Ham and Cheese Calzones

When I was in high school, we were permitted to leave the school grounds for lunch and I don't know how many times my friends and I would walk to Steve's Pizza (where I also used to work) for their calzones. Funny how that was over  25 years ago and I haven't had these since, let alone make them. We had so much ham left over from Easter that I decided to give these a try since when I mentioned the idea of these, my kids had no idea what they even were...I know right, what kind of mother am I? I did opt for making them on the healthier side using part skim cheeses and baking them instead of deep frying (which is how they used to make them years ago) and they devoured them! I guess I will have to make these again because you can stuff them with just about anything you'd like. :)

Ham and Cheese Calzones
2 lb. Pizza Dough
15oz. Part Skim Ricotta Cheese
1 c. Part Skim Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 c. Ham, chopped 
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1 tsp. Parsley
1 tbsp. Fresh Basil, chopped
Extra Virgin Olive Oil


Cut the dough into four equal parts and place on a flat working surface. Drizzle a small amount of oil onto the dough so that it doesn't stick to the working surface or your hands and stretch out into 8" circles. In a separate bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients. Top each dough with the mixture only filling half of the circle. Fold over the other half of the dough onto the topping and seal by pinching together. Place calzones on a baking sheet and brush on some oil so that it browns nicely. Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Serve by itself or with Marinara Sauce.  Serves 4. 


Enjoy!

Homemade Manicotti

Homemade Manicotti..I LOVE IT! By looking at these steps you're probably already thinking that it's too complicated and you're not even going to try it...big mistake! It REALLY is very easy to make and wouldn't your family love fresh, homemade pasta for dinner? I know mine did. These are so light and fluffy and by using the part skim cheeses, I certainly cut down on the caloric intake as well (though if you're not worried about that sort of thing, by all means use the whole milk products!). 

So here are the steps in stages. Try not to get intimated. The first one or two shells, might need to be tossed until you get the hang of it. The thinner you can get the crepe, the better. Just swirl it around the pan until it forms a nice, round circle. Depending on how high you have your burner, they can take anywhere from 30-60 seconds per crepe so you have to stand there and watch them carefully. 

Step 1: Make the shells
Manicotti Shells
1 c. All Purpose Flour
1 c. Water
4 Eggs
Pinch of Salt

Mix all ingredients together until well blended. Spray a small saute pan (about 8") with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. One at a time, pour just enough batter to coat the bottom of the pan (less than a ladle full) and swirl it around to coat the bottom of the pan in a thin layer. When the edges start to "dry" and pull away from the pan, gently flip it over to cook the other side for another 15-30 seconds. Remove from pan and set aside. Makes 14-16 shells

Step 2: Make the Filling
Manicotti Filling
2-15oz. Containers Part Skim Ricotta Cheese
2 Eggs
1 1/2 c. + 1/2 c. Part Skim Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 c. Pecorino Romano Cheese, grated
2 tbsp. Fresh Basil, chopped
2 tbsp. Parsley (dried or fresh)
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Mix all ingredients together using 1 1/2 c. of the mozzarella cheese, leaving the remaining 1/2 c. to top the manicotti before baking. Makes enough to fill 18 shells(you will probably have some left over). 

Step 3: Heat the sauce
2 c. Marinara Sauce: You can use your favorite, homemade or jar. I prefer the homemade version and you can click on the name for the recipe. 

Step 4: Assemble

This is how it should look prior to topping
with sauce and cheese. 

How to Assemble:
Place 1-2 ladle fulls of sauce in the bottom of a large baking dish in order to coat the bottom of the pan. Lay out one shell then take 2 tbsp. of the cheese mixture and place it in the center of the shell in a 'line'. Fold over one half of the shell, then continue rolling to form a log looking shell. Place the manicotti in the baking dish. Repeat for all shells. Next, top with remaining sauce and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Makes 14 Manicotti Shells.

Approx. Points+=5pts per Completed Manicotti Shell

Enjoy!

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Baked Rigatoni with Meat Sauce

Well, this is not the healthiest thing to eat, but it's what Gabrielle wanted for her birthday dinner last week. I do try to lighten it up a bit by using part skim ricotta and mozzarella, but if you don't care about the extra calories, by all means, use whole milk products! This is such an easy dish to make, especially if you have some sauce in the freezer or if you prefer jar sauce, that will work too. She loved it and it made enough to have lunch the next few days too. This meal also freezes well (prior to baking it in the oven), if you want to make it ahead of time or make extra so that you can just pull it out of the freezer in the morning and bake it on one of those hectic nights.

Baked Rigatoni with Meat Sauce
1lb. 90/10 Ground Beef
4 c. Prepared Marinara Sauce
1lb. Rigatoni Pasta (or you could use ziti)
1-15oz. Part Skim Ricotta Cheese
1 Egg
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1 tbsp. Parsley
1 1/2 c. Shredded Part Skim Mozzarella


Boil water in a large pot and prepare the pasta according to package directions, removing while the pasta is still somewhat firm. Drain and add back into the pot (You don't want to cook it all the way because the sauce and cheese mixture will cook the pasta even further). In a large non-stick frying pan, brown the ground beef and remove excess oil. Add the marinara sauce and let simmer 10 minutes. In a separate bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, egg, garlic powder, salt, pepper, parsley and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Add this mixture along with the meat sauce to the pasta and mix well. Place in an oven safe baking dish, sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and bake at 425 degrees for 20-30 minutes until the cheese has melted and it is heated through. Serves 10.


Points+=11pts. 


Enjoy!