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Easy Stuffed Stromboli

This meat and cheese-stuffed stromboli will feed a crowd! Homemade stromboli with ham, salami, provolone, and mozzarella rolled up in pizza dough. Easy to make, easy to share.

Sheryl Julian
Sheryl Julian was the Food Editor, reporter, stylist, and recipe developer for The Boston Globe for 30 years. She teaches food journalism at Boston University in the Masters in Gastronomy program.
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Sheryl Julian
Updated December 29, 2020
Sheryl Julian
Slices of stromboli on a cutting board
Sheryl Julian

You have to love a recipe that looks like you worked hard when actually you didn’t do much at all. This homemade stromboli fits that bill.

Stromboli, a cousin of the calzone, fits into that category, and when you’re finished, you can feed the neighborhood.

What Is Stromboli?

Stromboli is a long roll of meat and cheese wrapped in pizza dough, which is then cut into individual slices for serving.

It's an Italian-American invention from the 1950s, apparently named for the film “Stromboli,” which was on the silver screen at the time. There is also a real place called Stromboli; it’s a volcanic island off the north coast of Sicily.

Meat and Cheese Stuffed Stromboli
Sheryl Julian

How to Make Stromboli

Begin with dough from your favorite local pizzeria or supermarket -- or make your own! Roll it out and add layers of salami, ham, mozzarella, and provolone. I like to temper all this richness with a sprinkle of capers and a few peppadews (which are tangy and slightly spicy pickled red peppers that you can find at most grocery store salad bars, or buy in jars).

I usually roll out the dough on floured parchment paper, which I then use to help roll the dough and all the layers of meat and cheese into a log. Then I pick up the parchment on both sides — like a sling — and set it on the baking sheet.

Bake the stromboli until golden, cut into colorful slices, and serve warm.

What to Serve With Stromboli

Serve your stromoboli with tomato sauce for dipping. You can also go wild with alfredo sauce or even ranch dressing (don't knock it until you try it!).

To make this a meal, serve your stromboli with a Caesar Salad or a simple soup, like tomato soup or Italian Egg Drop Soup.

Can You Make Stromboli Ahead of Time?

Yes, indeed! Prepare and roll your stromboli, transfer it to a baking dish, and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight, and when ready to bake, let it warm slightly on the counter while the oven preheats.

Swaps & Substitutions

The sky is the limit when it comes to other fillings for your stromboli. Here are a few suggestions!

  • Vegetarian: Fill your stromboli with mushrooms, bell peppers, olives, or any combination of favorite veggies.
  • Swap the meats: Use pepperoni, deli ham, Canadian bacon, cooked sausage, or even shredded chicken or beef.
  • Swap the cheeses: Try fontina, provolone, asiago, gruyere, Swiss, or any other cheese that suits your fancy!

More Easy Recipes With Pizza Dough

Easy Stuffed Stromboli

Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Total Time 55 mins
Servings 6 to 8 servings
Look for the ingredients for this stromboli recipe at your grocery store's deli counter and salad bar. Peppadew peppers can also often be purchased in jars, sometimes under the name "sweet piquante peppers." Substitute roasted red peppers if you can't find peppadews.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound prepared pizza dough (homemade or store-bought)
  • All-purpose flour, for sprinkling
  • 16 thin-cut slices Genoa salami (1/3 pound)
  • 8 thick-cut slices capicola ham (1/3 pound)
  • 16 slices provolone (1/4 pound)
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
  • 1 cup peppadews, or roasted red peppers, drained
  • 1 tablespoon drained capers
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, for sprinkling

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 400°F:

    Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven.

  2. Roll out the dough:

    Lay a 16-inch sheet of parchment paper on the counter and dust it with flour. Roll the dough on the floured parchment paper to a 14-by-11-inch rectangle.

    Roll out the pizza dough for the stromboli with a rolling pin
    Sheryl Julian
    Roll out the dough for the stromboli to a 14 by 11 inch rectangle
    Sheryl Julian
  3. Add the filling:

    Layer the salami on the dough to within 1/2-inch of the edges, and overlap the slices so that no dough shows beneath the salami. Add provolone, followed by the ham, mozzarella, and then the peppadews. Finally, sprinkle with capers.

    Layer the meat over the pizza dough for the stromboli
    Sheryl Julian
    Layer the cheese and peppadews over the meat for the stromboli
    Sheryl Julian
  4. Roll up the dough:

    Brush the edges of the dough with egg. Using the parchment to help you, lift up one long end and start rolling. Continue rolling until the seam on the log is on the bottom. Pinch the ends so they don't open and tuck the dough under the roll.

    Roll up the stromboli with the meats and cheese inside
    Sheryl Julian
  5. Transfer to the baking sheet:

    Using the parchment paper as a sling, transfer the log on the paper to the baking sheet. Brush all over with egg and sprinkle with Parmesan. Use a paring knife to cut diagonal slits at 1-inch intervals all along the top.

    Pinch the stromboli closed and lay it seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet
    Sheryl Julian
  6. Bake the stromboli:

    Bake the stromboli for 15 minutes. Turn the oven down to 375°F and continue baking for 25 minutes, or until the log is golden and the cheese is oozing at the slits.

  7. Cool and serve:

    Cool on the pan for about 10 minutes. Cut into slices along the slits. Serve immediately while hot; stromboli is also delicious at room temperature.

    Meat and Cheese Stuffed Stromboli
    Sheryl Julian