Stromboli Bombs or Mini Calzones
All the great taste of stromboli in a fun-to-make, single-serve pocket. Customize the fillings to taste and enjoy as a crowd-pleasing appetizer or an easy meal. Just add a salad or vegetable of choice!
Ingredients
- Flour, for dusting
- 6 frozen dinner rolls, thawed (see notes for details and options*)
- 1 tablespoon (15g) Dijon mustard (½ teaspoon each)
- 1 egg**
- 1 cup (about 6 ounces) chipped or roughly chopped deli meat (like ham, salami, pepperoni, or a mix; browned Italian sausage works well too)
- 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded provolone, mozzarella, fontina, or Italian blend cheese
- Optional add-ins: ¼ cup diced roasted red pepper (jarred or homemade); 1 tablespoon finely chopped kalamata olives (about 5 olives)
- Optional toppings: a light sprinkle of dried Italian seasoning; garlic powder; grated Parmesan cheese or sesame seeds; and/or flaky or coarse salt and ground pepper
- For serving: Marinara or pizza sauce (jarred or homemade), warmed, for dipping
Instructions
- Helpful hint: For easy transfer later (and quicker cleanup too), roll and assemble the stromboli bombs or mini calzones on a piece of parchment paper. To prevent slipping, I tape the corners of the parchment paper to the counter. Lightly sprinkle your work surface and the rolling pin with flour to prevent sticking. The flour is helpful even when using parchment paper.
- Prep the oven and pan: Preheat the oven to 400˚F and lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray or line it with parchment paper. Alternatively, a pizza stone may be used. Tip: A light sprinkle of cornmeal may be used on the parchment or stone. It will prevent sticking and add a hint of extra texture to the strombolis and calzones once cooked.
- To assemble: In a small bowl beat the egg. Working with 1 dough ball at a time, press the dough into a flat disk and then use a rolling pin to roll it into a 6-inch round with a thickness of about ⅛-inch.
- Spread a thin layer of Dijon over each of the rounds (about ½ teaspoon). Next, layer the meat evenly over the rounds, followed by the cheese, and any optional ingredients, leaving a ½-inch border so you can seal them. (Tip: If you’re making calzones, you can layer the ingredients on one half of the dough round to make folding over easier.)
- For mini calzones: Fold the dough over to form a half moon shape, pressing the edge to seal. Crimp the edge with a fork and place the calzone on the prepared baking sheet.
- For mini-strombolis: To seal mini-strombolis, fold two opposing sides of the dough rounds towards the center and pinch them together. Bring the other two sides in and pinch them to seal, making the seal as flat as you can. Place the mini-strombolis on the prepared baking sheet with the seam sides facing down.
- Prep-ahead tip: At this point, I have covered and refrigerated for up to 4 hours.
- Top and bake: Brush all the mini strombolis or calzones with the egg wash, and then cut 3 slits in the top of each one. Sprinkle with dried Italian seasoning or oregano or sesame seeds, and/or a pinch of coarse salt. A dusting of Parmesan is another option.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden. Serve with warm marinara or pizza sauce for dipping, if desired.
- Storage: Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To reheat, remove the stromboli or calzones from the refrigerator 20-30 minutes before reheating to bring to room temperature. Wrap loosely in foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350℉ oven for 12-15 minutes or until warm.
- To make ahead and freeze: Cool the baked strombolis or calzones completely, and then tightly wrap each one individually in plastic wrap. Transfer to a plastic bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. For most even warming, thaw before reheating.
Video
Notes
*For the dough: I like to use frozen and thawed dinner roll dough because the dough balls are the ideal size for the mini strombolis and calzones. It’s also easy to make as many or few as are needed. Rhode’s is a widely available brand—just make sure to buy the dough, not the frozen but already baked rolls. As an alternative, you could use a 16-ounce loaf of frozen dough or 16-ounces of pizza dough and cut it into 12 equal pieces. You could also adjust the size up, proportionately increasing the amount of filling ingredients and adding a few minutes to the cooking time as needed.
*Need a gluten-free recipe? See the post above the recipe card for specific details.
**If there's an egg allergy, you could brush the tops with melted butter.
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