I am so enamored with these little guys that this weekend I made a second braid and filled it with my beloved cheese curds and a few available vegetables – which happened to be sautéed slivered onions, mushrooms sautéed with garlic and rosemary, and more jalapeno peppers. I  used my standard  pizza dough with a tad of cornmeal and the results were delicious and aesthetically gorgeous.

The potential for creative fillings is endless: anything that works on a pizza – and more – will work here. In terms of convenience, it doesn’t get any easier than wrapping up a fresh slice – and you are ready to go!

Stuffed Braid
Inspired by Cooking Light magazine Jan/Feb 2010

1 recipe pizza dough, 14 oz. purchased or see index
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 cup ham, diced
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
3 eggs, divided
salt and pepper
1/2 cup mozzarella or Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded, and diced

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray or oil a large baking sheet.

On a floured surface, roll the dough into 15×10″ rectangle.

In a small skillet, heat 1 tbsp. butter over medium heat and sauté ham to brown lightly, stir in green onions and set aside.

In same pan, heat additional tbsp. butter, lightly beat 2 eggs and 1 yolk with salt and pepper (reserve the third egg white for egg wash), add to pan a scramble until curds form; do not overcook. Remove from heat.

Evenly sprinkle the mozzarella cheese lengthwise down the center 1/3 of the dough; top with the eggs, then the ham, the cheddar cheese and then the jalapenos. With scissors cut the 2 outer sides into 1″ wide strips toward the center to within 1/2″ of filling. Fold the strips at an angle alternating over the filling. Beat the egg white with 1-2 tsp. of water and brush over the dough. Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting. Yields 6-8 ~~