Before we get into the calzones, let's introduce our featured chef. Aside from being my brother's best friend and college roommate, Chef Ryan is an avid MIHM reader and a frequent face around our house! His favorite things to cook are "a bomb sandwich, delicious breakfasts, and sautéed bowls." And, before we got started he reminded us that "there is no place for a scared chef in the kitchen." Inspiring words as we set out to make calzones for the first time!
So with that in mind we started on calzones using this recipe from Food.com and waited for commands from the chef. (Our featured chef insisted we address him as "Chef" all night...Specifically making my brother call him chef after he assigned Corey to the dishes, ha!) The prep. time for these calzones only took about 15 minutes, but there were 4 of us splitting the work, and then it took about 20 minutes for the calzones to bake in the oven.
Ingredients ready for our chef to review.
Chef Ryan prepped the dough.
Corey browned the lean ground turkey (in place of sausage for a healthier option).
I handled mixing the cheese, sneaking a few taste tests in.
My mom sliced the pepperoni into bite sized pieces and we mixed the meats into the cheese.
After the dough was prepped, the meat was browned and the filling was ready, the rest of us stood back and watched Chef Ryan work his magic.
Adding the filling on top of a layer of pepperoni.
Folding the dough over and using cornmeal to keep it from sticking. This was a new technique for us at MIHM!
After rolling the crust tightly to seal, Chef Ryan coated the top of the calzone with olive oil and sprinkled parmesan cheese and dried oregano on top.
Baking with a few slits in the top of the dough to let steam escape.
My mom heated the marinara sauce for dipping.
Hot and delicious calzones ready to eat!
Calzones served with a fresh garden salad!
The calzones were SO tasty. The inside filling was a mixture of creamy cheese and savory meat, and the crust was cooked to perfection. The calzones were salty, rich and satisfying and we already started to think about all the varieties of calzones we could make in the future. We were all very impressed with Chef Ryan's creation!
A few additional wise words from Chef Ryan:
-Had we added sauce into the filling, we'd be cooking a Stromboli, not a calzone.
-Key tips to a delicious calzone include having a gentle hand with the ingredients, especially the dough; taking time with the ingredients and not rushing through steps; and flouring the board and your hands heavily with flour or cornmeal.
-Always use quality ingredients for quality flavors. (This was Chef Ryan's catchphrase for the evening!)
Inviting Chef Ryan into the MIHM kitchen was the perfect way to kick off the new year of MIHM. His enthusiasm and passion for cooking added so much energy to our evening! His willingness to experiment with the ingredients was refreshing and inspiring! In his own words, "you need to know what you're doing and have passion for cooking to make it fun and express your creative freedom in the kitchen." When I asked Chef Ryan what his favorite thing about cooking was, he said, "experimenting, discovering new things, and trying things he's seen on TV."
We asked Chef Ryan if he would return to MIHM in the future, and if so, what would he make for us?...I mean...what would he teach us how to make? He said he would love to come back and cook some Tri Tip with homemade marinade, mashed garlic sweet potatoes and a seasonal vegetable medley. So yeah, obviously we are bringing Chef Ryan back ASAP!
His final piece of advice was not in English..."mise en place," meaning to put in place, a.k.a. preparing your ingredients and kitchen gear beforehand, makes for a much easier cooking process. Makes sense to us!
Before Chef Ryan wrapped it up for the night, I asked him if there was anything else I should make sure to include in the blog about his delicious calzones. He'd like all our readers to know that he is single and good with kids. ;)
On that note, thanks and see you soon Chef Ryan!
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