Pepperoni & Mozzarella Stromboli with Spicy Tomato Dipping Sauce {Powernap}

This is the latest installment of my Powernap column. The series where I share quick, easy food that can be made for all kinds of situations. Powernaps are short and sweet, and so are these recipes. These are the things I make in a jiffy when I need a quick snack, am in the mood for a recipe experiment, or simply need to clean out the pantry.

It took me a few days to get back into the rhythm of the school year last week. I don’t know why, like most parents I was thrilled for school to resume, but the first few days were harried and off-kilter. We spent so much of Christmas vacation being sick and spending our days in jammies that getting up and at ’em first thing was a real jolt. When it came to meal time I kept it simple and stuck to some tried and true favorites like spaghetti and meatballs and carrot souffle. I also enjoyed experimenting with a few new, quicker recipes like this Stromboli.

My fried Nicole once explained to me why she used stromboli has one of her go-to meals. It is so easy to make pizza dough anytime during the day, she explained, or you can just use a ball of fresh store-bought dough and get the same results. Then, all you do is roll it up with whatever fillings you want and bake it! I was eager to try this method myself, and there was no better time than a week when I was playing catch-up.

While my daughter was at school I whipped up a batch of fresh pizza dough and let it rise for the afternoon. Prior to dinner I rolled it up with some of our favorite salami and mozzarella and baked it until puffed and golden. On the side I made a quick spicy tomato sauce and kept it warm for dipping. Served with a quick salad it was an easy, fun dinner with a pizza parlor feel. This recipe definitely has a permanent place in repertoire and I plan to experiment with all kinds of different fillings. Next time I might even simply bake the entire thing while she is at school and reheat it for dinner!