Italian Beef Sausage Stromboli Recipe

Photo: Beef, It’s What’s For Dinner

For a comforting mostly homemade lunch or dinner, stromboli is a great idea, especially when you use ready-made refrigerated dough to get a step ahead on prep. Stromboli is a close relative of the calzone, which is an individual crescent-shaped serving that’s filled with mozzarella and classic pizza toppings—kind of like a folded over large slice of pizza but sealed closed. The stromboli is a larger rectangular dish and makes multiple servings—just slice it and serve warm from the oven. Here, it’s made with a homemade Italian beef sausage, easily whipped up with ground beef then filled with mozzarella cheese, sauce, and some arugula for a healthy, peppery pop. Serve an optional side of marinara for dipping or topping for those who like extra sauce. This could make a great addition to the game-day table, too.

Italian Beef Sausage Stromboli

Makes 4 Servings | Recipe courtesy of Beef, It’s What’s For Dinner

It’s hard to beat the all-star combo of homemade Italian sausage—easily made with ground beef—and melty mozzarella for the filling of this stromboli.

For the Italian-style Beef Sausage
1 pound ground beef (93% lean or leaner)
1 teaspoon fennel seed
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¹/₈-¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

For the Stromboli
1 recipe Italian-Style Beef Sausage (see recipe above)
2 cups pasta sauce
1½ cups sliced button mushrooms
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 (13.8-ounce) can refrigerated whole grain pizza dough
2 cups packed arugula leaves
1¹/₃  cups part-skim mozzarella cheese

1. Make the Italian-Style Beef Sausage: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, mixing lightly but thoroughly.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add sausage mixture and cook 8 to 10 minutes, breaking into ½-inch crumbles and stirring occasionally.
3. Stir pasta sauce, mushrooms, and garlic into sausage mixture. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in arugula and cheese.
4. Heat oven to 400°F.
5. Meanwhile, spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Place pizza dough in pan and press dough into a 15×10-inch rectangle. Spoon sausage filling down center of the rectangle, leaving a 2½-inch border on long sides and ¼-inch border on short sides of dough. Cut dough at 1-inch intervals along each long side just to edge of filling. Alternating sides, fold dough strips halfway over filling at an angle, creating a braided appearance. Pinch short sides of dough together to seal and enclose filling.
6. Bake in preheated oven 20 to 23 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes, then cut crosswise into 8 slices to serve.

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 619, Fat: 25g (Sat: 10g), Cholesterol: 99mg, Sodium: 1497mg, Carb: 53g, Fiber: 11g, Protein: 46g

Hungry for More?

Game-Day Bites: Get in the game with twists on cheesy favorites from easy make-your-own pizza, wings, and artichoke dip to a pumpkin baked brie, and more.