Sneaking Mustard in Ham & Cheese Calzone - Reviews Needed!

[kam]

I am going to try to convince DH to let me make the Ham & Cheese Calzone for dinner tonight! There are only 2 of us, so I will make half a recipe and see how it turns out.

The only hold up is the mustard - he hates mustard - and I am going to sneak it in. Has anyone made this yet and does it have a strong mustard taste? If so, I'll need to cut it back slightly.

Thanks!

 

[babywings76]

Oooh, let us know. I also hate mustard, but wouldn't mind just a smidgen of a bit in something. As long as it's not too powerful. Also, let us know how much of a true Calzone feel it has.

 

[mrshamel3808]

I strongly dislike mustard too, I wonder if someone can make it with and without and see if the difference is significant (like the one without is really bland...).

 

[AnnieBee]

I just made this (well, half a batch - used one crust and rolled it out, then folded it over) today for lunch for me and the kiddos. We all thought it was very yummy. You can taste the mustard, but I didn't think it was too strong. It is Dijon, not yellow/american. I think it does add to the overall flavour, however if you really don't like mustard then I'm sure it would be fine without. The cheese and ham have alot of flavour by themselves.

Notes: I didn't use broccoli as I am out (unusual for me!). I also used mozzerella not swiss as I don't like swiss. And my ham was shaved, chopped roughly, not the thick slice in the recipe! I thought it would be good with the broccoli, or maybe with mushrooms or a little well-squeezed spinach, as long as they wouldn't make it too wet.

It is not like a pizzeria calzone, mainly because the dough is so different to "real" pizza dough, but also the mayo/mustard flavour is different to just using cheese and other "toppings"... It reminded me a bit of a ham and cheese hot pocket!

 

[kam]

OK, we made it tonight.

I made a full batch - thinking we could heat up leftovers for lunches.

1. I did not use onion (I can't eat onion - so I almost always leave it out).
2. I used half the amount of dijon mustard (1 tsp)
3. Everything else to recipe.


DH thought it was OK - but needed something . And I don't think he was thinking that the onion was missing - since we never have onion anyway.

I could taste the mustard and I liked it - but using only half was not overpowering - and DH didn't complain at all about tasting mustard.

My biggest complaint was that I used the rotary grater (not the Mandoline) to shred the cheese. When I mixed the filling - the cheese got all clumpy and would not mix in. It was like I had these huge clumps of cheese floating around the ham and broccoli. For a show, I will definitely shred the cheese with the Mandoline (not so stringy). Though the Rotary Grater was fine to use to grate the cheese on the bottom crust.

In answer to DH saying it needed "something" his only suggestion was pepperoni. (I think he would put pepperoni on everything if he could .)

AnnieBee: I like your idea of mushrooms. But I am still trying to think of something else. Actually, now that I think about it, cooked bacon would probably be good in this.

 

[leftymac]

I haven't seen the recipe, b/c I'm inactive so I didn't get a changeover kit. However, I've noticed that a lot of PC recipes I've made tend to be missing "something". And, what I've noticed is that a lot of them don't have you season meat (especially ground beef recipes) with salt and pepper, and that usually brings out a lot of flavor. Does this one call for salt and pepper? If not, I would add it. Sometimes the simplest things work the best.

 

[kam]

I haven't seen the recipe, b/c I'm inactive so I didn't get a changeover kit. However, I've noticed that a lot of PC recipes I've made tend to be missing "something". And, what I've noticed is that a lot of them don't have you season meat (especially ground beef recipes) with salt and pepper, and that usually brings out a lot of flavor. Does this one call for salt and pepper? If not, I would add it. Sometimes the simplest things work the best.

Ahhh...good idea!! There was no salt or pepper listed in the recipe. But I bet that might help. I will add a little salt & pepper when I heat it up for lunch tomorrow. Thanks for the idea.

 

[leftymac]

Ahhh...good idea!! There was no salt or pepper listed in the recipe. But I bet that might help. I will add a little salt & pepper when I heat it up for lunch tomorrow. Thanks for the idea.

I dunno why our recipes do that. It's a basic fundamental of cooking. Let us know if that makes a difference!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Has anyone (besides Janet and me) noticed that this is the Ham & Broccoli Braid? It's the same ingredients, just made into a calzone instead.

 

[PamperedSD]

I just got my new SB today and saw this recipe. I'm new and just booked my first couple of shows. One of them requested brunch and I thought this would be great to make. I do not have a Mandoline - do you think I could just grade the cheese before the show with a regular grader?

 

[chefann]

Pepper would be good to add, but when using lunchmeat, there's sooooo much salt already. Some Dill Mix would be good, or some garlic. (Just a thought, since I haven't tried this one yet.)

 

[esavvymom]

I just got my new SB today and saw this recipe. I'm new and just booked my first couple of shows. One of them requested brunch and I thought this would be great to make. I do not have a Mandoline - do you think I could just grade the cheese before the show with a regular grader?

I always grate my cheese ahead before a show, because I don't like our cheese graters. I'm old fashioned and stubborn in that area...and still use an old-style Box grater. If you use the mandoline with the slider, it does ok, but the last little chunk just slips right through. I could probably do it if I just held the cheese and ran it across the grater- since that's what I do anyway but with my old Box-Grater. So yes- grate ahead as prep to save time. Do the rest at the show. Or buy bagged cheese already shredded. Most people would probably do that ANYWAY....unless you are highlighting the cost-factor of shredding your own cheese- you can still TALK about our grating products and make them think you used it.Just my two cents....:angel:

 

[PamperedSD]

Thank you Bobbi - your two cents are very helpful!

Any ideas for a second recipe to make with this for a brunch show? I'm trying to come up with a few ideas for the host to choose from. I would like to demo 2 recipies or at least demo this one and bring another one. THANKS.

 

[kam]

I dunno why our recipes do that. It's a basic fundamental of cooking. Let us know if that makes a difference!

Needed a snack and decided to heat a piece up (the crust gets a little soggy in the microwave - but I expected that).

I put a little salt & pepper on and I thought if definitely helped. Especially the fresh ground pepper. I don't know if this will help DH or not - but I know I liked it better. And the salt might not have been necessary - but I have been in "salt mode" the last few days.

Next time I make this, I will crank a little pepper on the filling before covering!

 

[leftymac]

Needed a snack and decided to heat a piece up (the crust gets a little soggy in the microwave - but I expected that).

I put a little salt & pepper on and I thought if definitely helped. Especially the fresh ground pepper. I don't know if this will help DH or not - but I know I liked it better. And the salt might not have been necessary - but I have been in "salt mode" the last few days.

Next time I make this, I will crank a little pepper on the filling before covering!

Next time heat the leftovers on the stone

Glad the pepper helped!

 

[darlinclem]

Thank you Bobbi - your two cents are very helpful!

Any ideas for a second recipe to make with this for a brunch show? I'm trying to come up with a few ideas for the host to choose from. I would like to demo 2 recipies or at least demo this one and bring another one. THANKS.

Many times I buy the bagged cheese and tell everyone about how time saving our recipes are and the bagged cheese just saves that much more time (I intensely dislike the new rotary grater).

For a second recipe I would do the Mini Carrot Cake Cups (which are a new consultant recipe so you should have all the products to make it).

 

[Lisa/ChefBear]

Not to start anything, but have you ever read the ingredients of pre-shredded cheeses?? It's amazing the things they put in there to keep it "fresh".

I'm not saying I don't buy it, sometimes you've got to, but not as much as I used to. I also like how much $ you save by buying brick cheese and shredding or grating yourself.

Again, don't want to start anything, but just wanted to mention especially for people who have to watch ingredients.

Lisa

 

[c00p]

Mixing a little bit of cornstarch or flour with your freshly grated cheese will help to keep it from sticking together so bad.

I haven't tried this recipe yet, but I'm thinking the dill would be awesome WITH garlic too!

 

[PCMomto4]

I always grate my cheese ahead before a show, because I don't like our cheese graters. I'm old fashioned and stubborn in that area...and still use an old-style Box grater.

:

I don't use our graters to grate the cheese either, customers know how they work so they don't need me to show them. I personally don't buy the pre-shredded either because it doesn't taste as good and has other additives in it plus it seems to mold faster. I have a salad shooter that I shredd all of my cheese on, it is wonderful and I can do a 1 lb block in about 15 seconds!

 

[babywings76]

Side note here about the cheese thing...Out here, every time I go shopping I compare the block cheese unit price to the shredded and it's always the same. They also tend to put the shredded cheese on sale more frequently (and the dates are always far away, so it's not that they are just trying to sell them). So I'm never really sure what to say at a show about the whole grating cheese thing. I guess mentioning how fresh tastes better is one thing, and also it doesn't have cellulose or whatever it's called added to it. But for me, the price thing hasn't panned out.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Side note here about the cheese thing...Out here, every time I go shopping I compare the block cheese unit price to the shredded and it's always the same. They also tend to put the shredded cheese on sale more frequently (and the dates are always far away, so it's not that they are just trying to sell them). So I'm never really sure what to say at a show about the whole grating cheese thing. I guess mentioning how fresh tastes better is one thing, and also it doesn't have cellulose or whatever it's called added to it. But for me, the price thing hasn't panned out.

Same here, Amanda. The price is usually the same, and for me, there are more choices for pre-grated cheese. Plus, I get mine at Costco, so it makes it even cheaper! I don't know why pregrated cheese doesn't really bother me. I'm uber-careful about what my family eats, but I almost always buy grated cheese. I think it's because I hate to grate it, and it's just so convenient!At shows - I never even talk about grating cheese - other than hard cheeses like Parm, or Romano.

 

[babywings76]

Same here, Amanda. The price is usually the same, and for me, there are more choices for pre-grated cheese. Plus, I get mine at Costco, so it makes it even cheaper! I don't know why pregrated cheese doesn't really bother me. I'm uber-careful about what my family eats, but I almost always buy grated cheese. I think it's because I hate to grate it, and it's just so convenient!

At shows - I never even talk about grating cheese - other than hard cheeses like Parm, or Romano.

Yeah, at shows I'm all about the microplane adj. grater. I love that baby! Fresh parm is just SOOO good! And makes any pasta dish taste a notch better.

 

[ChefPaulaB]

Wow, that surprises me Becky, I thought you'd be all about shredding yourself. (Of course, I guess I've never checked the actual prices, I thought it was cheaper and always talk about that at shows) I've completely switched to buying the blocks of cheese, I almost feel guilty now when I buy pre-shredded, not sure why, maybe because I always talk it up at my shows. At my last show I sold 6 Rotary Graters! Anyway, I thought that you were the one that gave this tip and I was just getting ready to post asking you about it, but someone said that you can buy the big blocks at Costco or Sam's Club and grate it and then freeze it with a little flour added to it. Was that you and did I remember it correctly? So my question is, do you have to pre-grate it to freeze it or can you just cut it up into hunks and freeze it and grate it later? Or will it be funky when you thaw it out? If it wasn't you that gave the tip does anyone else know? TIA!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Wow, that surprises me Becky, I thought you'd be all about shredding yourself. (Of course, I guess I've never checked the actual prices, I thought it was cheaper and always talk about that at shows) I've completely switched to buying the blocks of cheese, I almost feel guilty now when I buy pre-shredded, not sure why, maybe because I always talk it up at my shows. At my last show I sold 6 Rotary Graters! Anyway, I thought that you were the one that gave this tip and I was just getting ready to post asking you about it, but someone said that you can buy the big blocks at Costco or Sam's Club and grate it and then freeze it with a little flour added to it. Was that you and did I remember it correctly? So my question is, do you have to pre-grate it to freeze it or can you just cut it up into hunks and freeze it and grate it later? Or will it be funky when you thaw it out? If it wasn't you that gave the tip does anyone else know? TIA!

I think it was Ann that gave that tip. It's cornstarch (just a little) that you add to it if you are going to grate it and freeze it.
If you are going to freeze block cheese, I prefer to shred it first. Once it's frozen and thawed, it has a more crumbly texture, and it's much harder to grate, so if you grate it first and then freeze, you have a better quality product in the end.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Yeah, at shows I'm all about the microplane adj. grater. I love that baby! Fresh parm is just SOOO good! And makes any pasta dish taste a notch better.

The tip I always use (I think I heard it first on a workshop audio, several years ago) is that there are three things with cooking that if you aren't using fresh, you are cutting the flavor of your food by at least 50%. Those three things are hard cheeses, citrus juices & rind, and garlic. I ask them "Who here buys their parmesan cheese in a green can? Well, you know how you have to keep shaking that can until you have an inch of cheese on your pasta? That's because there's no flavor to it, and you need that much cheese to get the flavor you are craving! If you grate just a little fresh parm over your pasta (and I show them the little chunk I will be using) you will have a much better flavor, you will be using less calories, and you will actually be saving yourself some money!

 

[ChefPaulaB]

The tip I always use (I think I heard it first on a workshop audio, several years ago) is that there are three things with cooking that if you aren't using fresh, you are cutting the flavor of your food by at least 50%. Those three things are hard cheeses, citrus juices & rind, and garlic. I ask them "Who here buys their parmesan cheese in a green can? Well, you know how you have to keep shaking that can until you have an inch of cheese on your pasta? That's because there's no flavor to it, and you need that much cheese to get the flavor you are craving! If you grate just a little fresh parm over your pasta (and I show them the little chunk I will be using) you will have a much better flavor, you will be using less calories, and you will actually be saving yourself some money!

That's a good one, I never think about the fresh parm unless I'm serving it at a show... I'm surprised by the citrus though, I just squeezed a bunch of lemons into ice cube trays and froze them for later use, are they not going to be as good?

 

[ChefBeckyD]

That's a good one, I never think about the fresh parm unless I'm serving it at a show... I'm surprised by the citrus though, I just squeezed a bunch of lemons into ice cube trays and froze them for later use, are they not going to be as good?

That's good for the lemon - it's when people are using the reconstituted lemon/lime juice that's been heat processed and stored in a little plastic lemon/lime that the flavor changes.:yuck: OR if they are using dried grated citrus peel from a jar....that stuff is bitter nasty!

 

[ChefPaulaB]

That's good for the lemon - it's when people are using the reconstituted lemon/lime juice that's been heat processed and stored in a little plastic lemon/lime that the flavor changes.:yuck: OR if they are using dried grated citrus peel from a jar....that stuff is bitter nasty!

Oh, okay, that makes sense then! Thanks for the tips!

 

[chefann]

I guess mentioning how fresh tastes better is one thing, and also it doesn't have cellulose or whatever it's called added to it. But for me, the price thing hasn't panned out.

Cellulose is just plant fiber, it's not anything bad for you. It gets a bad rap because people confuse it with cellulite, which is that dimply fat on one's thighs and rear. (Not that I mean to imply that anyone in this thread - other than myself - has it.) There was a one-liner in common use a few years back to encourage customers to purchase block cheese and our grater, "I don't want to eat anything that even sounds like cellulite."

I've found, like Becky, that if you watch prices and know them in your local area, that one can get pre-shredded cheese for the same price or less than the blocks. I'd guess that most of my customers buy the pre-shredded for the convenience. So that's what I use at shows. I don't want our recipes (or our job) to alienate people. And then I make a joke about it: As I sprinkle on the cheese I say, "This is where I'm supposed to grate a piece of cheese to show you our grater, but it's a little boring for you to sit there and watch me grate a bunch of cheese. If you prefer to grate your own, we have a couple of fantastic options in our catalog."

 

[babywings76]

Cellulose is just plant fiber, it's not anything bad for you. It gets a bad rap because people confuse it with cellulite, which is that dimply fat on one's thighs and rear. (Not that I mean to imply that anyone in this thread - other than myself - has it.) There was a one-liner in common use a few years back to encourage customers to purchase block cheese and our grater, "I don't want to eat anything that even sounds like cellulite."

I've found, like Becky, that if you watch prices and know them in your local area, that one can get pre-shredded cheese for the same price or less than the blocks. I'd guess that most of my customers buy the pre-shredded for the convenience. So that's what I use at shows. I don't want our recipes (or our job) to alienate people. And then I make a joke about it: As I sprinkle on the cheese I say, "This is where I'm supposed to grate a piece of cheese to show you our grater, but it's a little boring for you to sit there and watch me grate a bunch of cheese. If you prefer to grate your own, we have a couple of fantastic options in our catalog."

Great wording!

 

[pamperedpals]

Has anyone (besides Janet and me) noticed that this is the Ham & Broccoli Braid? It's the same ingredients, just made into a calzone instead.

I was thinking the same thing when I saw the recipe.

 

[janetupnorth]

Has anyone (besides Janet and me) noticed that this is the Ham & Broccoli Braid? It's the same ingredients, just made into a calzone instead.

I was just thinking that AGAIN of course...that was all I could say at conference about it!

Which reminds me...I'm going to look at home tonight of the 2 versions of the Broccoli Ham Ring. The oldest is the the Favorites or Favorites II book and also is the Hostess Special Cookbooks from the early 90's. The newer version that most people know is modified from the original and I always thought never tasted quite as good (but some people liked it better).

 

[janetupnorth]

Here is the one of the Broccoli Ham Ring Recipes to compare:Broccoli Ham Ring4 oz. ham, chopped
4 oz. fresh broccoli, chopped
1/4 C. onion, chopped
1/2 C. fresh parsley, chopped
1 C. grated Swiss cheese (about 170g/6 oz.)
2 T. Dijon-style mustard
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 pkg. (226g/8 oz.) refrigerated crescent rollsPreheat oven 350ºF.Coarsely chop ham, broccoli and onion. Add parsley, cheese, mustard and lemon juice to ham mixture; mix well. Unroll crescent dough separate into 16 triangles. Arrange triangles in a circle on a 13 round baking stone with wide ends of triangles overlapping in the center and points toward the outside. (There should be a 5-inch diameter opening in the center of Stone.)Scoop ham mixture evenly onto widest end of each triangle. Bring outside points of triangles up over filling and tuck under wide ends of dough at center of ring. (Filling will not be completely covered.) Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brownSubstituting Honey Dijon Salad Dressing for the mustard is good too...

 

[janetupnorth]

Based on that cutting the dijon down will definitely cut down flavor!!!!Also, it is missing the flavor of the lemon and parsley. They really do add flavor.I'm going to have to try this one (as is) - follow the rules the first time! Then I'll try it adding lemon and parsley and maybe increasing Dijon and cutting the mayo. I like the original broccoli ham recipe.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Based on that cutting the dijon down will definitely cut down flavor!!!!

Also, it is missing the flavor of the lemon and parsley. They really do add flavor.

I'm going to have to try this one (as is) - follow the rules the first time! Then I'll try it adding lemon and parsley and maybe increasing Dijon and cutting the mayo. I like the original broccoli ham recipe.

Adding the lemon and parsley would give it a nice fresh flavor.

 

[AnnieBee]

Adding the lemon and parsley would give it a nice fresh flavor.

But would make it less pizza/calzoney, if you know what I mean... It depends on what kind of flavour you're looking for, I think... I also think that the amount of dijon in Janet's recipe would be way too much it as a "calzone". Does that make sense?

 

[ChefBeckyD]

But would make it less pizza/calzoney, if you know what I mean... It depends on what kind of flavour you're looking for, I think... I also think that the amount of dijon in Janet's recipe would be way too much it as a "calzone". Does that make sense?

I guess looking at the recipe, it doesn't seem like calzone to me to begin with. When I look at it, all I see is the Ham & Broccoli Braid/Ring. Calzone, to me, is much more "Italianish" than ham, broccoli, and Swiss cheese. (I want to be able to dip my calzone in tomato sauce!) I think that calling it a "calzone" is more referring to the baking style than the ingredients.

 

[niclowther]

I guess looking at the recipe, it doesn't seem like calzone to me to begin with. When I look at it, all I see is the Ham & Broccoli Braid/Ring. Calzone, to me, is much more "Italianish" than ham, broccoli, and Swiss cheese. (I want to be able to dip my calzone in tomato sauce!) I think that calling it a "calzone" is more referring to the baking style than the ingredients.

My husband and I make calzones all the time b/c I love them. You can't get good Italian food where I live and I miss it (I'm from NJ). I put moz, garlic, ricotta, parm, and spinach in mine (I'm not a meat eater), but my husband will put meat in his and dip his in spagetti sauce as well.

I'm not sure we would like the mustard or swiss. I think good mozzerella and parm add a lot of flavor! But then again I am a cheese eater!

 

[AnnieBee]

I guess looking at the recipe, it doesn't seem like calzone to me to begin with. When I look at it, all I see is the Ham & Broccoli Braid/Ring. Calzone, to me, is much more "Italianish" than ham, broccoli, and Swiss cheese. (I want to be able to dip my calzone in tomato sauce!) I think that calling it a "calzone" is more referring to the baking style than the ingredients.

Ah, but I made mine with mozzarella and no broccoli, LOL! *Much* more italianish, . I wish I had thought of tom sauce to dip it in!

Although, I agree, it still wasn't really calzone-y to me - just the mayo and mustard change the filling so much, I really thought it tasted like a hot pocket.

 

[Saturday Gourmet]

It sounds more like a hot pocket than a calzone.

When I do calzones, I use ricotta and mozzarella. Also, to give a little more flavor, maybe try oregano or some sweet basil.