With the big game coming on Sunday, many people are having different types of parties. I have posted different snacks that are good for football parties in previous posts, but this is something I just made this week for dinner but would also be great not just for football parties, but for any party. The basis of the recipe is from Scott Conant of Scarpetta restaurants and Food Network’s Chopped. I found this stromboli recipe on Food Network’s site and altered it a bit to fit what I had on hand. In his recipe, he makes the pizza dough himself. I don’t have the time or space to make dough, so I used store-bought pizza dough and I think it turned out fine, so do what you like best. You could use any pizza dough recipe you have I think and get good results.

Stromboli

1 pound store-bought or homemade pizza dough

2 cups mozzarella cheese

1/2 bunch fresh basil, chopped

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Freshly ground black pepper

4 meatballs, pre-cooked and sliced

2 Italian sausage links, cooked through and sliced

1 small onion, sliced and sautéed until soft

Extra-virgin olive oil

Salt

1/4 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

Tomato sauce, warmed, for dipping

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature. Lightly brush a baking sheet with olive oil. Lightly flour your countertop and the pizza dough and roll the dough to a rectangle.

Place half the cheese, the basil, garlic powder, pepper, meatballs, sausage and onion in the middle of the surface of the dough. Fill two-thirds of the surface, leaving the bottom third and a little of the sides empty. Top with the remaining cheese and salt to taste. Roll the sides of the dough over the filling and then seal the ends and edges with your palms to make a loaf. Transfer to the oiled tray. Rub a little olive oil over the top of the dough. Place the tomatoes, salt and pepper on the top. Cover the tray with plastic and let it sit for 15 minutes to rest.

Place the tray in the oven and bake for a total of 45 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn the pan 180 degrees. Bake another 20 minutes, then turn the pan again and bake the remaining 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cutting board to allow the loaf to cool. Slice and serve with tomato sauce on the side for dipping.

There are dozens of different ways you can go with this recipe. You can fill the stromboli with anything you like really. You can use different meats, vegetables or cheeses depending on what is to your liking. I saw many recipes that use salami, provolone, eggplant, peppers and more, so use whatever you like best.

It can make a nice dinner with a simple salad or will be great for any party that you may have. It is even better as something to bring to party you are going to.

That’s it for today. As I have said, I do have a stockpile of recipes of things I have made recently that I have not had a chance to post, so I hope to get to some of them over the coming days. until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!