Super Easy (and Delicious) Stromboli

My family loves this easy stromboli recipe! I got the recipe from my mom and I've been baking this up for parties and get togethers for the last 4 or 5 years. It's always a hit! This would be a perfect addition to your Super Bowl party line-up, but if you don't want to wait that long to give it a try, then cut the recipe in half and make it for an easy dinner tonight!

To begin, thaw 4 frozen loaves of bread. Let rise until doubled. You may notice from the picture below that mine actually more than doubled this time. I set them out before leaving the house for some errands and I returned later than I expected. If you make the same mistake, no worries...the strombolis still turned out great!

Roll each loaf into a 12 X 15 inch rectangle, then sprinkle with shredded mozzarella. Next arrange ham, pepperoni, salami, and provolone slices over the top. Finally, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and spices. I used garlic powder and Italian seasoning on a couple of the loaves. Then, I ran out of Italian seasoning, so I used oregano, basil, and rosemary. I also sprinkled red pepper flakes on one of the loaves for a spicy version. The beauty of the 'boli is that you can stuff and season them however you like... they're relatively hard to mess up.

Once filled, roll up jelly roll style, tucking in the ends and sealing the seams. Place seam side down on 2 greased cookie sheets, then brush with some beaten egg and sprinkle again with a little Parmesan cheese.

Then bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. I must not have sealed one of them very well because it exploded into the other one during baking. Or maybe this 'boli really like the other one. Kinda cute, really. They were spooning. : )

Let them cool for 5 minutes before slicing.

Then serve em' up! We like to dip ours in pizza sauce. Kids and adults alike love this recipe. My daughters call it pizza bread.

Easy Stromboli

4 loaves frozen white bread, thawed
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 lb. shaved deli ham
1/2 lb. salami, sliced
1/2 lb. pepperoni, sliced (I like to use sandwich pepperoni)
1/2 lb. provolone, slice thin
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Spices: garlic powder, Italian blend spice, oregano, basil, parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes. (Use what you like in the amounts that you like)
1-2 eggs, beaten
additional Parmesan to sprinkle on top

Let bread dough rise until doubled. Roll each into 12 X 15 inch rectangles. Sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella down the center of the bread. Arrange 1/4 of all of the meats and provolone over the mozzarella. Sprinkle with Parmesan and spices. Roll up, jelly roll style, tucking ends and sealing seams. Repeat with remaining loaves of bread and ingredients. Place seam side down on 2 greased baking sheets. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with additional Parmesan. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes, until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with pizza sauce.

Note: I made one loaf spicy this time, adding sliced banana peppers and crushed red pepper to the ingredients. This was the favorite of my husband and I!


One more note: I know that the meal plan has been noticeably absent during the holiday season. I should be back in "the swing of things" by next week. Look for my first meal plan of 2011 then. In the meantime, if you're looking for inspiration, click on "Meal Planning" in my right side bar to view over 90 meal plans from week's past.