Cal-zone-ezzzzz

Every now and then calzones will pop up on my menu planning - yet in all this time, I have never posted a recipe or a picture. I love calzones, because you can change them up so easily by adding a variety of different ingredients. Personally, I like mine to be stuffed with cheese, spinach and broccoli. Nathan likes meat. You can also use what you have and clean out the fridge making it "garbage bread."

To me, it's all about the layering of ingredients. Pick up a round of your favorite raw pizza dough from your supermarket, and divide into 4 equal servings. Gently pull on the dough, creating a round even circle. Lay on a slightly floured surface, and begin to introduce the "stuffing:" I use provolone cheese slices as my first layer. The cheese keeps the dough from shrinking, providing a nice base for the rest of my ingredients. Then, I pile on ham, dollops of ricotta cheese, raw broccoli florets, a touch of minced garlic, and finally a handful of shredded mozzarella cheese. For flavor add about a tsp of your favorite dried herb - I used thyme and a sprinkle of salt. Pull the dough up and around your mound of fillings, and secure by folding it under, creating a pouch. Crimp the edges. Brush some melted butter over the top, and season with salt, pepper and dried parsley. Poke a couple of holes in the top so that steam can escape.

Rectangle calzone, unbaked.

Bake in a 450 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until calzone is golden brown. Let cool 5 minutes. Serve with your favorite tomato sauce.

Baked...and ready to eat! YUM!

Tonight I made a family'zone, then served slices alongside a spinach salad. Huge success. Even the kids eat it, because it's like a stuffed pizza. Just look at all the gooey good stuff leaking out.