#508: Ham and Cheese Calzones

This is another recipe where the title is a bit misleading.  Shouldn't it say something about pepperoni in the title too?? 

Unfortunately I had to make some last minute changes to the recipe because I forgot to get the ricotta cheese at the store this week.  Personally, I think my family enjoyed it more because I left that part out.  Brian was opposed to the ham, so I only put it on half.  He wasn't a huge fan of that side, but I thought it gave the calzone good flavor.  Just make sure you slice your ham very thin (I did!) so it isn't so overpowering. 

If you are serving this as a side dish, or as an accompaniment to something else like soup or a pasta salad, then you probably can get away with making half of this recipe.  If this is all you are eating, you'll probably want to make both tubes of pizza crust because you fold the pizza dough in half. 

2 tubes (13.8 ounces each) refrigerated pizza crust

1 cup ricotta cheese (I omitted)

4 to 6 ounces sliced pepperoni

2 cups diced fully cooked ham

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Shredded Parmesan cheese, optional

Dried basil, optional

Spaghetti sauce, warmed (optional)

Unroll one pizza crust onto a greased baking sheet; shape into a 14-in. x 11-in. rectangle. Spread half of the ricotta cheese lengthwise on half of the dough to within 1 in. of the edges.

Sprinkle with half of the pepperoni, ham and mozzarella cheese. Fold dough over filling; press edges firmly to seal. Repeat with remaining crust and filling ingredients.

Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. (I brushed a little olive oil on first and then) Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and basil if desired. Cut into slices. Serve with spaghetti sauce if desired.