One-pan meals seem to be the going trend these days. Low maintenance clean-up, easy-to-cook and sometimes fun to make. I am not afraid to admit that I am a fan of these trendsetting one pan meals.
Now most of the time these trendy recipes require you to own a cast iron skillet or simply an oven-friendly sauté pan, large enough to hold the entire recipe. Others simply use a sheet pan, baking your entire meal in the oven and some even use the pasta pot method, depending on what your ingredients are. I prefer to go for the skillet-to-oven technique, finding that method always has the best outcome when it comes to these one pan meals.
Sometimes, if you’re not careful, you can come across an intriguing recipe that has so many steps it might have just been easier to use every pot you own. That’s the thing about experimenting with trendy recipes, you never know what you’re going to get until you try.
So, lucky for you, I’ve made this one pan recipe, Skillet calzone, with never ending success, of course. Not only is the assembly pretty simple with little to no prep, the end result doesn’t last long on the table.
The one tip I have to give is when rolling out the pizza dough try to keep the thickness of the dough as even as possible. Also, don’t fret about how pretty the dough looks when pressing it into the bottom of the pan. No one is going to see it and you’ll only drive yourself crazy trying to get it perfect. Just remember it’s not pie dough. Lastly, this is a recipe that can, of course, use interchangeable ingredients. If you’re a fan of pepperoni, do it up. Or, if you’re into just veggies, then skip the beef. Just keep in mind not to over stuff to ensure even cooking.
Skillet Calzone
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 lb fresh or frozen pizza dough, thawed
3/4 cup marinara sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon + 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
grated Parmesan cheese
chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a 9 to 10 inch cast iron skillet or another oven-safe skillet cook the ground beef, 1 teaspoon of the garlic powder, chopped onion and a pinch of salt over medium-high heat until the meat is browned. Remove from the skillet and strain the excess fat from the meat. Wipe out the skillet and allow to cool slightly.
• On a lightly floured surface divide the pizza dough in half. Roll or stretch one-half into a 12-inch circle, keeping the thickness as even as possible. Lightly grease the skillet with olive oil or pan spray. Press the 12-inch circle of pizza dough along the bottom and the sides of the skillet. Spread with the marinara sauce. Top with the meat mixture, then the mushrooms and peppers, cheese and, lastly, the dried oregano, basil and the remaining garlic powder. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt and fresh ground black pepper.
• Roll the remaining dough into an 11-inch circle, being sure to keep the thickness of the dough even. Place on top of the filling and pinch together the edges of the bottom and top crusts to create a seal. Cut 4, 1-inch slits in the top of the crust to allow ventilation. Brush the top with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
• Bake 25 minutes or until crust is golden and the filling begins to bubble. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and chopped parsley before serving. Serve with additional marinara sauce.
[divider]
Kayleigh Van Vliet Baig was born and raised in Riverhead, where she lives with her husband Tahir and their two dogs.Kayleigh is in her third season as Sous Chef at a private kitchen in Southampton. Not only is she second in command but her main focus is on creating, preparing and executing cold dishes such as salads, hors d’œuvres, appetizers, canapés, pâtés and terrines. Kayleigh has been in the culinary industry for the last 15 years, working her way up in kitchens on the East End. She also is a personal chef.
Look for In the Kitchen with Kayleigh every Saturday on RiverheadLOCAL.com.
Got questions? Recipes? Ideas? [contact-form-7 id=”26578″ title=”Write to Kayleigh”]
