Week 52: Loaded White Cheddar Garlic Pasta

I find recipes now and then that just scream "girl." I just don't think that food is gender neutral. I save up these recipes for when Brad takes a fishing or hunting or biking trip or goes to play cards or works late. Barb-only dinners.

Taken from Annie's Eats

Makes 4 servings
Cook time: less than 10 minutes

Note:
Prepare garlic paste, chicken, broccoli, and noodles ahead of time.


8 oz shaped pasta (penne, bowties, or your favorite), cooked to package directions
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
1/4 C roasted garlic paste (made from 2 heads of garlic)
1 1/2 Tbsp flour
1/4 C dry white wine
1 C low-sodium chicken broth
1 C shredded white cheddar cheese
1 pound of broccoli, cut into florets and steamed until crisp-tender
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, grilled and cut into bite size pieces
Salt and pepper, to taste

Ahead of time:
(Takes about 75 minutes to cook, cool, and mash.) Make roasted garlic paste. Peel outside papery skin off two heads of garlic, leaving the heads still intact. Slice about a quarter off of the top of each head so that all the cloves are party exposed. Wrap the heads in foil and bake at 350 F for one hour. Remove from the oven and let cool. Once cool enough to tough, squeeze the garlic cloves out of the peels and smash with a fork to make roasted garlic paste.

Just before eating:
(All ingredients take less than 10 minutes to combine)


Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, whisk in the roasted garlic paste and cook just until fragrant, 30-60 seconds.  Whisk the flour into the mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to turn golden brown, 1-2 minutes.  Stir the white wine and broth into the pan.  Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cheddar and stir until melted.  Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

Mix in the broccoli florets and chicken pieces, and cook just until heated through.  Mix in the cooked pasta until evenly coated with the sauce. Serve warm.

My Notes:
This was pretty good. The flavors were great; the garlic wasn't over-powering at all. It really did taste best immediately after cooking, though. It's not a great left-over.

Week 52: Spaghetti Bolognese

I adore pasta and am always searching for a new favorite sauce. I have several favorite bolognese recipes. They each require a mixture of different meats. I was drawn to this one because it only requires beef.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Makes 8 generous servings

1/4 C olive oil
1/4 C butter
1 1/2 C grated carrots
1 large red onion, diced
2 lb ground beef
2 Tbsp dried oregano
2 Tbsp dried basil
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 - 2 C red wine
2 Tbsp Worcestershire
2 cans (28 oz each) whole tomatoes
1 C milk
Salt and pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese, for serving
Favorite pasta noodles, for serving 

Heat oil and melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add grated carrots and onions and cook for a few minutes. Add the ground beef. Cook for a few minutes until brown, gradually stirring it into the carrot mixture.

Add oregano and basil. When the meat is browned and combined with other ingredients, add tomato paste and let it heat. Add garlic and stir to combine.

Add red wine. Stir together. Add Worcestershire and stir. Add canned tomatoes. Finally, pour in milk, stir, and let simmer for 2 hours.

Serve with pasta and a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

My Notes:
This was really greasy. The grease actually cooked to the top of the sauce after the two hours of simmering and was difficult to combine back into the actual finished product. Next time, I might use just the 1/4 C olive oil and skip the butter. Or, maybe I'll just use the butter and skip the olive oil. Skipping the butter sounds like insanity.

Week 51: Chocolate PB Whoopie Pies

I've been looking a a whoopie pie cookbook and pan on Wililams Sonoma and Crate and Barrel for awhile. I finally caved and bought the book. My first experiment was chocolate whoopie pies with peanut butter filling.

Taken from Whoopie Pies by Sarah Billingsley and Amy Treadwell

Check out Bakerella for more information

Makes about 30 cakes (combine to make 15 finished whoopie pies)

Whoopie Pie Ingredients:

1 2/3 C all-purpose flour

2/3 C unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

4 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 Tbsp vegetable shortening

1 C (packed) brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 C milk

Peanut butter Filling Ingredients:

1 1/2 C creamy peanut butter

1 1/2 C (6 Tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature)

1 1/2 C powdered sugar

Directions for Whoopie Pies:

Position rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or Silpat mats.

Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a stand or hand mixer, beat together butter, shortening, and brown sugar on low speed until just combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat for another 2 minutes.

Add half of the flour mixture and half of the milk to the batter and beat on low until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining flour mixture and 1/2 C milk and beat until combined.

Using a spoon, drop about 1 Tbsp of the batter onto one of the prepared baking sheets and repeat, spacing about 2" apart. Bake one sheet at a time for about 10 minutes, or until the pies spring back when pressed gently. 

Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

Directions for Filling:

Using a stand or hand mixer, beat together peanut butter and butter on low speed until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and beat on low to incorporate. Increase speed to medium and beat until the filling is light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.

 

Directions for Assembly:

Match up tops and bottoms based on size and shape. Spread filling on the flat side of one cak using a knife, spoon, or pastry bag. Top it with another cake, flat-side down.

My Notes:

These were fabulous! Brad and I each ate one (or maybe two!). Then, I sent them to work with Brad.

Week 51: Grilled Potatoes

This seemed like kind of a silly thing to need a recipe for - we make foil packets of potatoes on the grill all the time. The results are inconsistent, though. They are often raw or too salty or flavorless. I thought I'd experiment with someone else's proportions for a quick side dish.

Taken from Healthy Cooking, June / July 2010, p. 31
Prep: 15 minutes
Grill: 40 minutes
Makes 8 servings

8 medium potatoes, cut into 1" cubes
1 lrg onions, sliced
2 Tbsp butter, melted
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp pepper
Sour cream, optional

In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Divide mixture between two double thicknesses of heavy-duty foil (about 18" square). Fold foil around mixture and seal tightly.

Grill, covered, over medium heat for 40 - 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender, turning once. Open foil carefully to allow steam to escape.

Serve with sour cream, if desired.

3/4 C (without sour cream) =
230 calories, 3 g fat, 42 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 5 g protein

My notes:
These were great! I wouldn't change a thing.

Week 51: Shrimp Stir Fry

I decided on this meal at 6:00 on a Wednesday night. I needed to purchase all the ingredients. They cost about $18. Even with the trip to the grocery store, this dinner was on the table by 7:00.

Can't beat that.

Taken from: Pioneer Woman Cooks
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: less than 10 minutes
4 servings

1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
12 whole raw jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed
Juice of 1 lemon
3 whole zucchini, sliced on a diagonal
2 ears corn, kernels sliced off
1/2 C grape tomatoes, halved
Salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh Basil, chopped (to taste)

Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic. When oil/butter is hot, add shrimp and lemon juice; cook shrimp 3 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.

In the same skillet, add zucchini slices in a single layer and cook for several minutes, tossing once. Scoot the zucchini to the edges of the pan, then add corn kernels to the middle of the pan. Cook zucchini and corn mixture to desired doneness. Add grape tomatoes, salt, and pepper, and toss around, then add shrimp. Cook for an additional 30 seconds, then remove from heat. Serve on a big platter.

My Notes:
I struggled with what to serve this with. I decided on pita bread. It was sort of fun to just scoop up the stir fry. It could have actually been a fork-free dinner.


Also, I went with extra jumbo big shrimp (16 - 20 per pound). The size was a little overwhelming, and I actually needed to cut the shrimp before eating them. Next time, I think I'd use about 1/2 pound of smaller shrimp (maybe 31 - 35 per pound).

One last thought - I let this cool slightly before eating it, not cold - just cool.

Week 51: Crock-pot Beef Roast

I know. It's summer. This is totally not a summer meal. I wanted some comfort food, though, and this is a comfort food meal that did not require turning on the oven.

Taken from Natalie (Perrys' Plate) on Tasty Kitchen

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 8 hours

Servings: 6

1 whole beef roast (1 1/2 to 2 lb)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 C beef broth

1/4 C soy sauce

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Place roast (thawed or frozen) in a 2.5 to 4 qt. slow cooker, and season with salt and pepper. Add remaining ingredients (except the lemon juice) over the beef. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

Sprinkle with lemon juice, shred into large chunks, and remove from the slow cooker. Serve beef and juices over mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles.

My Notes:
This turned out great. It was super-easy and very tasty.

Week 50: Berry-Marshmallow Trifle

I chose this because I needed a fun, quick, and easy summer dessert.

Taken from Healthy Cooking, August / September 2010 (p. 28)
Prep time: 25 minutes
Yield: 10 servings

 1 3/4 C cold skim milk
1 pkg (1 oz) sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix
1 carton (8 oz) frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed
1 loaf (10 3/4 oz) frozen reduced fat pound cake, thawed, and cut into 1" cubes
3 C fresh strawberries, halved
2 C miniature marshmallows
3 Tbsp sliced almonds

Whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until softened. Fold in whipped topping; set aside.

Layer ingredients. Begin with cake cubes. Add pudding mixture followed by strawberries and marshmallows. Repeat until the dish is full. Top with sliced almonds. Chill until serving.

My Notes:
This would fill a 3-quarter trifle bowl. I do not have a trifle bowl. Instead, I used the adorable dishes you can see in the picture (from Fishs Eddy). I made them just a little too full, though. Not only were they over-flowing, but they had way too much dessert for one serving. They did keep really well in the fridge, though.

I would like to try this with my own pound cake - maybe something like a lemon pound cake.

Week 50: Stuffed Zucchini

Zucchini is my favorite summer vegetable. This meal started with a recipe from Cooking Light. I bought all the ingredients and was ready to go. . . until I found a similar recipe on Annie's Eats. I ended up combining the two to make the meal below.

Makes 5 - 6 servings
Prep time: 40 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes

5 zucchini (each about 6" long) OR 3 zucchini (each about 12" long)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 C onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 C mushrooms, chopped
1 (10 oz) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 lb ground beef
1/4 C dry white wine
2 -3 tomatoes seeded and diced OR 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1/4 C chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
3/4 C shredded Parmesan cheese
3.5 oz feta
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Cut zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out insides, leaving a shell about 1/4" thick. Reserve and chop about half of the zucchini insides.

 Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onions and garlic until tender, about 4 - 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, reserved zucchini, and spinach. Saute until the mushrooms are tender, about 4 - 5 minutes. Dump into a bowl and set aside.

In the same skillet, cook and crumble ground beef over medium-high heat. Drain any accumulated fat and/or liquid. When beef is browned, stir in vegetable mixture. Add wine to the pan along with tomatoes, basil, and rosemary. Cook for several minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Once the meat mixture cools, add the cheese, egg, salt, and pepper. Fill zucchinis with the mixture. Place in a 9 x 13" glass baking dish with 1/4" water in the bottom. Bake uncovered for 35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan and serve immediately.

My Notes:
I will make this again! The flavor was fabulous, and it was very filling. You could easily replace the ground beef with a meat-substitute crumble or couscous to make a vegetarian dish.

Week 50: Gazpacho

I have never eaten cold soup. This recipe was a total experiment. It was time and dish intensive, and it was complete perfection! The texture of the soup was amazingly smooth and the flavor was great, a lot more complex than just a tomato soup. I will definitely make this again.

Taken from Cook's Illustrated, July and August 2010 (p. 10)
Serves 4 to 6
Active Prep: 20 minutes
Inactive Prep: 60 minutes
Active Prep: 20 minutes
Inactive Prep: 2 hours - Overnight

3 lb (about 6 medium) ripe tomatoes, cored
1 small cucumber, peeled, halved, and seeded
1 medium green bell pepper, halved, cored, and seeded
1 small red onion, peeled and halved
2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and quartered
1 small serrano chile, stemmed and halved lengthwise
Kosher salt
1 slice white sandwich bread, crust removed, torn into 1" pieces
1/2 C extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
2 Tbsp sherry vinegar, plus extra for serving
2 Tbsp finely minced parsley, chives, or basil leaves
Ground black pepper

Roughly chop 2 pounds of tomatoes, half of cucumber, half of bell pepper, and half of onion and place in large bowl. Add garlic, chile, and 1 1/2 tsp salt; toss until well combined. Set aside.

Cut remaining tomatoes, cucumber, and pepper into 1/4" dice; place vegetables in medium bowl. Mince remianing onion and add to diced vegetables. Toss with 1/2 tsp salt and transfer to fine-mesh strainer set over medium bowl. Set aside 1 hour.

Transfer drained diced vegetables to medium bowl and set aside. Add bread pieces to exuded liquid (there should be about 1/4 C) and soak 1 minute. Add soaked bread and any remaining liquid to roughly chopped vegetables and toss thoroughly to combine.

Transfer half of the vegetable-bread mixture to blender and process 30 seconds. With blender running, slowly drizzle 1/4 C olive oil and continue to blend until completely smooth, about 2 minutes. Strain soup through fine-mesh strainer into large bowl, using back of ladle or rubber spatula to press soup through strainer. Discard seeds, tomato skins, and other solids. Repeat with remaining vegetable bread mixture and 1/4 C olive oil.

Stir vinegar, minced herb, and half of diced vegetables into soup and season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours to chill completely and develop flavors. Serve, passing remaining diced vegetables, olive oil, sherry vinegar, and black pepper separately.

My Notes:
Delicious! I wouldn't change anything about the recipe.

Week 49: Margarita Cupcakes

I was looking for a cupcake that tasted like summer. Margarita cupcakes seemed like the perfect idea. And, it was a perfect idea until I attempted to make the frosting. I felt like I needed several margaritas by the time I finished and cleaned up the mess.

Taken from Annie's Eats

Makes about 24 cupcakes 

Cupcake Ingredients:
3 C all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 C unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 C sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
3 limes, zested and juiced
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 C buttermilk

Frosting Ingredients:
2 C sugar
8 large egg whites
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 C unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
4 Tbsp tequila

For the Cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 325˚ F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir with a fork to blend.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes.  Blend in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Beat in the lime zest, lime juice and vanilla.

With the mixer on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Beat each addition just until incorporated.
Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about 3/4 full.

Bake 20-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  If desired, brush the cooled cakes with tequila to emphasize the true margarita flavor.

Frosting Directions:
To make the frosting, combine the sugar, egg whites, and salt in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water.  Heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture reaches 160° F and the sugar has dissolved.

Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and the mixture has cooled to room temperature, about 8 minutes.

Reduce the speed to medium and add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, adding more once each addition has been incorporated.  If the frosting looks soupy or curdled, continue to beat on medium-high speed until thick and smooth again, about 3-5 minutes more (don’t worry, it will come together, though it may take a long time!)  Stir in the lime juice and tequila and mix until fully incorporated and smooth.

My Notes:
The cake part of the cupcakes were really easy to make and super-tasty. I did drizzle a bit of tequila over the top of each cupcake before frosting. It added to the flavor.


The frosting was when I started to loathe these cupcakes. After lots of careful thinking, I blame step one of the frosting directions. I either over-heated or under-heated the egg and sugar mixture. I need to invest in a candy thermometer. Nevertheless, I tried to recover from my error by really, really beating the frosting. Think 30 minutes on high in the Kitchenaid. I may have actually over-mixed it. It was runny. It seemed like a good idea to add some cream of tartar to try to save it. That didn't work. It seemed like a good idea to harden it in the freezer. That worked - until I started beating it to make it smooth again. I ended up freezing it and then piping it on to the cupcakes as quickly as possible. The cupcakes had to be refrigerated or the frosting would soften and ooze off of the cakes.


It was incredibly frustrating to say the least, but the frosting - no matter how runny - did taste pretty good.

Week 49: Lasagna

Lasagna is a Sunday meal - the kind of meal that feeds us on Sunday night and lasts in the fridge for the entire week. We eat it and eat it and eat it until we dream about lasagna and can't possible eat another slice. I'm sharing this with you today in case you need a good meal for Sunday. This way, you have a couple days to plan ahead.

I always used the recipe on the back of the box until I tried Nicky's recipe. I tried this one just to try something new.

Taken from Pioneer Woman Cooks
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Makes 12 servings

1 1/2 lb ground beef
1 lb spicy turkey sausage
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (14.5 oz each) whole tomatoes
2 cans (6 oz each) tomato paste
2 Tbsp dried parsley
2 Tbsp dried basil
1 tsp salt
3 C lowfat cottage cheese
2 whole eggs, beaten
1/2 C grated (not shredded) Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp salt
1 lb sliced mozzarella cheese
1 package (10 oz) lasagna noodles

In a large skillet or saucepan, combine ground beef, sausage, and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat until browned. Drain the fat. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons parsley, basil, and salt. After adding the tomatoes, the sauce mixture should simmer for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile. . . 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook lasagna according to package directions.

In a medium bowl, mix cottage cheese, beaten eggs, grated Parmesan, 2 more tablespoons parsley, and 1 more teaspoon salt. Stir together well. Set aside.

Once the sauce has finished simmering, assemble the lasagna. Arrange 4 cooked noodles in the bottom of a baking pan, overlapping if necessary. Spoon half the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles. Spread evenly. Cover cottage cheese with a layer of mozzarella cheese. Spoon a little less than half the meat/sauce mixture over the top. Repeat, ending with meat/sauce mixture. Sprinkle top generously with extra Parmesan.

Either freeze, refrigerate for up to two days, or bake immediately: 350-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until top is hot and bubbly.

My Notes:
This was a nice change of pace from our usual lasagna recipe. Next time, I will cut the meat in half; it was a little meaty for my tastes.

Week 49: Chicken Alfredo Pizza

I have a love-hate relationship with the Neelys. Their show is on nightly at a time when I'm around the house and the television. They make many recipes that appeal to me, but their lovey-dovey attitude makes me a little nuts.

Nevertheless, I tried this one out.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Makes 8 servings

1 (3/4 lb) boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1 C heavy cream
1/4 C grated Parmesan
1 (16-oz) ball pizza dough
2 C baby spinach, well washed and dried
1 C grape tomatoes, red and yellow
1 C grated mozzarella
Olive oil, for brushing crust

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Adjust racks to the middle of the oven. Put pizza stone in the oven to preheat while you begin the sauce.

Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant. Add the flour and cook until light blonde in color. Whisk in the cream, reduce the heat to low, and let simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in Parmesan and season lightly with salt and pepper, to taste.

Flour your work surface and roll the pizza dough into a 13-inch diameter. Carefully remove the pizza stone from the oven and put the dough on top. Ladle the sauce to cover the bottom of the pizza. Evenly top with the baby spinach, grape tomatoes, grilled chicken and the mozzarella. Brush the edge of the crust with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Bake the pizza until crisp and golden, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately top with another handful of spinach. Slice and serve.



My Notes:
Due to my own poor planning, this was way more stressful than it needed to be. The pizza dough took two tried because it turned out way too watery the first time. Then, I accidentally bought half-and-half instead of heavy cream. Then, I realized I didn't buy any mozzarella.

All the stress made it tough for me to really enjoy the pizza, but Brad really liked it. Apparently, it is something we will try again. Maybe next time I will buy pre-made Alfredo sauce to save some of the stress.

Week 49: Antipasto Calzone

I'm crazy about the pizza dough recipe I stole from Pioneer Woman and am always looking for fun, new ways to use the dough.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Makes 4 to 6 servings

Taken from Giada De Laurentiis

Pizza dough, 1 ball (13 to 16 oz)

Flour, for dusting
Cornmeal, for dusting
2 C (8 oz) shredded provolone
2 C (8 oz) shredded fontina cheese
4 oz. sliced pepperoni (I used turkey pepperoni)
2 jarred roasted red bell peppers, drained and cut into 1" pieces (about 1 c)
1/4 C coarsely chopped kalamata olives
1/4 C olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 egg beaten
Marina sauce (for serving)

Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.


On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 13-inch diameter circle, about 1/4-inch thick. Transfer the dough to a heavy baking sheet dusted with cornmeal.


In a medium bowl, combine the cheeses, salami, peppers, olives, and 1/4 cup olive oil. Put the cheese mixture on 1 side of the dough leaving a 1-inch border. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the edges of the dough with the beaten egg. Fold the unfilled side of the dough over the filling and using the tines of a fork, press the edges of the dough together to seal. Drizzle with olive oil.

Using a paring knife, cut a 1/2-inch wide slit in the top layer of the dough. Bake until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Cut the calzone into slices and serve with warm marinara sauce.

My Notes:
There were a few moments of cursing involved in this recipe - during the rolling out and transferring the dough to the baking sheet. And, once I piled all the toppings into the calzone, I had to re-roll the other half of the dough before folding it over.

The finished product tasted and looked great!