While we are just in the beginning stages of calving on the ranch, we have been busy preparing for all of the L&D (labor & delivery, gals – we have that on the ranch, too!). One of the things that has been on the to-do list is to build fence.
And it’s kind of a process – but the end result is pretty great! We have to get approval from neighbors, survey the line and drill holes for the large posts, string wire, tamp in t-posts, clip-on the wire to the fence, make gates, made a couple of deadman’s (don’t ask!) – and voila! My husband – the rancher who has really been doing this – probably doesn’t say it is as easy as I made that sound. But he made it in less than a week, so I think he is a rockstar.
Fence is important on ranches to keep our cattle in, or in this case, our neighbor’s cattle out. Also on our ranch is a highway, an interstate and a railroad. All of these need fence to keep our animals in and safe from the cars and trains that go zooming by.
Now that this fence is done, we are ready for the majority of L&D to happen. Bring it on mama cows!
With late nights and early mornings coming, I’ve decide to put together some calzones that pop in the freezer beautifully to heat up later. Here is a fun spin on a traditional calzone – spaghetti filled! Plus is includes lean-ground beef which is a great way to celebrate with for the upcoming May is Beef Month!
{ Spaghetti-Stuffed Calzones }
Ingredients
Pizza Dough:
- 1 1/2 c. “warm – almost hot” water
- 1 Tbs. yeast
- 1 Tbs. sugar
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 3-4 c. flour
Spaghetti filling
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/4 cup diced onion (or 3 tbsp dried chopped onion)
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 can tomato paste
- Basil, oregano and parsley (or Italian seasoning)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 (13.4 oz) package spaghetti noodles
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- 1 can sliced black olives
- 2 tbs butter, melted
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- Extra spaghetti sauce for dipping
Directions
Make pizza dough (or use frozen bread loaf). Measure water into mixing bowl and add the yeast to the warm (almost hot but not too hot) water. Let it dissolve for a couple of minutes (it should form a froth on the surface).
Add the sugar, salt and about 2-3 cups of the flour and whisk together. If you’re using a mixer, put it to no more than about speed 2. At this point your mixture will be smooth and resemble somewhat of a batter more than a dough.
Stir in the remaining flour. Change your whisk out for a large wooden spoon or the kneading attachment on your mixer. Start up your mixer or start up your muscles and mix. Continue to add flour to the dough until it “cleans” itself away from the side of the bowl. This is usually somewhere between 6 – 7 cups.
Knead the dough until smooth and elastic (about 6 minutes).
Let the dough rest for about 10 minutes to rise slightly. Now it’s ready to roll out to make your calzones (or pizza if you’re going to just stick with that).
Now make your spaghetti filling!
Brown the ground beef and with the onion and garlic over medium-high heat.
Cook noodles to al dente, drain.
While the beef and noodles are cooking, add tomatoes to a food processor. Add parsley, basil and oregano (or an Italian seasoning) to your liking – about 1 teaspoon each. Blend until just small chunks of tomato remain. Add tomato paste and mix.
Add meat and tomato sauce to the noodles.
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine melted butter and garlic salt.
Roll out the pizza dough into a rectangle (mine was more circular!) and cut into 4 squares. Brush each square with garlic butter.
Place a heaping spoonful (almost 1/2-2/3 cup) of spaghetti with sauce on one half of each square.
Add ¼ cup of mozzarella cheese and sprinkle on olives. Love these for a salty taste and for more color!
Fold dough over the spaghetti forming a triangle or half-moon shape and seal edges together (press together with a fork or twist together).
Bake for about 20 minutes or until the calzones are golden. Remove from oven and brush with butter. Serve with additional spaghetti sauce.
If you have extra spaghetti & meat mixture, make a great leftover meal by melting mozz cheese on top and adding a few olives!
Spaghetti-Stuffed Calzones
Ingredients
Pizza Dough
- 1 1/2 c. “warm – almost hot” water
- 1 Tbs. yeast
- 1 Tbs. sugar
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 3-4 c. flour
Spaghetti filling
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/4 cup diced onion or 3 tbsp dried chopped onion
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 can tomato paste
- Basil oregano and parsley (or Italian seasoning)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 13.4 oz package spaghetti noodles
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- 1 can sliced black olives
- 2 tbs butter melted
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- Extra spaghetti sauce for dipping
Instructions
- 1. Make pizza dough (or use frozen bread loaf). Measure water into mixing bowl and add the yeast to the warm (almost hot but not too hot) water. Let it dissolve for a couple of minutes (it should form a froth on the surface).
- 2. Add the sugar, salt and about 2-3 cups of the flour and whisk together. If you’re using a mixer, put it to no more than about speed 2. At this point your mixture will be smooth and resemble somewhat of a batter more than a dough.
- 3. Stir in the remaining flour. Change your whisk out for a large wooden spoon or the kneading attachment on your mixer. Start up your mixer or start up your muscles and mix. Continue to add flour to the dough until it “cleans” itself away from the side of the bowl. This is usually somewhere between 6 – 7 cups.
- 4. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic (about 6 minutes).
- 5. Let the dough rest for about 10 minutes to rise slightly. Now it’s ready to roll out to make your calzones (or pizza if you’re going to just stick with that).
Now make your spaghetti filling!
- 1. Brown the ground beef and with the onion and garlic over medium-high heat.
- 2. Cook noodles to al dente, drain.
- 3. While the beef and noodles are cooking, add tomatoes to a food processor. Add parsley, basil and oregano (or an Italian seasoning) to your liking – about 1 teaspoon each. Blend until just small chunks of tomato remain.
- 4. Add tomato paste and mix.
- 5. Add meat and tomato sauce to the noodles.
- 6. Preheat oven to 350.
- 7. Combine melted butter and garlic salt.
- 8. Roll out the pizza dough into a rectangle (mine was more circular!) and cut into 4 squares.
- 9. Brush each square with garlic butter.
- 10. Place a heaping spoonful (almost 1/2-2/3 cup) of spaghetti with sauce on one half of each square.
- 11. Add ¼ cup of mozzarella cheese and sprinkle on olives. Love these for a salty taste and for more color!
- 12. Fold dough over the spaghetti forming a triangle or half-moon shape and seal edges together (press together with a fork or twist together).
- 13. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the calzones are golden. Remove from oven and brush with butter. Serve with additional spaghetti sauce.
- If you have extra spaghetti & meat mixture, make a great leftover meal by melting mozz cheese on top and adding a few olives!