Eggplant Parm Calzone

This calzone combines two of my favorite things: eggplant parm and garlic bread.  These are hard to put down…  

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb. bakery dough
• Breaded eggplant slices (approximately 24)
• Approximately 1 cup robust red sauce
• Approximately 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• Approximately 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• Garlic butter
  • 1-2 tbsp butter, melted
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp dried parsley

HOW TO MAKE IT

• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 15 in. x 10 in. rectangle (about 1/4″ thick)
• Place dollops of sauce down the center of the dough, use the back of a spoon to spread it thin
• Next, place a layer of overlapping breaded eggplant slices down the center of the rolled out dough (about 2-3 slices in each row – depending on size)
• Top the breaded eggplant with more sauce, make sure the sauce evenly coats the eggplant
• Sprinkle the cheeses on top of the sauce and repeat until you have three layers of eggplant
• Pull one side of dough over the cheese and then overlap that by pulling the other side of dough over – fold up the ends and pinch to seal closed
• Flip the calzone over and place seam side down on a greased baking sheet (I use Pam with Olive Oil) – brush the calzone with the melted garlic butter
• Bake in the oven at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown
• Let the calzone cool for about 10 minutes (if you can!) and then slice into 1 inch pieces

Faux-coccia

This quick and easy bread is a weeknight staple in our house – it pairs very well with any pasta dish.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb. bakery dough
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic in oil or garlic puree (comes in a jar)
• Dried oregano to taste
• Dried crushed rosemary to taste
• Red pepper flakes to taste
• Parmesan cheese

HOW TO MAKE IT

• On a floured surface, roll your dough out into an organic shape (we’re not making a pizza here, so it doesn’t need to be a circle)
• Transfer the dough onto a greased baking sheet
• Drizzle 1 tsp of olive oil on top of the dough – spread it so it coats the whole surface
• Spread the garlic evenly across the dough
• Sprinkle the oregano, rosemary and red pepper flakes
• Top it off with the Parmesan cheese
• Bake at 350°F for 20-25 mins