Easter is a time for re-birth and new beginnings. Spring is here for the most part and life begins to move outdoors…finally. When I was growing up, Easter was a special time that was steeped in religious as well as food traditions. Lent ended and with it all the fasting, abstaining and giving things up. To say there was a food frenzy may be a bit of an overstatement, but it was definitely a time for enjoying eating.
I loved the Calzone. We sometimes called it Easter Pie and it was baked on Holy Saturday, not to be eaten until after Easter Sunday mass. It was filled with ricotta and sausage, with egg in every delicious bite. My mother and my aunt both made it and I couldn’t wait for Easter morning to have it. If I timed it right, I could have my mom’s and then go upstairs and have my aunt’s, too. They each had their own version, my aunt’s often having ham and hard-boiled eggs in it.
This is my mother’s recipe. She would make it every Easter. If I was lucky, I’d have it again at Christmas when her side of the family served it as Egg Pie. Whenever it was made, it was one of the most satisfying dishes I’ve ever had.
Calzone (a.k.a. Easter Pie)
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Calzone (a.k.a. Easter Pie)
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Instructions
To make the Crust: Sift the dry ingredients together cut in shortening or butter, blending well.
Beat the egg and 2 tablespoons of milk together and add to the dough mixture. Blend well. turn onto a floured surface and knead for one minute. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes or so.
To make the filling: Cook the sausage and drain on paper towel. Allow to cool. Place the ricotta in a large bowl. Add the beaten eggs, cheese, parsley, and cooled sausage. Stir to gently blend.
Divide dough in half. Roll one half out on floured surface. roll to an even thickness that will fit in a 9 inch pie pan with some overlap. Place in glass pie pan that has been lightly greased.
Spoon the filling into the crust. Roll out the second half of the crust and fit it over the top. Crimp edges to seal well. cut several slashes in the crust.
Bake at 400 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes. Brush top with beaten egg yolk about 15 minutes before pie is done.
crust should be golden brown. remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Serve for Easter breakfast or any time you'd like.
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Meat loaf is so versatile that it lends itself to an almost limitless number of variations. Any meat, poultry or combination there of can go into it . There are even meatless meat loaves. Seasoning possibilities are virtually endless, too. From simple onions and ketchup to exotic spice blends and intriguing vegetables, the flavor profile is literally all over the (world) map.
I’ve made many different meat loaves, but this seems to be everyone’s favorite. It combines Italian sausage and ground turkey with an Italian flavored cast of characters. It makes 2 generous loaves. One for dinner and one to freeze (each loaf will make four servings).
You could also use the extra loaf for some awesome meatloaf sandwiches. I’ve even made eight mini meat loaves
So from meat base to seasoning to cooking vessel, meat loaf is the king of variety. As with all of my recipes, this is just a suggestion based on what i like. Your meatloaf will be fabulous and I’d love to hear about it.
Sausage and ground turkey combine with Italian bread crumbs, garlic, onion and Italian seasonings to make a spicy meatloaf that is great served with pasta or polenta and also makes a great sandwich.
Sausage and ground turkey combine with Italian bread crumbs, garlic, onion and Italian seasonings to make a spicy meatloaf that is great served with pasta or polenta and also makes a great sandwich.
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Instructions
Lightly combine the sausage and ground turkey in a large bowl. Your hands are the perfect tool for this. Set aside.
Heat olive oil in a medium fry pan and add the onion, garlic, parsley, and pepper flakes if you are using them. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes. The onion should soften and the garlic should be fragrant but nothing should be brown. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
Add the bread crumbs, cheese, Italian seasoning, tomato sauce, cooled onion and garlic mixture, and the beaten eggs.
Mix with your hands until well combined.
Line two 8 X 4 inch loaf pans with plastic wrap. Use a large enough piece to overlap over the top of the loaf. Evenly divide the meat mixture between the two pans. Pack the meat in firmly so that the loaf will be a uniform thickness and hold together as it bakes. Refrigerate for an hour or so to firm things up a bit. You can also make mini loaves if thta's tickles your fancy.
Remove loaves from refrigerator. Carefully remove the meat from the pans using the plastic wrap. Invert into a shallow baking pan that has been sprayed lightly with cooking spray.
Bake in a pre-heated 350 degrees oven for one hour or until a meat thermometer registers 165 degrees. remove from the oven.Let rest in the pan for ten minutes. Cover lightly with foil while they rest.
Cut into thick slices. Serve naked or top with sauteed peppers or chunky tomato sauce.
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