Loaded with tasty meat and cheese, my Ham and Cheese Calzones are a dinner party winner, popular with kids and adults alike!
I love calzone. A cross between a pizza and a pie, it might even be better than a pizza as it seems to be packed with more sauce and delicious ingredients than you can fit on a regular pizza! And my version is no different. I use three types of cheese: ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella, and two types of ham: smoked cubes and prosciutto, plus a good ladle of marinara sauce and a cayenne pepper kick to really pack these folded pizzas with all kinds of yummy tastes.
You can buy premade pizza dough to make the process super easy too!
To make Ham and Cheese Calzones, you will need the following ingredients:
Preheat oven to 500 °F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Divide the dough into 4 equal sections and roll each into a ball. Dust a work surface with flour and roll each of the dough balls out into a circle around 1/4 inch thick.
Lay 2 slices of prosciutto on one side of each disc of dough, leaving a border around the edge.
Divide the ricotta cheese between the discs, spooning it over the prosciutto.
Sprinkle the filling with the cayenne and seasoning.
Add the chopped ham and mozzarella on top of the filling, and drizzle each pile of filling with a little olive oil.
Dampen the edges of the calzone and then fold the half of the dough without any filling on it over the top of the filling, pressing the edges together. Turn the edges up a little (like crimping) so that the calzone are completely sealed.
Sprinkle the cornmeal over the parchment paper on the baking tray and lay the calzones on top. Use the tip of a knife to slice a couple of slits in the top of each calzone (this will allow the steam to escape).
Crack the egg into a small bowl, add a little water and whisk together. Use a pastry brush to brush the calzone all over with the egg wash.
Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the calzone. Make sure there is no cornmeal or parmesan around the calzone on the tray as it will burn during baking.
Bake for 10 minutes until golden brown all over.
Place a pan over a low heat and gently heat the marinara sauce.
Leave the calzone to cool for 15 minutes. Serve with a bowl of the marinara sauce to dip the calzone in.
My Ham and Cheese Calzones are packed with meat and oozing melted cheese, swimming in marinara sauce. What a feast! Give them a try and take a snap so I can see how you get on - just don’t forget to tag #cookmerecipes!
So Delicious! Jeff, thank you!
