Made By Me Monday- My Food Invention

I've been making what I call a Thanksgiving Calzone for many years.  I am not a huge experimenter when it comes to food, but this came out of nowhere and we LOVE it.  I try not to make it too often, lest we get sick of it and then I'll have to cross it off the list of foods I can tolerate.



I took these pictures as I was eating one at lunch, but I wanted to give you the general idea.

I'm slightly freaked out that the one on the left  looks like it's smiling at us!

I would like to use my own pizza dough for this, but this is usually something I think about making as I'm driving home from the gym and I have no time to make the dough, so I use what comes in our deli.  They have pizzza dough in bags, regular or wheat, all ready to put out at room temperature and get going.  These balls of dough are big enough to get 4 calzones out of each one.  We eat 2-3 each and then eat the rest for lunch.

Because I invented this and it hasn't been tested by Martha or Betty Crocker, I have no idea about quantities.  Anything goes, it seems.  I don't think you could screw this up.

So, I give you Sparkling's Thanksgiving Calzones:

2 balls of pizza dough
1/2 lb. deli turkey or real turkey if you are so lucky
1/2 lb swiss cheese (I prefer Alpine Lace because it's not overly sharp)
1 can jellied cranberry sauce (I used whole berry once and it made no difference)

Set pizza dough in a bowl to warm to room temperature and rise a little.  I have been known to use cold dough and beat it up until I can make it work, but it's so much nicer when it's warmer. Roll it into a log, and break off 4 pieces.  Roll out a piece into a circle or something like a circle, fairly thin.  Mine are usually about the size of a dessert plate.

On one half of the circle, place 1-2 slices of cheese first (I like to think it holds everything in place), then 1-2 slices of  turkey and then a generous spoonful of cranberry sauce. Bring the top over and roll up the edges to seal.  You can probably crimp them with a fork but I've never done that.  Poke a few holes so steam can escape.

Do this with as much dough and ingredients as you have.

My dough used to come with cooking directions for pizza and I use those.  415 degrees for about 15 minutes.  I bake them on my pizza stones.   You will know they are done when they are a nice golden brown.

As with the famous Hot Pockets, these things are like molten lava when they come out, even about 20 minutes later, so this is the only caution I have.  That cranberry sauce is ridiculously hot.

Once they are cool enough to eat- watch out!  They will vanish!!

**I truly did invent this.  I did not tweak someone else's recipe.  If you are publishing a cookbook, please contact me and give me credit for this marvelous dish!!  I want to be sure I get all my royalty checks!!**