I love finding a good recipe that is a total hit. But what I love even more? Making it lean or lower calorie. It's like some sort of master achievement to remake something just as delicious but less guilty. This may be my main food goal in life. I take much pride it in it. So when my sister in law made this amazing stromboli recipe, I was determined to remake a leaner version and I am happy to report it is husband approved!
The original recipe called for pepperoni and ground beef. To keep the spicy and meaty flavors I substituted them with turkey pepperoni and chicken sausage. Have you ever had chicken sausage before? It is all the flavor of real sausage without all the fat. If you want to spice up any type of Italian meal, I highly recommend trying it.
Of course, I couldn't miss an opportunity to add some extra veggies so on went the spinach. Couldn't even taste it. Spinach for the win again. Put it in everything.
So basically this stromboli is like a rolled up pizza minus the tomato sauce. But I am thinking you could make this with all sorts of variations that you would on a pizza. The possibilities are endless and there is something about meat rolled up in dough that is so much more fun than just meat on top of dough. I'm just sayin'.
Roll that baby up and pinch down the edges. It was quite long so I think I may make two smaller ones next time instead of one big one.
It's not the prettiest thing to take a picture of but I promise it sure is good. See that turkey pepperoni...no one will ever know. Fooled again with my fat cutting ways. Mwahahaa.
Lean Pepperoni and Sausage Stromboli (adapted from Taste of Home)
1 refrigerated pizza dough
1 egg
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons of olive oil
1/4 teaspoon each garlic powder, salt, pepper, ground mustard, dried oregano
1/2 pound chicken sausage
1/2 (3.5 ounce) package turkey pepperoni
2 cups spinach
1-1/2 cups of shredded cheese
1/2 small onion, chopped
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out dough into a rectangle (approximately 15x12 inches).
In a small bowl combine eggs, oil, and seasonings. Brush over dough to within 1/2 inch of edges; set remaining egg mixture aside. Layer sausage, pepperoni, cheese, spinach, and onion on dough to within 1/2 inch of edges. Roll up, jelly roll style, beginning with a long side. Seal the edges well.
Place seam side down on greased baking sheets. Brush with remaining egg mixture. Bake 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned. Let stand 5-10 minutes before cutting. Serves 4.
