14″ Calzone with Ham and Cheese with fresh grated Parmesan and chopped Parsley.
The Best Calzone
Make no mistake about it, I have cracked the code to making the most amazing Calzones and it all starts with this Pizza Dough Recipe. Anyone that has used this dough has raved about it so, you should definitely start with that. This Calzone recipe, however, is a basic guide to teach you how to make the best Calzone through and through. Feel free to add or substitute anything you want for the filling but, I highly recommend that you stick with the Ricotta, the Mozzarella and EVERYTHING else about this recipe, so your Calzone will be amazing, too.
YouTube video for a Large 14″ Calzone with Ham and Cheese by PoorMansGourmet.
Ham and Cheese Calzone Ingredients:
1 Pizza Dough, 14″ pizza 4 pc Ham, thinly sliced 8 oz Mozzarella Cheese, grated 2 tbsp Ricotta Cheese Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste the Ricotta and Mozzarella Cheese.
Egg Wash 1 egg, beaten Kosher Salt and Pepper the outside of the Calzone before baking.
Topping 2 tbsp Olive Oil 1 tsp Italian Seasoning 1 Garlic Clove, chopped 1 pinch Kosher Salt & Pepper
Be sure to follow the instructions in the Calzone video tutorial and bake at 475° Fahrenheit for 7 to 10 minutes or until golden brown, then slice and serve.
Six stacked Breakfast Combo Bar Patties on a small purple plate.
The Best Breakfast Combo Bar
If I’ve never expressed my love for breakfast foods, particularly hot breakfast foods, I can sum it up in a word… GIMMIE! This Breakfast Combo Bar is no exception. What is it? It’s a crispy fried scrambled egg, ham and cheese patty and, if you’ve never tried one before, believe me when I say, they’re amazing. These can’t be purchased by the average consumer, by the way, and you don’t usually find this item on a restaurant menu so, you’re going to have to learn how to make these and try them your self.
One carton of 20 chicken eggs.
Where does it come from
I learned about the Breakfast Combo bars over 25 years, when I attended trade school, and I fell absolutely in love with them. I’ve never seen them served any where else but I have since learned that they are a bulk product, made by Hormel, and they’re only sold to distributors and restaurant supply companies like Sysco; which also explains why my school cafeteria was serving them up in the mornings.
Eggs are the main ingredient in this recipe, mixed with minced ham and cheese so, be sure you’re stalked up to make these because it takes 2 eggs to make 1 Breakfast Bar.
One box of Original Velveeta Cheese.
What Kind of Ham and Cheese
The ingredients in the Hormel recipe says that the cheese in these Breakfast Combo Bars is pasteurized and American so, I chose to go with Velveeta Cheese. You can use what ever you want but, I’m telling you, the Velveeta, in my opinion, is spot on the way I remember these bars tasting. So, it’s something to consider if you prefer real cheese.
Cooked ham and cheese with scrambled eggs.
The Ham I use is just a classic hickory smoked ham that I add to the eggs, chopped, after they’ve cooked. I melt down the Velveeta cheese in a smaller pan with a few tablespoons of whipping cream to make it creamy and easy to poor over the eggs and ham mixture. Then, I mix everything together, remove from the heat and form patties on a cookie sheet.
Eggs, ham and cheese mix formed into patties on a cookie sheet for the freezer.
It’s good to use a non-stick cookie sheet or some non-stick spray that will keep the eggs, ham and cheese mix from sticking, once you’ve made patties. I use an egg pan mold approximately 3″ inches in diameter. The mold is only about one 1/2″ inch so, it makes it easy to press them flat too. The patties must be frozen before they’re battered for frying or they will not sustain their shape. 1 hour, minimum, in the freezer is required to obtain a frozen patty. In fact, I usually keep half of them in the freezer while I’m frying the first batch because they soften quickly and fall apart in the egg wash.
2 canisters of both Seasoned Panko and Bread Crumbs.
Breading and Batter
Once the egg, ham and cheese patties are fully frozen, they can be put through a 3 step breading. First the flour, then the egg wash and the seasoned Panko and bread crumb mix. Each patty only needs to go through these steps once. There’s no need for a second coating, trust me. Now all you need is a half inch of oil, in a hot pan, for frying. Fry at 350° Fahrenheit for approximately 2 minutes, or until golden brown, on each side. Then remove from the heat and let them rest on a rack or paper towels, to remove the grease, and serve.
Breakfast Combo Bar video tutorial by PoorMansGourmet
Breakfast Combo Bar Ingredients: Makes 6
12 eggs, scrambled and pre-cooked with Salt and Pepper to taste 1/2 cup Ham, minced 1/3 cup Velveeta Cheese, melted 2 tbsp Whipping Cream or Milk
1/3 cup flour 2 eggs 3 tbsp water 1/3 cup Bread Crumbs, seasoned 1/2 cup Panko, seasoned
Oil for Frying
Watch and follow all of the instructions in the Breakfast Combo Bar video tutorial.
Grilled Ham & Cheese with Black Forest Ham, Swiss and Mozzarella cheese.
The Best Ham & Cheese
I bet you didn’t think a Ham & Cheese sandwich couldn’t get any better but, I’m telling you, it can and it’s the little things that make all the difference. Really it’s all about personal preference but if you choose the right kind of bread, the right kind of ham and cheese, you can really make something special with just a few other trade secrets that I’m going to show you in this simple little recipe.
Black Forest Ham, thinly sliced from my local deli.
Black Forest Ham & Cheese
When you make a Ham & Cheese sandwich, do you get all serious about what you put in it or do you just quickly throw something together so you can eat? Personally, I’m not a big fan of ham, which is funny considering how much I love, just about anything, pork. I chose Black Forest Ham for this recipe but I think it would be just as good with about anything you decided to use as long as it wasn’t watered down and packed with unnatural alternative preservatives other than curing salt. Just kidding. I could probably make this sandwich with spam and be completely happy with it so, it’s up to you.
Mixed Mozzarella and Swiss Cheese.
Cheese in your Ham & Cheese
There are so many different kinds of Cheese in this world that they have to write books to describe them all. I know that some people like a sharp Ham & Cheese and there are some that like a Swiss. In this recipe I chose to go with Mozzarella, to make it more cheesey, and Swiss cheese for more flavor. I really think the two balance each other out.
Another thing I like to do is season the buttered bread. You can choose white, wheat, rye or even sour dough bread, if you prefer but I highly recommend using an all purpose seasoning, to season the sliced buttered bread, before grilling. All purpose seasonings usually have garlic and onion powders in them and a few earthy herbs as well so, they’re perfect to add more flavor. Technically, it’s now a garlic toast Grilled Ham & Cheese but I’m not too sure that anyone would think to google the name of that sandwich.
