Shortcut Stromboli

By Chris Lundstrom    I don’t claim to be Italian, but then I don’t claim to be anything other than what I am – part German, part Pennsylvania Dutch, part English and 100 percent American. I’ve never let that stop me when trying a new recipe.     

I love Italian food. I don’t like capers, but anything else is good to me. Well, maybe not anchovies, but who likes those smelly little fish anyway?     

So, I often experiment with recipes for food I’ve had in a restaurant or seen on television that looked like something I want to eat in a restaurant. When I visit my family in Pennsylvania, there are an abundance of authentic Italian restaurants there with some of the basic pizzas, calzones, Stromboli, and spaghetti.             

They are like Italian fast food. They are fabulous.     

One of the few times Larry and I bought takeout food after we were married included a delicious Stromboli we got from a little Italian restaurant in Middletown, Pa. It was so good and I never forgot how much we both enjoyed it.     

Since then, I’ve tasted Stromboli in different parts of the country. They all taste about the same and I finally tried to make one at home. As usual, I adapted the recipe to what ingredients I had on hand and how much effort I wanted to put into it. This shortcut version produces a pretty good Stromboli and it is something I will make again.     

Note: you can make your own dough from scratch. I didn’t feel like it so used Pillsbury pizza dough.

Pretty Good Stromboli

1 roll Pillsbury refrigerated pizza crust dough

1 cup marinara or pizza sauce

1 12 oz. package sliced Italian salami

16 slices pepperoni 8 slices provolone cheese

1 1/4  c. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese     

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll the dough out and stretch it on a piece of parchment paper. Spread it with the pizza/marinara sauce, leaving about two inches from the edges. Top with the salami, provolone cheese, one cup mozzarella cheese, and ending with the pepperoni.     

Roll the dough like a cinnamon roll and pinch the edges to seal. Fold at the seam. Place seam side down on the parchment paper. Brush with beaten egg and cut small slits in the top.     

Sprinkle with remaining 1/4-cup mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with the Italian seasoning.   

 Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top. Serve with warm pizza or marinara sauce.     

You can add other ingredients such as sliced black olives, sautéed mushrooms, sautéed bell peppers and onions, thinly sliced ham, whatever you choose. There are many variations and they are all really good. Chris Lundstrom is just a normal person who loves to cook for her friends and family. Share your recipes and ideas with her at chrislundstrom88@gmail.com.