Stromboli

When I think about weekends growing up, one of the first things that comes to mind is my mom making homemade stromboli.

She would start the dough early in the day, and before long my sisters and I would be standing right beside her, asking a hundred questions and waiting for her to give us our own little pieces of dough. We thought we were professional bakers! We would roll, stretch, and shape our tiny strombolis with the biggest smiles on our faces while my mother and grandmother encouraged us every step of the way.

The best part was watching the dough rise. My sisters and I kept checking the bowl because we could not believe how big it was getting. Then we would watch through the oven door as the stromboli puffed up, turned beautifully golden brown, and the cheese began bubbling through the little slits on top.

That smell of fresh bread, garlic butter, Italian meats, and melted cheese filled the entire house. We could hardly wait to eat it.

Stromboli was not only a weekend favorite in our family. It was also a New Year’s Eve tradition. Along with all the other incredible Italian food covering the table, there was always a large homemade stromboli fresh from the oven.

Of course, the hardest part was letting it rest before slicing it.

Then came the moment we had all been waiting for…

My mother would cut it into thick slices, and all that warm melted cheese would stretch between every piece. We would grab a slice and dunk it into her homemade marinara sauce. The crispy crust, gooey cheese, savory Italian meats, and rich tomato sauce were absolutely unforgettable.

PUNCH-YA-IN-THE-FACE DAHLICIOUS!!

These are the memories that mean the most to me, the flour covering the countertops, everyone talking over one another, music playing in the background, and my family gathered together in the kitchen.

My mom and grandmother were not only teaching us how to make stromboli. They were teaching us that the best recipes are made with love and shared with the people who mean the most to you.

Every time I make this stromboli, I am right back in that kitchen with my family. Make it on the weekend, serve it on New Year’s Eve, or bring the children into the kitchen and give them their own little pieces of dough. Those simple moments may become some of their most treasured memories, too.