Nothing would please my children more than to have pizza several nights a week. I suppose most 8- and 10-year-olds would agree.
Pizza every other night would be easy but boring. As a compromise, I try to come up with similar dishes to feed this craving without driving the rest of us at the table to tears.Today's recipe, Ham and Cheese Turnovers with Dipping Sauce, is based on the traditional calzone, which is a stuffed pizza that looks like a turnover. A dipping sauce can be served on the side if you like. Get creative with the fillings -- anything from sauteed mushrooms, broccoli and carrots, or the standard pepperoni and mozzarella. Just be sure not to overstuff the dough or the filling will spill out.
Refrigerated biscuits breeze you through the dough preparation, so these little beauties fly together, start to finish, in 20 minutes.
Menu: Ham and Cheese Turnovers with Dipping Sauce, Green Salad with Bottled Italian Dressing, Seedless Grapes.
HAM AND CHEESE TURNOVERS WITH DIPPING SAUCE
1 cup already-sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 pound thinly sliced Virginia-baked deli ham
1 tube (16 ounces) refrigerated biscuit dough, for 8 extra-large biscuits, such as Pillsbury Grands!
1/4 cup already-shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 cup spaghetti sauce, smooth enough for dipping
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Coarsely chop the mushrooms and place in a microwave-safe container that has a lid. Microwave, covered, at high for 2 minutes, or until mushrooms release their liquid. Meanwhile, coarsely chop the ham and set aside.
3. Using a rolling pin, roll 4 of the biscuits to flatten them to about 4 inches in diameter. Place the flattened biscuits on an ungreased cookie sheet. Drain the mushrooms well. Divide the mushrooms, ham and cheese evenly over each flattened biscuit. Spread the fillings evenly to within 1/2-inch of the biscuit edge.
4. To make the turnover tops, roll out the remaining 4 biscuits to about a 4-inch diameter. Place the tops over the bottoms and press the edges firmly to seal well.
5. Bake until golden brown, about 9 minutes. While the turnovers bake, place the spaghetti sauce in a microwave-safe container. Microwave, covered, at high until heated through, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Remove the biscuits from the oven and serve at once with dipping sauce on the side. Serves 4.
Cook's note: If you are accustomed to baking with reduced-fat refrigerated biscuits, feel free to substitute them. We tested this recipe with Pillsbury Grands! Southern Style refrigerated biscuit dough.
Approximate Values Per Serving: 492 calories (42 percent from fat), 23 g fat (6 g saturated), 31 mg cholesterol, 20 g protein, 52 g carbohydrates, 3 g dietary fiber, 2,072 mg sodium.
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