Tonight's Dinner: Spinach and cheese calzones recipe

If there's one thing I'm always looking for, it's ways to get my toddler to eat his dinner and his vegetables. Some of the things that work are if he can pick things up with hands like a sandwich or if there's a sauce he can dunk things into. You know how it goes with little boys -- the messier, the better. If I can also throw some vegetables into the mix, well, that's a homerun in my book. Evidently Parenting magazine knew just what I needed because they came up with the brilliant idea of turning spinach into a cheesy, hand-held dinner that anyone young or old would scarf down in a matter of seconds. The fact that they only took 30 minutes to make makes them the perfect choice on a busy week night.

Spinach and cheese calzones

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 10 ounces fresh baby spinach
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 cup Italian blend shredded cheese
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 (14 ounce) tube refrigerated pizza dough

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Place the spinach, ricotta, Italian cheeses, garlic powder and pepper in a food processor and pulse until smooth.
3. Slice the dough into six equal pieces. Shape into balls and roll out on a lightly floured surface to 5-inch circles. Divide the spinach mixture into six equal portions and spread on one side of each dough circle, leaving a border.
4. Spread a little water around the edge of each dough circle to help seal the calzone and fold the dough over the filling. Pinch the edges of the dough together to seal. Vent each calzone with a fork, place on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with your favorite marinara sauce for dipping.

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