Blog Post Series: Creating the Perfect Calzone
Homemade pizza pockets, calzones…or, as I call them, “burn-the-inside-of-your-mouth pizza foldable.” My girls both have birthdays in June every year, and part of our birthday tradition is to have them come up with their birthday dinner ideas for the night. I cook the meal, and we all enjoy the eclectic requests. I remember one year when our now 15-year-old daughter was four and asked for hot soup on a 95-degree day. We obliged and sweated through that meal. No one asked for seconds. Mia, who turned twelve this year, asked for calzones, stuffing, green bean casserole, and cranberry sauce. I make a mean pizza but don’t delve into the calzone arena too often. However, I thought of making the usual dough, flattening it out, letting it rise, and creating a pocket. Or, apply a generous amount of sauce on one half of the dough, fold it over, and cinch it together. It shouldn’t be too hard, and it wasn’t. She wanted a Hawaiian with sweet pasta sauce. So below is the calzone; remember to wash it with egg or olive oil once it’s ready to go in the oven. It will help with the golden brown look.
The challenge was enthusiastically accepted.
Ingredient List:
For the Hawaiian Calzone:
- Pizza dough: To wrap this tropical wonder.
- Ham: Diced and delicious.
- Pineapple chunks: Sweet and tangy.
- Plant-based Mozzarella cheese: Every calzone needs a cheesy core, even if the core is non-dairy cheese. I mean, we’re not savages.
- Pizza sauce: To keep things classic but with a twist, add two tablespoons of pineapple juice to sweeten the flavor of your sauce.
For the Sides:
- Stuffing: Straight from the box (we’re keeping it real).
- Green Bean Casserole: Creamy and topped with fried onions.
- Cranberry Sauce: Jiggly, ribbed, and canned, as nature intended.
The Preparation:
- Tropical Tunes: I set the mood with some island music. Nothing says “Hawaiian calzone,” like ukuleles and ocean waves.
- Rolling the Dough: I rolled out the pizza dough, attempting to keep it circular. It ended up more amoeba-shaped, but it’s all about the taste, right?
- Layering the Aloha: First, a thin layer of pizza sauce was added, followed by a hearty sprinkle of diced ham and pineapple chunks. A generous handful of fake mozzarella cheese topped it off.
- The Fold: Folding the calzone without losing its precious cargo was like trying to catch a greased pig. But with determination (and a lot of luck), I sealed it up and popped it into the oven at 425°F for 20 minutes.
The Sides:
While the calzone baked, I whipped up the sides:
- Stuffing: Out of the box and into the pot. Simplicity at its finest. Stove Top is the favorite in our house.
- Green Bean Casserole: Mix the green beans with cream of celery soup and top it with crispy fried onions. It went into the oven.
- Cranberry Sauce: Sliced perfectly along the ridges. A masterpiece of canned elegance.
The Big Reveal:
When the timer dinged, I pulled out a golden, gooey Hawaiian calzone. It looked (and smelled) like a slice of tropical heaven. The sides were ready, too, adding an air of Thanksgiving to our island feast.
The Taste Test:
We gathered around, and Mia, our fearless birthday girl, took the first bite. Her eyes lit up with joy. The combination of ham, pineapple, and molten lave fake cheese was a hit! The rest of us followed suit, and I have to admit, it was delicious.
As for the sides? They were a strange yet delightful addition. The stuffing was savory, the green bean casserole creamy and crunchy, and the cranberry sauce added a sweet-tart punch. It was like a culinary trip around the world on one plate.
Final Thoughts:
Would I recommend pairing a Hawaiian calzone with stuffing, green bean casserole, and cranberry sauce for a typical dinner? Probably not, but for Mia’s 12th birthday, it was perfect and memorable.
So, next time you’re feeling adventurous or want to surprise your taste buds, try this wacky combination. You might just find a new favorite or have a great story to tell.
Until next time, keep your ovens hot and your pizzas adventurous! So long!