Easy Italian Hero Stromboli You Will Crave
Do you ever get a random craving for something and nothing but the real thing will scratch that itch? That’s how I got the other night for an overstuffed, meaty, cheesy, super-bad-for-you Italian sub. So, instead of our usual Saturday night pizza, we made an Italian Hero Stromboli. And boy, did it do the trick!
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So what is usually in an Italian Hero? We’re talking about layers of ham, salami, pepperoni, provolone, mozzarella, banana peppers, olives, and Italian dressing, possibly with a dish of hot marinara for dipping. Now, wrap that all up in my favorite pizza dough, and it’s heaven!
The Italian Hero Stromboli is Good, but By No Means Good For You…
It’s 10:30 in the morning, and I’m salivating just thinking about making another one of these. Seriously. You would not believe how stinking delicious this is. This Italian Hero Stromboli is the definition of decadently savory.
I mean, clearly, there is nothing healthy about an Italian hero stromboli. You just read the basic list of ingredients. The only “healthy” choices we made were using a fat-free Italian dressing and turkey pepperoni.
That’s only because those were things we had in the fridge. No one was consciously making smart decisions when this stromboli was born. In fact, we went into it with the full intention of loading this sucker up and eating like kings. And, let’s be real, that’s what makes this a great dish.
Sure, You Can Lighten It Up…
If you’re like me, you love a rich and amazing recipe that you can easily lighten up to fit your points, macros, calorie budget, etc. So, while it’s tempting for me to tell you to consider this your go-to “cheat meal,” instead, I’d like to give you some healthier options.
Lighter Topping Options
First of all, ham is really not that bad for you, so I wouldn’t eliminate it. What I would do is use a little less of it. Three slices is an adequate serving size of deli meat.
Now, for the salami. Yes, you do need it. It’s not an Italian sandwich if you don’t use salami. What you can do, though, is look for a lower fat version in the deli case. Some deli’s offer turkey substitutes, or just reduced fat. Either way, that’s probably what you want.
And as I mentioned, instead of real pepperoni, you can swap in turkey pepperoni. That’s what we use because it’s just always on hand. It doesn’t leave your pizza greasy, and that’s why we like it, but it’s also way lower on WW points. Like you can have 14 slices for the same number of points as 4 slices of the real stuff.
What else? Well, you can use reduced-fat or fat-free cheese, use less cheese, or omit the cheese (which I do NOT recommend unless you have a lactose allergy, in which case, please do leave the cheese off). And like I mentioned, we used a fat-free Italian dressing instead of the real deal.
Dough Alternatives
Is there a way to lighten up the pizza dough? I mean… there’s not really a healthier way to make my pizza dough. It’s fairly barebones as is, and really not too bad. In WW points, it’s 5 points for half the batch.
However, if you’re really hurting to sub in something else, you can try storebought dough, 2-ingredient dough, or gamble on cauliflower dough.
You Can Swap, but Please Try the Real Thing First
You know I love you, and that’s why I want to give you lots of options for making my recipes. Everyone has their own deal, and I don’t want anyone to feel like the food I make is out of reach. So, whatever your restrictions, I want to help you eat well.
That said, if you have an opportunity like a “cheat meal” or a party where you can share this with a bunch of people, please try this recipe in its full-fat, meaty, cheesy, runny-with-savory-juices, wrapped-in-a-luxurious-golden-pizza-dough glory.
This is easily the best thing we’ve had for dinner in at least a few weeks. That’s a real compliment because not to toot my own horn, but I am a pretty great cook. We eat some really yummy food in this house.
Time for a Shout Out
Now, I say that I’m good at cooking, but my husband has some skills, too. So, right about now is where I need to explain that I came up with this idea, I made the pizza dough, and I bought the ingredients.
Then when it came time to assemble everything, we had a screaming toddler who only wanted Momma. So, SuperHubs swooped in an assembled it… both times.
Because you see, this is our new dinner routine. Our kid has her after daycare meal and then refuses to let go of me until half an hour before bedtime when it’s finally time to get down and run around and play.
The first time we made this, I told my husband that the idea was the place all the toppings in the center and then cut ribbons into the sides and braid over the top. He did this.
Then, the second time, he got this idea to twist the ribbons so you could see the toppings inside… make it prettier, you know? And he was right! It turned out really pretty.
Assembling a Pretty Italian Hero Stromboli
That brings me to the next very important topic for discussion: how to braid your stromboli. I mean, yes, technically, you can just fold the dough over and cut some vent holes and not worry about pretty. That’s boring, though.
Sorry. I had to say it. So far, I’ve given you all the options to lighten this up, but when it comes to making this pretty, I’m going to stop you and demand you actually braid it. Why? Because it’s my recipe, and I’m bossy like that. Hashtag Not Sorry.
Plus, it is not that hard or time consuming to braid it. In fact, when topping pizza dough, it’s crucial that you do not waste any time. Otherwise, you risk the dough getting soggy, sticking to the peel, ripping, and dumping all the toppings onto the pizza stone. *Sad trombone*
Start with Assembly
Okay, so how do you braid it, you ask? Easy. Make sure your oven is preheated before you start. You have to work fast!
First, you’re going to roll your pizza dough out into a large rectangle. Lay it out onto your dusted pizza peel (we use cornmeal… you can learn more if you check out the post on Pizza Crust).
Then, you’re going to brush a wide stripe of Italian dressing down the center and pile your filling onto that stripe. For a size reference, aim for the width of your ham slices.
How to Get the Braid Right
Then, using a pizza cutter, knife, or bench scraper, cut 1 inch wide ribbons into the bare dough that remains on each side. Start by folding the top left ribbon across (and slightly diagonally, downward). Follow with the top right ribbon. Go back to the left, and fold over the new top ribbon, and repeat on the right side.
Fold ribbons over left, right, left, right, until you are out of ribbons. When you get to the bottom. You’ll have some dough hanging off the bottom. Trim this or fold it under. Dealer’s choice.
We cut this off and baked it for our toddler, who then ran around the living room with her breadstick, only stopping when she wanted to take a giant bite.
Final Touches
All that’s left is to brush more Italian dressing on top and wriggle it off the peel onto your preheated pizza stone on the bottom rack of your oven. I swear it’s just that easy. Always remember to shimmy your stromboli, pizza, or calzone off the peel onto the stone with confidence. Pizza dough senses your fear.
Serving Up Stromboli
This is a pretty large dish meant to serve a family of four. Now, that said. My husband and I definitely ate the WHOLE thing just between the two of us. Our daughter’s only contribution to demolition was the aforementioned breadsticks.
So, those of you who plan to serve this beside a nice salad because you’re healthy and smart with goals and stuff, this can serve at least four people but not more than eight. With eight servings, you’re looking at this as a snack, so that salad better be hefty.
For a party (which, as I mention it, I’m regretting not getting this post up for the Superbowl), I’d probably make two or three of these and expect them to go fast.
Get Started on Your Own Stromboli
It’s a safe bet if you made it all the way through this post, you’re at least considering making an Italian Hero Stromboli this weekend. Good for you! The first step is getting your pizza dough started. After that, it’s an easy path to the best dinner you’ve ever made. Go with my blessing!
Comment below to tell me how your stromboli turned out or to complain that stromboli isn’t supposed to be braided or just to say hi! And don’t forget to subscribe for the latest and greatest.
Italian Hero Stromboli
Equipment
- Pizza Stone
- Pizza Peel (optional)
- Pastry brush
- Knife, Bench scraper, or Pizza Cutter
Ingredients
- 1 pound pizza dough
- 2 Tbsp Italian salad dressing separated
- 12 slices deli ham
- 6 slices deli salami sandwich size
- 14 slices pepperoni
- ¼ cup banana peppers sliced and pickled
- ¼ cup black olives sliced
- 3 slices provolone
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella
- cornmeal to dust peel
- ½ cup marinara warmed, for dipping (optional)
Instructions
- Move your pizza stone to the bottom rack of your oven. Preheat to 450°F.
- Dust your pizza peel with cornmeal. Set aside.
- Roll your pizza dough out to a large rectangle of ¼ inch thick. It should be about 15 inches by 18 inches. Gently move the dough to the peel, centered.
- Orient the dough so it's wider than it is tall. Brush 1 tablespoon of Italian dressing down the center, the width of your ham slices.
- Sprinkle ¼ cup of mozzarella to start. Then layer on the ham, salami, pepperoni, and provolone in your preferred order. Sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup of mozzarella. Top off with the peppers and olives.
- With the remaining flaps of dough on either side, cut 1-inch tall ribbons, from the outer edge in, leaving ½-inch of dough between cut and filling.
- Braid the ribbons. Start with the top left ribbon, folding it into the center. Repeat on the right side. Go back and forth folding the ribbons in until you reach the bottom. Trim any excess dough, or fold under.
- Brush the top with the remaining 1 tablespoon of Italian dressing.
- With confident shimmies, transfer the stromboli from your pizza peel to your stone.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the top is deeply golden brown where the dressing was brushed. A few darker spots are expected (and delicious).
- Remove from the oven using your pizza peel. Allow it to cool slightly (~2 minutes) before cutting it into 4 to 8 slices.
- Serve with marinara to dip.
