Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Calzones

I am on the hunt for good freezer meals, with the birth of baby #4 approaching. I realized that Calzones are a great meal that I had forgotten about so I made a big batch and put half in the freezer for later. I also froze half of the sauce so I won't have to worry about that either!

Traditional calzones are stuffed with cheese and sausage or similar meats but I wanted something a little different. These were delicious and I can't wait to pop the rest out of the freezer!

DOUGH

4 cups flour

1 T yeast

1/2 T salt

2 T olive oil

1 1/2 cups water

Add yeast to warm water. Let it begin to foam. in food processor fitted with plastic blade mix flour, salt, oil and yeast mixture. Pulse until dough forms a ball and is smooth and elastic. Put dough aside to rise in a covered bowl for 1 hour. Roll dough into golf ball size balls and let rise for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 450 F.

FILLING

2 cups ricotta

8 ounces mozzarella, shredded

1 cup grated parmesan

1 egg yolk - or whole egg

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 T olive oil plus 2 T for brushing calzones for baking

1 yellow or red pepper cut into small chunks

3/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes

2 cups broccoli, either frozen or fresh that has been cooked

4 slices thick cut ham, diced

While the dough is rising, prepare the filling and the sauce. For filling, mix the cheeses, egg, oregano, salt and pepper. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, heat the oil, then add the peppers and cook for about 3 minutes until they are beginning to soften. Add the garlic, broccoli, ham and dried red pepper flakes and saute for a few minutes. Set aside cheese mixture and vegetable mixture.

Roll each ball of dough into an 8 or 9 inch circle. Fill with a few spoonfuls of cheese and top with a few spoonfuls of veggies, leaving a 1/2 inch border around the edges. Fold dough over and seal, either crimping with your fingers or smashing with a fork.

Brush tops with egg yolk and stick those babies in the oven. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. Serve with sauce 

TO FREEZE: Once the Calzones are formed, wrap in plastic wrap, put them in a ziploc bag and stick them in the freezer! To reheat later, cook at 450 for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

SAUCE

1 T olive oil

28 ounces crushed tomatoes in puree

2 medium crushed garlic cloves

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp sugar

1/2-1 tsp salt (to taste)

1/2 tsp pepper

For sauce, heat oil in a small sauce pan. Add garlic and cook only until fragrant - don't let it brown. Carefully add tomatoes. This will spatter if you add the tomatoes too fast, so guard your clothes and stove. Add oregano and cook for 1 minute. Add sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. continue to cook very slowly to thicken a bit while you finish the calzones.

Raspberry Bread Pudding

I have made this recipe multiple times (after pinning it on Pinterest) and the original recipe is for an army of people - like 20. So I am FINALLY writing down the pared-down recipe I use that serves my family with yummy leftovers for second helpings after the kids go to bed!

Raspberry Bread Pudding

Yield: Serves 6

ingredients:

Cream Mixture:

3/4 loaves aged, white bread, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes (I used french bread)
2 cups heavy cream (or 1 cup cream, 1 cup milk worked great for me!)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Raspberry Filling:

2 1/2 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup apple juice

Vanilla Sauce:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 1/2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoons vanilla
3 T. granulated sugar

directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In large bowl combine cream, sugar, egg and vanilla extract. Add bread cubes to the cream mixture. Mix until all of the bread cubes are well coated. Let sit for 30 minutes so the bread can soak up the cream mixture. Stir every five minutes.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the raspberries, sugar, and apple juice. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.

3. Layer an 8x8 baking dish 3/4 full with bread mixture, pour raspberry filling over bread mixture, spreading evenly, top with remaining bread. Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes, or until bread turns a golden brown.

4. While the bread pudding is baking, make the vanilla sauce. In a medium sauce pan, melt butter and add flour. Stir for about 10 minutes or until the sauce has a nutty aroma, do not brown. Add cream and sugar and boil until mixture is thick, remove from heat and add vanilla extract.

5. Remove bread pudding from oven and cool for 10-15 minutes. Serve warm and top with vanilla sauce.

Adapted from twopeasandtheirpod.com, who adapted it from Kneaders!

Taco Soup

This recipe is super easy and really good.

 

1 lb ground beef, browned and drained

1 onion, chopped with your vidalia chopper (go get one if you don't have one!)

1 qt tomatoes - If you have fresh tomatoes, toss them in a blender, skins on and all. If not, you can use 1 qt tomato juice and 2 c. tomato sauce. (I used fresh tomatoes from my parents garden and probably used closer to a quart and a half of blended tomatoes. We like leftovers around here so I wanted to make it go far. The soup was still really thick and chunky. I could have done even more tomatoes.)

1 package taco seasoning

1 can red kidney beans
2 cups frozen corn
(I added a little garlic salt just for fun)

Add all ingredients into a pot. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Serve with sour cream, cheese, and chips.

Sunshine Pancake Mix

This is my favorite pancake recipe and now it is even better...because it is a mix. It is a family recipe that I am happy to share!


Ingredients:
12 c. flour
4 c. powdered sugar
2 ¼ c. powdered milk
½ c. baking powder
2 T. baking soda
1 ½ t. salt





Mix together and store in large tupperware or ice cream bucket.

Directions:
For every 1½ (to 1¾) cup dry mix add:
2 T. melted butter
1 egg
1 c. water

Mix until just combined.

Calico Beans

This recipe is something my Mom makes and has made for as long as I can remember. I LOVE these beans! They go perfect with a bbq.

Calico Beans

Brown together:
1/2-1 lb bacon - I cut the bacon into 1 inch slices and cook it separately from the beef and then add it to the beef and onion once the beef is all browned)
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion chopped

Add:
1 can pork and beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can navy lima beans
(This is a really loose recipe, I just pick whatever beans I think look fun and add them to my beans. I usually double {at least} this recipe and give myself a bigger variety of beans)

Sauce:
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. ketchup (or more)
3 tsp. dry mustard
3 T. vinegar

Mix sauce ingredients together well. Add to the beans and meat mixture.

Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours or on low in crock pot all day. (if using a crock pot, slightly drain the beans (except the pork and beans).

This is a really loose recipe, buy any beans that look fun. I usually at least double this recipe and use all sorts of different beans Black beans, pinto beans, large and small kidney beans, etc. Just dump them all in. Canned corn is great in it and so are mushrooms (if you like those nasty things). Don't drain the beans. Leave the lid on for about an hour, then stir and take the lid off for the rest of the time. Bake until it bubbles and some of the water cooks off.

Potato Salad

Yummy! This Potato Salad came from Gary's Mom and I'm not sure where she got it from but it is certainly a family recipe. Gary always said that if the woman he chose to marry could not duplicate this recipe then she really wasn't the one. So, I'll that as a compliment, thank.you.very.much!

Potato Salad
2 1/2 c. cooked potatoes (boiled and then cooled)
4 eggs (I really like more eggs than this, so I add almost double)
1/4 c. chopped onion
1/4 c. chopped sweet pickles (I use the vlasic sweet gherkins)
1/4 c. chopped green pepper

Dressing:
2 T. sugar
1 tsp. mustard
1/2 tsp.celery seed
1 c. salad dressing or miracle whip

Combine it all and if possible refrigerate it for a while before serving.

French Toast Casserole

This was our Christmas morning breakfast...and it was perfect. Prepared the night before. Popped in the oven morning of. Ready to be devoured as soon as presents were open.

Lucky for me I had some homemade Challah bread - - we enjoy eating it with clam chowder on Christmas Eve. You can find the recipe here if you want. It is delicious!

French Toast Casserole

Adapted from Virginia Willis’ “Bon Appetit, Y’all”

In a perfect world, you’ll be able to find brioche or challah for this recipe, but if your world isn’t so perfect, go with what you can get your hands on – French bread, country loaf, Texas toast, even cinnamon-raisin bread.

Serves 8

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar ( I thought this was a lot of brown sugar - you could definitely go with less!)
  
• 1 loaf brioche or challah, sliced 1 1/2 inches thick (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 8 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• Accompaniments: confectioners’ sugar; sorghum, cane or maple syrup

1. Combine the melted butter and brown sugar in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
2. Arrange the bread slices in the dish. (It’s fine if they overlap.)
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Pour the mixture over the bread, and let it soak in.
4. Top the bread slices evenly with the pecans.
5. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 3 to 12 hours.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In the meantime, take the casserole out of the refrigerator, and let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
7. Bake the casserole until it’s browned and set, 30 to 45 minutes. Let it cool slightly on a wire rack. Sift confectioners’ sugar over the casserole, and serve it with sorghum, cane, or maple sugar.

(as found on Ezra Pound Cake.com)