Every so often, we scour the site for cool recipes from our community that we then test, photograph, and feature. Today, Food52er Megan Roberts-Satinsky shares a recipe for her aunt's cheese-stuffed stromboli.
This recipe is a family favorite—it originates with my Aunt Alice, my mom's eldest sister. She makes stromboli for every family event, and taught me the recipe during the weeks I stayed with her family every summer. I made it myself for the first time in high school, but had to call her for the recipe. After that, I never forgot it.
This dish is so successful because it delivers a good salty punch, a bit of spice from the pepperoni, slight sweetness from the ham, creaminess from the cheese, and acid from the dipping sauce.
I'm not sure if it has evolved over time, but Aunt Alice’s trick is to use frozen bread dough for the stromboli. Some grocery stores carry a basic white bread dough, usually 3 or 5 loaves, or you can use pizza dough, instead. Rather than letting the frozen bread rise, roll it out to create a crust for the stromboli. The result is a very thin, malleable dough that encases the goodness inside. Just make sure to let the dough come to room temperature. It is very difficult to get thin enough when chilled.
As for my aunt’s filling, there is some alchemy with combination of the sweetness of the ham, salty meats and cheeses, and the hint of green pepper. I go straight to the deli counter and get everything sliced there. Don't bother with small pieces of pepperoni or salami, you want the sandwich size for this recipe.
My favorite part of the dish is when some of the cheese oozes out of the stromboli, becoming dark and crispy, like a tuille. You can always "forget" to repair dough rips in a few places to get that blistered cheese.
Serve the stromboli piping hot or at room temperature, and (like pizza) it’s just as good the next day. This recipe also freezes beautifully. I do a little assembly line, wrapping them up before the dough rises. You can bake them straight out of the freezer, just add about 10 to 15 extra minutes.
| 1 | package of frozen bread dough (may be 3 or 5 loaves) |
| 1 | pound honey ham (or Virginia baked ham) sliced in the deli and cut into 1 inch strips |
| 1/2 | pound hard salami - sliced thinly in the deli and cut into 1 inch strips |
| 1/3 | pound pepperoni - sliced thinly in the deli and cut into 1 inch strips |
| 3/4 | pound mozzarella - sliced thinly in the deli and cut into 1 inch strips |
| 3/4 | pound provolone - slices thinly in the deli and then cut into 1 inch strips |
| 2 | large green bell peppers, sliced thinly |
| 1 | package of frozen bread dough (may be 3 or 5 loaves) |
| 1 | pound honey ham (or Virginia baked ham) sliced in the deli and cut into 1 inch strips |
| 1/2 | pound hard salami - sliced thinly in the deli and cut into 1 inch strips |
| 1/3 | pound pepperoni - sliced thinly in the deli and cut into 1 inch strips |
| 3/4 | pound mozzarella - sliced thinly in the deli and cut into 1 inch strips |
| 3/4 | pound provolone - slices thinly in the deli and then cut into 1 inch strips |
| 2 | large green bell peppers, sliced thinly |
Do you have a recipe that's been passed down in your family? Or one you want to make sure your future generations make? Let us know in the comments and it might be featured as one of our heirloom recipes!
A New Way to Dinner, co-authored by Food52's founders Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs, is an indispensable playbook for stress-free meal-planning (hint: cook foundational dishes on the weekend and mix and match ‘em through the week).
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