Secrets from the Cookie Princess: Broccoli & Ham Pockets

Veggies, cheese and little ham all wrapped up in a crusty breading? Yes, please! Dave loves these things so when he actually contributed something to the weekly meal plan by suggesting them, I was more than happy to oblige. These are delicious and actually not complicated to make. I even made them while camping a few years ago. Cheesy and stuffed to the gills, these pockets are kind of like a stromboli or calzone, and mighty delicious. I serve them with marinara sauce for dipping (try the sauce from the Pepperoni Pizza Ring) and they are perfectly filling for dinner or lunch.

This a recipe from some random recipe card I got in the mail for some reason or another from a company trying to get me to buy a bunch of cooking stuff because they wooed me with free recipes. Needless to say, I didn't buy the stuff, so I'm not actually sure what company sent this. I did adapt the recipe by using whole wheat pizza dough instead of frozen bread dough and adding lean ham for bulk and extra flavor. Made with low-fat cheese, these aren't that bad for you, and are loaded with veggies. You could swap out some of the broccoli for mushrooms or squash for a new twist or use chicken or some other lean meat, but we like these just as they are.

Broccoli & Ham Pockets

Ingredients

olive oil or cooking spray
1 10 ounce package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1 clove garlic, minced
2 jarred roasted red peppers
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
10 ounces or 16 slices lean deli ham
1 16-ounce package whole wheat pizza dough (or your own recipe)
cornmeal for dusting

Spray a medium sized skillet with cooking spray or coat with olive oil. Heat on medium and add minced garlic and chopped broccoli. Cook until garlic is soft and there is no water in the pan from the broccoli (about 5 minutes), stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Roughly chop peppers and place in a medium sized bowl.

Add cheeses, oregano, salt, and pepper, then cooled broccoli. Stir until combined.

Divide dough into 8 pieces. Roll out to about 6 inch circles, using cornmeal to handle dough if it becomes sticky.

Fold two slices of ham onto center of dough (be sure to leave about half inch from the edge). Top with about a half cup of the broccoli-cheese mixture.