anything you can get your hands on!

Seriously, with the temperature outside hovering near 100 degrees at 7:00 PM, no one is going to turn on the grill but wait, isn't heat good for making dough rise? And who doesn't like cheap eats especially when you don't have to go out and get it? A package of pizza crust mix costs about $.69 cents. Add a little warm water and a smidge of oil and you are ready to make something delicious. Of course you could make a home made pizza, the combinations are endless, but my family enjoys a good cheesy, gooey, melty calzone from time to time. They bake up in the oven beautifully and are ready in about 15-minutes once they are assembled.

Now, I have to say, I 'm not usually one to promote a particular product or piece of cooking equipment BUT! if you have a baking stone from Pampered Chef




...well your calzone just went from really good to awesome. I must tell you that the stone gives such a crispy finish to the dough, it is the closest you will get to baking in a pizza oven! The other thing that will make life easier is if you have a dough press or empanada maker. This is a handy gadget but

not necessary to make delicious pocket goodies!



Calzones:

4 packages Pizza dough mix (any brand)
Cornmeal or flour
2lb. Ricotta Cheese
2c. Mozzarella cheese
1/2c. Parmesan Cheese, finely grated or powdered
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1t. garlic powder, salt and pepper

Optional: thinly sliced ham, pepperoni, hard salami, roasted peppers


Mix pizza dough according to directions making 2 packages at a time. Make sure to cover dough with a little bit of oil as suggested. Cover and let rise.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, combine cheeses, eggs and seasoning. Set aside.

Pinch off dough in fist size pieces. Roll in a bit of corn meal or flour until no longer sticky to make a ball. Begin to flatten into a circle like a small pizza. If you are using the dough press, make it big enough to nearly fit and then adjust to cover the press. If you don't have a press, use a bowl about 6-7" in diameter to measure the right size, trim away any excess and save for the next one.



Place a heaping tablespoon of the cheese mixture on one side of the dough. (If using optional items, place on top of cheese) Fold dough press to crimp securely. If not using a press, fold dough over cheese to make a half-moon and crimp edge of dough with the tines of a fork to seal. Place on a baking sheet or baking stone if you are using one. Rub the tops of the dough with a tiny bit of oil and place in oven. Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. Serve with Pizza sauce for dipping or home made marinara if like me, you are possessed by making everything from scratch! Enjoy!

Goda il Suo pasto!