Ham & Pepper Calzones

I'm intrigued by the idea of making pizza at home, but I hesitate to compete with the glorious taste of Papa John's delights. Plus, I wanted to serve fewer points at dinner tonight, so here is a great idea: make a calzone.

The warm ham, melted cheese, and sauteed bell peppers are an unbeatable combination. Everyone, including the dog, was excited about the aroma of fresh bread and meat that filled the house. Those of you who are vegetarians could substitute roasted red peppers for the ham. Anyone looking for a place to inject more whole grain could use whole wheat pizza dough like I did.

Ham & Pepper Calzones

2 tsp olive oil

2 bell peppers, sliced (one red, one green)

2 garlic cloves, minced

8 oz tomato paste

1/4 lb sliced deli ham, cut into thin strips

1 lb pizza dough

1 c shredded mozzarrella cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Meanwhile,heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Saute the bell peppers and garlic until tender (5 minutes). Add the ham and cook until lightly browned (3 minutes). Allow this mixture to cool.

Turn out the pizza dough onto a lighlty floured surface. Divide the dough in half and roll each half into a 10-inch circle. Spread half the tomato paste on a dough circle, sprinkle with half the oregano, alf the ham mixture,and cheese, leaving a one-inch border of dough clean. Fold the dough over the filling, crimping the edges to seal the calzone. Repeat with the second piece of dough.

Bake the calzones on a baking sheet prepared with nonstick cooking spray for 20 minutes. Serves 4 (7 points each).