Superbowl eats - strombolis?

[smilingal]

THinking about serving hero-type things - like strombolis? (I might be using the wrong word) --- has anyone done a party like this? Your ideas and recipes would be greatly appreciated.

[smilingal]

so it's almost here - superbowl - I am ALWAYS so much more excited for the food than the game!

Question - for those that include sausage - is it always the crumbled browned meat - or is it thinly sliced from links and browned? I am thinking that might be difficult and might pull out of the stromboli with a bite that doesn't cut it! :)

[alkapal]

i'd use the thinly sliced, gooood italian sausage -- not crumbles. just don't make the slices too large. somehow, the sliced TASTES different to me. LOL (like shredded chicken in a salad tastes different to me than cubed).

[hyacinthgirl]

We make strombolis for the Superbowl every year, it's tradition (and good to keep something this unhealthy for a once a year treat).
My husband likes meat so I layer mozzarella, ham, provolone, sausage, mozzarella, pepperoni, provolone. I add some mustard powder and oregano on top of the cheese, then fold the dough over. I've never added slits like some people have mentioned and have not had a problem with any explosions. I then use an egg/butter wash over the top and sprinkle with some coarse sea salt. Bake for 45 min.

For mine (or my half), I use the same overlay of mozzarella and provolone, but will usually use spinach and maybe some onion and sauteed mushrooms. Just depends what I have on hand or what caught my eye in the produce aisle.

I serve with homemade marinara sauce on the side for dipping.
As some people have mentioned, it can be messy, what with red sauce and a greasy food item, but no more than nachos and salsa would be, really. I used to line my suede couch with blankets first. Looked like I was making it festive and cozy, but really I was just trying to put down a protective layer.

[Breadcrumbs]

We love stromboli and I've played around w numerous recipes over time. I've landed on one almost identical to this:

http://www.bluebonnetsandbrownies.com...

ETA: I use my favouite locally made sweet Italian fennel sausage and, my own marinara. I always serve extra marinara for folks to pour on top if they wish.

[Nunzio]

My two favorites I like to serve are Pepperoni, Hot Ham, and Provolone. And Broccoli Rabe, Reggiano.

[GraydonCarter]

Stromboli (what's the singular of Stromboli? Strombolum?) with Italian meats and soft cheeses is going to result in a drippy slice. A version with grilled chicken or steak, roasted peppers, mushrooms, and hard cheese is going to be less messy.

[alkapal]

italian meats and cheeses like provolone or mozz won't be drippy. are you talking ricotta, graydon?

[hotoynoodle]

i think some people imagine these as just rolled-up pizzas and they're not, even though the ingredients can be similar.

[GraydonCarter]

Sausage, pepperoni, salami... are all going to release some fats even if pre-cooked. True, the bread soaks much of this up.

Evidence... look at the front of my shirt where I need to wear a bib.

[hyacinthgirl]

They're usually greasy and therefore messy, but isn't that the point of good Superbowl food?

[alkapal]

i have had lovely, non-"greasy" stromboli as a general rule (i.e., "greasy" in the "drippy" sense). they do get a lot of flavor from the salumi inside, and that inherent fattiness from the salumi and cheese keeps the sense of the filling as "moist" but not drippy.

maybe i've just been lucky.

[hyacinthgirl]

For me it's usually just been a question of how long you allow it to cool. We usually can't wait as it comes out of the oven and that cheesy, meaty burn your mouth piece tends to be a bit greasy. Not overly so, like a slice of pizza with that extra little flair of oil on top, but I still wouldn't rub one on my face... or silk top.

[alkapal]

HMM… pizza grease facial? Ha!

Before I learned better, I always seemed to end up in an Italian place in a white blouse! No matter how careful one is, those little pasta flicks of sauce will nail a pristine piece of clothing.

[Gio]

GradonCarter, The Story goes: Stromboli was created/named after the movie with Ingrid Bergman titled "Stromboli" which was set on a volcano island (of the same name) off the coast of Sicily. So, the singular of Stromboli is.... Stromboli.

[alkapal]

passionate stromboli! LOL

[Gio]

This thread has prompted me to forgo my usual Superbowl menu and make Stromboli. Haven't had any for a very long time and this will be perfect for us...

[smilingal]

so happy this got so much chatter. I tried an experimental one this evening - I wasn't happy with it. Bought a pizza dough from the pizzeria, and chopped up some frozen meatballs and layered with provolone. Tried that neat looking challah braid. i baked it 400 for 1/2hour. Eh. Dough was too dry - was it that I baked too long? too high? Better dough could be had? Also the braid opened up, didn't use egg wash - but did drizzle evoo.

Also, Gio - how many people would you be serving - and how many would you think you'd make. I was wanting a nice assortment - so maybe 3 or 4 different ones.

[hotoynoodle]

excellent dough is really key, but i think another problem may have been the meatballs. those can be pretty questionable as far as seasoning and flavor goes.

i bake at 400 also, but just til the crust is golden.

you need the egg wash to "seal" the dough. it will act like glue and evoo will not. if the braid opened you were also drying out the filling while it baked.

[smilingal]

the filling wasn't dried out - it was more the dough - thanks for directing me about the egg wash - I will do that in my next effort

[hotoynoodle]

i know that most any old pizza joint will sell you their dough, but i make a special trip to a particular place for this. i buy a bunch and freeze it if i need to.

if i can't get this dough, i don't make this kind of thing and change menu routes. :)

[Gio]

Just my husband and I here smilingal. But I'll probably make two just cuz I can... two small ones. My mother used to make a calzone with anchovies, raisins, mozzarella, broccoli rabe, EVOO, red pepper flakes and I was going to try that combination in one. I'd Love the taste of that.

[rccola]

Now that sounds delicious. I love sweet and salty and spicy together.

[hotoynoodle]

ooh, i love that kind of combo. :)

[smilingal]

that sounds like a great combo!

We are having 8-10 people - smaller for us than usual. Not sure how many I should make. I do need to try another dough,

- i recall once making it with one of those canned rolls - maybe crescent rolls? Any one else ever use this?

[onrushpam]

I did Stromboli again last night, using dough from our local grocery (Publix). It was a 1 lb. dough ball. I cut it in half and made two. I did put a thin stripe of pizza sauce down the middle, then added fresh mozzarella, very thin sliced onions, browned Italian sausage, fresh basil leaves and some grated Asiago (in that order). The last time I made these, I felt I underfilled them. This time, I overdid it and the cheese ran out the sides (I did the braided thing). The braid stayed closed (didn't use egg wash). But, I think I just added too much cheese. Still, they were very good. One was plenty for the two of us (we are not big eaters). DH had half the 2nd one for lunch today and I have half left for my lunch tomorrow.

[smilingal]

i was planning on making them and cutting them into slices - so that people could take maybe a slice of each,

It is great that the braiding stayed closed! Perhaps the open braiding allowed the cheese to run out the sides? Your combo sounded good too! How long did you bake for and what temp?

[onrushpam]

I moved them to a cutting board to cool for a bit, just peeled the run-out cheese off the side, then cut into slices. It was fine, and I lined the pan with parchment, so the run-out cheese didn't make a mess. I think I just put in too much fresh mozzarella. Probably with grated firm moz, or a little less of the fresh, it would've been fine.

I baked on the parchment lined sheet pan at 400F for about 30 minutes (maybe a bit longer).

When I took them out, I brushed the tops with melted butter and minced garlic. That was a really good addition, IMHO.

A half pound of dough really doesn't give you a very big rectangle to work with, even if you roll the dough quite thin. I think next time, I'll try just rolling it up and cut some slits in the top.

[hotoynoodle]

all this talk and i pulled one out of the freezer for tonight's pats game (ugh -- maybe it's a bad luck food...)

i used an entire ball of dough from the pizzeria and rolled it very thin. just as an fyi, i got about 12 decent sized pieces from it.

i baked and froze it, then baked in a 400 degree oven for about 35-40 minutes til heated through.

[alkapal]

gio, is that a sicilian set of ingredients, per chance?

[Gio]

It certainly sounds Sicilian, doesn't it. Mother did not come from Sicily but from Trieste. I think the ingredients were eaten as a separate dish and she thought they'd work in a different setting. She always experimenting in the kitchen. I forgot to say caramelized onions and garlic figured in the mix as well...

[alkapal]

that combination sounds wonderfully delicious!

[Berheenia]

It's gotten me to make one for tomorrow's playoff game. We made one a few months back using TJ's pizza dough and what we had on hand, italian sweet sausage as the meat, and it was really good. Sauce on the side.

[Gio]

Good to know about TJ's dough as I was going to use that having used it in the past. Or Pace's... also really good.

[hotoynoodle]

pace? are you in boston? get haymarket pizza dough. it beats the pants off tj's.

[Gio]

Thanks hotoynoodle... I'll have to try that!

[alliegator]

On the stomboli/calzone differences: it was always my understanding that clazones had ricotta as a primary filling and a stromboli has no ricotta at all. Sauce served on the side for both. Maybe I'm wrong?

[alkapal]

typically cazones have the ricotta, yes. sauce on the side for both, in my experience.

~~~

here is a really pretty "party braid" stromboli" --> so easy, too http://www.beyondkimchee.com/easy-str...

[sgogo]

Funny, the blog Dinner: A Love Story just posted a stromboli recipe today. Looks delish.
http://www.dinneralovestory.com/strom...

[rccola]

And it has sauce in it! Looks yummy.

[hotoynoodle]

having sauce inside makes it no longer a good room temp food and it will get soggy as it sits.

i prefer them without sauce.

[rccola]

That's the point of this site. Sharing different tastes. So you serve them hot. Bake them in shifts. Or don't use sauce.

[hotoynoodle]

am sorry -- i thought it was obvious i was expressing my opinion?

the op has gotten plenty of friendly ideas.

[rccola]

Apologize if I misunderstood. I thought you were saying sauce was never good in them.

[rccola]

Aha! This I forgot! It's been too many years since I had either:

While Calzones are very similar to Stromboli, they are two are distinct dishes. Most people think that it is the ingredients that primarily make up the difference between them. But, in actuality, the ingredients are similar and are either chosen by the chef or the guest ordering the dish.

The principal difference is actually that while Stromboli is served with sauce on the inside of the folded crust, a calzone has the sauce on the side or on top.

[alkapal]

1. calzone is the foldover crescent-shaped crust. typically, the crust is the same thickness as a thin pizza crust. http://www.google.com/search?q=CALZONE&hl=en&client=safari&tbo=d&rls=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=45L5UKaRBfSv0AGtjYDAAw&ved=0CAoQ_AUoAA&biw=1336&bih=682

2. stromboli is rolled, or in a rolled form…using pizza dough, but rolled thinner than calzone or pizza dough. http://www.google.com/search?q=STROMB...

3. you insist sauce is on the inside for one and not for the other. in my experience, sauce is typically on the outside -- even more so with stromboli than for calzone.

as to where any one place locates its sauce, or where you prefer it, i'll cite burger king: "have it your way." no revelation or insight there.

[chowser]

This is what I've always thought, too. But, I thought it might be a RI thing.

[Berheenia]

' I thought it might be a RI thing'

lol my husband says that about me a lot

[melpy]

In Central PA the major difference is a calzone has ricotta but Stromboli never would. Shapes and fillings can vary although it seems most calzones contain ham which I hate and always leave out. Stromboli around here is standardly ham, pepperoni and mozzarella but there are other versions too.

[alliegator]

Well, that's where I developed my calzone=ricotta, stromboli=no ricotta thought below that was confirmed correct. I'm not a big fan or ricotta, so I always went the stromboli route. Most calzones I encountered were like a plump, half moon shape, and strombolis were a plamp rectangle, not jelly rolled.

[hyacinthgirl]

The ricotta in calzone and none in stromboli has always been my experience too and I've eaten it outside of Central PA. The rule seems to hold true.

[alkapal]

rccola, you and this pizzeria "mama gina" website say the exact same thing, word for word! http://mamaginaspizzeria.com/blog/kno...

hmmm…..

are you mama gina?

[rccola]

No--thought it was obvious I was quoting. Egotistically, I thought you'd all know that I'd never capriciously capitalize the first letters in "Stromboli" and "Calzone." But I had forgotten about the difference between the two. I shouldn't have left Italian behind for Thai and Pakistani.

[hyacinthgirl]

I know Kendra (referenced in the blog), I have eaten stromboli with Kendra... there is no sauce in stromboli!
:)
That said, you can put in whatever you want of course, but in all of my experience the sauce is traditionally served on the side.
Traditions are meant to break, I suppose.

[smilingal]

thanks for the intro to that blog - loved the directions for rolling the stromboli! --- bookmarked the blog to read future entries!

[sparky403]

I usually make huge Cubano sandwich for football parties.... I have been curious about trying with PIzza dough you do here.

[rccola]

Sounds great except the Cubano sandwiches I had in Miami were all pressed--maybe the ones you had were different? The pressing seemed to meld the ingredients in a way simply baking wouldn't. And the rolls were very different from pizza dough rolls.

[alkapal]

cubans are pressed, and the dough is quite different….not chewy like pizza dough, with a fine crumb.

but of course, one could do the ingredients of a cuban in a stromboli, like you could do reuben ingredients in a stromboli.

hey…a reuben stromboli! i've seen the recipes online for reuben "roll-ups" and "bread rolls" and every other food permutation -- dips, spreads, casseroles, pizzas, you name it. i love the freedom to experiment with my favorite flavors. reuben egg rolls, y'all?

[alkapal]

this "chicken club brunch ring" is a neat idea: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Ch...

[alkapal]

no kidding, as i went to one of my favorite web spots today, what did i see but reuben egg rolls! look pretty darn good, too! http://myfavoritethings-miranda.blogs...

[smilingal]

alka - how would you think that recipe would adapt to a stromboli?

[alkapal]

smilingal, i'd just really squeeze the kraut dry, so it doesn't sog up the works.

i also think i'd add into that corned beef-kraut mixture a small amount of dry mustard and some grated horseradish…just a bit…for more flavor burst inside the stromboli -- not just from the dipping sauce.

i also might use real gruyere, not american "swiss" for a deeper flavor.

i think i'd use rye pizza dough http://burprecipes.blogspot.com/2009/...
but i'd be happy with regular dough.

finally, i think i'd pulse some caraway seeds in my spice grinder so they are partly broken up, and then sprinkle them over the egg-washed top of the stromboli dough before baking. maybe some sesame seeds too ('cause i love sesame).

i'll bet there are some reuben stromboli recipes already out there for reference, too.
~~~~~
as a context, i note that reubens are my favorite sandwiches. i usually add onto my sandwiches some sharp mustard…and sometimes sliced dill pickle too. but that's me.

[sparky403]

I put my pizza stone and what ever else I can find to weight it down. I also, take out much of the bread inside - I works really well - it's as good as any cuban I have had any where.

I too saw the DDD episode and thought that would be a good approach for the party sando. It wouldn't be a cubano in the purest sense - but I think it might be worth a try.

* on a side note - I was in cuba last year and couldn't find a cubano to save my life (I think florida is the place you find them)

[hotoynoodle]

ok, i don't have a tv. what the what is ddd?

[sparky403]

Sorrry - It's diners, drive in & dives

[Bryan Pepperseed]

While perhaps not "authentic", I like to do braided strombolis with an egg wash on the dough.
https://www.google.com/search?q=braid...

[onrushpam]

I do the braided ones, too. But, mine are never as pretty as those photos you posted.

[rccola]

Challahbolis?

[smilingal]

thanks for the ideas - I think this is what I am going to do this year - along with a big salad. and of course lots of munchy stuff for befores.

[rccola]

Remember that fresh from the oven the filling's very hot--they taste good at room temperature, too. People (men mostly) don't pay attention when watching a game.

[sheilahskitchen]

My family calls them calzones. We use store bought bread dough and stuff them with different types of Italian ham and what ever kind of cheese we have around. Drizzle them with olive oil, sprinkle some hot pepper flakes, seal up,pop on a baking sheet seam seam side donw and bake until it sounds hollow when you tap on it. You can't beat them!! So easy to make and everyone devours them.

[alkapal]

like a pizza folded in half and sealed?

[sheilahskitchen]

Roll your dough out into a rectangle. 6" wide and 12" Long.
Layer your meat and cheese and then fold over and seal so it will end up 3" wide and 12 " long.

[rccola]

yes--leave enough dough (future crust) around the edges before folding so you can seal. More likely to have intact pieces of Italian/other sandwich meat and cheese than pizza is. Sauce like pizza but not too much.

[alkapal]

i don't recall any sauces in mine…

[rccola]

Some put sauce in, like a folded over pizza, some don't. This is sampling from years ago: Philadelphia, New Yawk, New Joisey. Different cultures.

YOU DON'T LIKE SAUCE? DON'T PUT IN.

Sheesh.

[EWSflash]

There's a difference between stromboli and calzones, but I can't remember what it is. Helpful, huh?

Also, like almost all Italian dishes, a dish that ends in 'i' is a plural. A singular ends in an 'o' or the root consonant. For instance, raviolo, calzon, panino vs. ravioli, panini,etc.

I have no idea if the singular for stromboli is strombolo or strombol, however.

Also, FYI, the singular form of tamales is TAMAL. I am not kidding.

[biondanonima]

Very few words in Italian end with a consonant (and those that do are usually borrowed from another language). The dropping of the final vowel in Italian words (calzon, mozzarell, etc.) is an Italian American thing. The singular of stromboli could be either strombolo or strombole, but it's actually not an Italian word, because the food stromboli is an American invention. There is a volcano in Italy called Stromboli, but the accent is on the first syllable (STROM-bo-li).

[alkapal]

i love stromboli. roll it thinner than pizza dough, wrap up your roll, then cut a couple of slits. one place we get them brushes with egg wash and sprinkles with sesame seeds just before baking, and that is a good touch.

i like in mine: mushrooms, onions, pepperoni and sausage with mozzarella or provolone.

[rccola]

Save your furniture: like pizza serve while still warm but after cheese has had opportunity to set a bit. Maybe put covers on the couch. (I've never recovered from the effects of too many guests reacting to a juicy touchdown while eating.)

[LUV_TO_EAT]

+1 Best post/advice...if you have carpeting you have another problem.

If both of those caveats are covered. Serve little bowls of marinara sauce on the side for dipping.

[monavano]

Stromboli is perfect and can be served hot, warm or room temp depending on the filling.
In a similar vein (more appetizer), I did Pillsbury pinwheels over the holidays and people lapped them up.
Subs, hoagies and grinders work too!

[chowser]

Are you thinking of sandwiches w/ french rolls, like heroes? Can you describe them because heroes aren't like stromboli
.

[hotoynoodle]

a stromboli is like a rolled-up calzone. made jelly-roll style. fillings can be anything. the key is excellent pizza dough, either home-made or from a good pizza shop.

recently made some with salami, vinegar peppers and asiago cheese, another batch with caramelized onions, fig jam and goat cheese and some with sauteed mushrooms and ricotta. anything good on pizza works inside these.

you can make them ahead and freeze them too.

yes, good party food. :)

[alliegator]

I love stromboli and think it's a great idea for a party. Very easy to make and just slice 'em up and people can take what they want!
Love the fig jam idea, btw.

[sr44]

Can you say something about how thinly to roll the dough and how much to fill them? I'd be afraid of a doughy, gloppy center. Thanks.

[hotoynoodle]

i roll it thinly, thinner than i normally would for pizza, but not so thin that you see through it. i don 't put anything too gloppy in there and don't overfill it. just like any other stuffed thingie it can split as it bakes because of the heat expanding the air inside the pastry.

[sr44]

I don't know which is worse, not baking through or bursting.

[Cathy]

It's steam that makes it split. The steam comes from cheese.

I make stuffed bread rolls with meat only or a lot of meat and very little cheese, spreading a layer of egg on the dough first, sometimes sprinkling a herb mix onto the egg then putting the meat on, crimping to seal and placing the seam side down on the baking sheet.

{I used a one pound frozen bread dough for the pepperoni roll in these photos.}

[alkapal]

seems your bread dough is different from stromboli's pizza dough.

[LUV_TO_EAT]

Having just rewatched DDD - Four Kegs Pub segment again, they guy actually didn't roll the doll, rather he just pressed it out (not thin, somewhat thick actually). He doesn't roll it up (like a jelly roll) either, he just folds it over and makes a rectangular Calzone pocket, makes some slits for air and then bakes it off.

[sr44]

That might be a surer approach. Thanks!

[Cathy]

Calzones are usually more cheese than meat filled- that's why the slits; because steam occurs during the baking.

[cheesecake17]

That's how I prepare mine. We like a veggie version with roasted peppers, mozzarella, and sauce. I like pesto, olives, cheese as a filling.

Made minis for a game party and everyone loved them. It's a lot of work, but can be done in advance