Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Homemade Calzones

I have this recipe book, Cooking Light Super Fast Supers. There's a recipe that we make quite often because I need super fast in my life. Until the day I become a stay at home mom (next year hopefully - fingers crossed) it'll be slow cooker and super fast meals because I just don't have the time to make a big meal unless it's the weekend.

Back to the recipe, it's really easy and I always try to "skinny" up my recipes by using lean meat, low fat cheese, etc.

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 cup frozen onions or fresh onions, more less depending on your taste (I've used both and doesn't really seem to make a difference unless you want super fast and don't want to chop onions.
1 clove minced garlic, more or less depending on your taste
Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste
1 package refrigerated pizza dough
shredded Italian cheese mix (I use the 4 cheese blend) or plain mozzarella
Olive Oil cooking spray
Marinara sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In skillet brown beef with onions and garlic. Drain liquid and return to burner. Season with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
Unroll pizza dough and cut into four squares.
Spoon meat mixture onto pizza square and top with cheese (however much cheese you want is up to you)
Fold dough corner to corner and press dough together to seal all around (so it looks kind of like a triangle)
Spray tops of dough with the cooking spray.
Bake on pizza stone or cookie sheet at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

While calzones are baking, heat some marinara sauce in pot and add remaining meat (if there's any left over). Heat to a simmer and pour over calzones or put in a small bowl and dunk, whichever you desire.

Here are some variations I've tried:
-I usually buy Pillsbury pizza dough but recently used Trader Joe's whole wheat dough, just made the calzone a little bigger but still yummy!
-Sweet turkey sausage (to die for, much better than the ground beef in my opinion)
-Sauteed some peppers, mushrooms and onions along with the turkey sausage above. This will be my new way to make these calzones.

Just a quick and easy dinner to share. As always if you are watching fat intake like I am I go for less cheese, lean meat and lots of veggies.

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