stove top

How to: Make Calzones Without Turning on the Oven

By in How-to's, Main Dish 4 Comments Tags: , , , , ,

How to: Make Calzones Without Turning on the Oven

The other day while my husband was away on business I had some leftover pita pockets to be used up and I was craving pizza. So I decided to stuff them full of pizza toppings and toast them in a pan until the cheese inside was melted and gooey. When I took my first bite I realized that I had stumbled onto something wonderful. They tasted exactly like Calzones, fresh from the oven, and all I did was turn on my stove top.

When making these I think the key to getting that Calzone-y taste is to use homemade pita pockets. They have way better flavour then the prepackaged ones from a store and when you serve them warm, stuffed with pizza toppings, they taste an awful lot like pizza dough.. just not gooey (bonus!). You can make a bunch of pita pockets on a rainy day and store them in the freezer. They”re great for picnics too!

Change it Up

I think it would also be great to do these on the grill, giving them that extra smokey flavour. Or, make stove top pizza pops by using mini pitas.

Get creative and stuff these with your favourite Calzone fillings. These ones were made with my Deluxe Pizza Pop filling because those were the ingredients I had on hand at the time. There are so many more variations that I would like to try.

While making homemade Calzones from scratch is a lot of fun – in the summer we”re on the lookout for quick, simple meals that don”t heat up the house. And, this one certainly fits the bill.

What recipes do you like to convert to the stove top for summer?

Stove Top Calzones

  1. Preheat a large non-stick pan over medium. Stuff the pitas with filling and place in pan. Cook for 10 minutes on each side until filling is melted and pita is golden. Serve immediately.

* If you have a large enough lid you can cover the pan to help the filling heat through faster.

* If you stuff them very full the filling may have trouble heating all the way through (if not covered). If you have this problem simply zap them in the microwave for 10 or so seconds to finish them off. The crust won”t get soggy as long as you don”t microwave it for too long.

Cheesy Stove Top Scalloped Potatoes

By in Easter, Sides, Smithfield 3 Comments Tags: , , , ,

cheesy-scalloped-potatoes
Happy Easter! How’s everyones Easter planning coming along? Things are going to be very quiet for us again this year. In Norway everyone gets off Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. Even the grocery stores are closed so any last minute shopping will have to be done on Saturday. The whole city get’s very quiet over the weekend because many people head up to their cabins in the mountains for one last skiing holiday.

I still haven’t planned an Easter menu and I’m trying to decide if it’s worth it for just my little family or if we’ll have something a little less traditional. But, I did have fun making these scalloped potatoes and dreaming of my family back home gathered around the table with the smell of cooked ham wafting through the air. Mmmm..

“My apartment has a teeny tiny kitchen and in that kitchen is an even teenier tinier oven. It’s a good thing the apartment is small over all because cooking for a crowd is nearly impossible. That’s why on special occasions, such as Easter, I have to be very particular about the side dishes I make because if I’ve got a ham in the oven there is absolutely no room for anything else. So, pretty much anything that needs to be baked in the oven for a long period of time is out of the question.”
 
Read more and get the recipe on Smithfield.com.
These just might make it back onto our Easter menu because not only are they delicious they can be made to feed as little as four people. Meaning there won’t be excessive amounts of leftovers. Yay!

What’s on your menu this year?

Update: The post is no longer active on Smithfield. But, I don’t want you to miss out so here’s the recipe!

Cheesy Stove Top Scalloped Potatoes

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • pepper to taste
  • 1.5 cup shredded cheese, divided
  • 1.5 pounds potatoes, thinly sliced

Instructions

Melt butter in a small non-stick skillet. Add flour. Cook and stir for one minute. Slowly pour in chicken broth, mixing well after each addition. Bring to a boil. Stir in 1 cup of cheese until blended. Add potatoes. Toss to coat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until a fork inserted into the potatoes is easily removed. Top with cheese and simmer uncovered for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Sauce will thicken as it cools.

Serves: 4

Tips:

* A crust will develop along the bottom of the skillet, but that’s my favorite part. It will come off easily if you are using a non-stick skillet.

* If you want a caramelized top you can stick it under the broiler for a couple of minutes (if the handle is oven proof).

* Feel free to cook some onion and garlic in the butter before adding the flour for added flavor. Or add you favorite herbs and spices to the sauce.