Double Cheese and Salami Calzone

Fun food word fact of the day: did you know calzone means "stocking" or "trouser" in Italian? Maybe because in Italy Santa Claus comes and stuffs your stocking with cheese and salami? Or maybe he stuffs your trousers with them? (If he does, I don't want to know...though I sense a good double entendre joke inherent in that idea.) Regardless, my impression of the calzone is more of a pocket than a stocking. In fact, a calzone is basically a classy version of a Hot Pocket (contradiction in terms?). Or, more likely, a Hot Pocket is the sleazy, microwave version of a calzone. After all, I'm pretty sure the calzone came first. If you've never had one, a calzone is essentially a pizza folded over on itself, making it less messy and more convenient to eat with your hands (speaking of class, right?). If you like pizza, you're sure to like calzones.

Unlike yesterday's apple barley salad recipe, nobody could mistake this double cheese and salami calzone for being healthy...though that didn't stop me from making it twice this week--three times if you count the fact that I made two of them last night. Because OH. MAN. it was crazy good and my family practically inhaled it. Also, it's ridiculously easy to make--even easier than pizza. I let my kids eat it in front of the TV during our family movie night of Disney's Robin Hood and they didn't even get any on the floor! See, I told you it was less messy than pizza! Pizza + less mess = ultimate kid food, though I would happily serve this to dinner guests, as the flavors of goat cheese, salami, and fresh thyme definitely cater to an adult palate. All in all an easy dinner for a weeknight, movie night, or for company!

Double Cheese and Salami Calzone
(Adapted from Epicurious.com)

Ingredients:

1 lb. store-bought refrigerated or homemade whole wheat pizza dough (I always use Trader Joe's)
8 oz. shredded mozzarella
3.5 oz. soft goat cheese, crumbled
2.5 oz. salami, sliced in half moons
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 1/2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
Extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Remove pizza dough from refrigerator and follow package directions for rising. (Trader Joe's dough rises for 20 minutes.) If using homemade pizza dough, follow recipe directions for rising.

2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

3. Toss mozzarella, goat cheese, salami, garlic, and fresh thyme in a large bowl. 

4. Spread pizza dough in a large rectangle on a greased rimmed baking sheet. Mound filling crosswise on lower half of dough, leaving a 1-inch border on the sides. Fold the empty upper half of the dough over to cover filling. Crimp edges to seal.

5. Bake in preheated oven until puffed and brown, about 18 minutes. Brush with olive oil and cut into 4 pieces.

Serves 4.