Superbowl Pick - Ham and Cheese Calzone

I thought it would fun to share some great food ideas for the Superbowl this year. These recipes are good any time of the year, but they are really my top picks to eat while watching football, er, I mean, to serve to others watching football. I'd rather cook and eat.
First up is Ham and Cheese Calzone. These are great because you can make them ahead (up until the point of cooking) and place in the fridge until you are ready to cook. Let's get started!

Ham and Cheese Calzone
recipe from my mom, Michele Scearbo

1 bag of store bought pizza dough, frozen bread dough, or homemade dough - put in a covered bowl on the counter and let rise
8 slices of ham from deli
4-5 slices white American cheese
spicy brown mustard
1 egg mixed with 1 tbsp water

Once your dough has risen, roll out to big rectangle (maybe 12" by 18"?) on a lightly floured surface.

Dab a small amount of spicy brown mustard over dough - this is probably a little too much - you don't want it to overpower the calzone but it is necessary for the taste. If you don't like spicy brown mustard, no worries, you can't taste it in the finished product - I promise.

Using the back of a spoon, a small rubber spatula, or a butter knife, carefully spread the mustard all over the dough.

Layer your slices of ham as shown above on the rolled out dough.

Now layer your white American cheese down the center of the ham slices, as shown above. My mom has been making this for years, and honestly, white American cheese is the best choice for this calzone. It melts perfectly and the flavor is just right with the ham. Trust us on this one, it will be tasty - I promise.

Roll the dough up from the long side, jelly roll style.

Fold the ends into the calzone as you roll and pinch them shut.

Pinch the seam shut as best as you can.

Place the calzone on a silpat lined baking sheet or generously use cooking spray if you don't have a silpat. At this point you can cover this with plastic wrap and place in the fridge until you are ready to bake - or - you can go ahead and bake it now if you are ready.

Cut small slits in the top of the calzone using a sharp paring knife - about 4 or 5 total.

Brush the top of the calzone with an egg wash.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and you hear a hollow sound when you "knock" on the top. If your calzone is getting too browned, you can loosely tent a piece of foil over the top to prevent over browning.

Don't worry if some of the cheese oozes out. It will still be tasty - I promise. Let the calzone cool for about 10 minutes and slice into 2-inch thick pieces using a serrated bread knife.

Doesn't that look great? You can easily double this and make two of these calzones (I squeeze them both on the same baking sheet). These also taste great as leftovers - cold right out of the fridge. I promise.

Great football food, don't ya think?