If you love pizza as we do, be sure to check out our BEST Pizza Dough Recipe, No-Cook Homemade Pizza Sauce, and Whole Wheat Pizza Dough! When I was researching foods the state of Delaware is known for as part of my American Eats series, I kept coming across the Nic-o-boli from Nicola Pizza in Rehoboth Beach, a popular seaside destination in Delaware. For someone like me who has never been there or experienced it, trying to figure out exactly what a Nic-o-boli is was a little confusing. From what I can tell, Nicola’s Nic-o-boli is a cross between a calzone and a Stromboli. You can get all sorts of fillings, but the classic ingredients of a Nic-o-boli Stromboli seem to be ground beef, cheese, and tomato sauce. And it has a huge cult following. Like, a following big enough to inspire Former President George H.W. Bush to have actual, authentic Nic-o-boli shipped to the White House and cause other famous personalities to rave about them too. So I thought I would share my best Stromboli recipe with you to represent Delaware since I think it’s probably fairly similar to Nic-o-boli, even if it’s not exactly the same! Check out my Chicago Deep Dish Pizza, this St. Louis-Style Pizza, or my quick and easy Pizza Casserole for more pizza-lovers’ treats!
Why We Love This Recipe
Make each Stromboli your own; you can easily customize this recipe with your favorite pizza toppings. This recipe uses fresh ingredients, but you can use store-bought dough to make this recipe even quicker and easier! Ready in just 35 minutes, it’s perfect for a busy weeknight dinner for the whole family!
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Sugar – White granulated sugar works well to aid the yeast. Yeast – I used active dry yeast which needs to be proofed in warm water before adding the rest of the ingredients to the dough. Salt – To enhance the flavors of the dough. Flour – All-purpose flour will work well for this recipe but you can use bread flour if you prefer. Oil – To keep the dough moist and malleable. Use olive oil or another neutral-flavored oil. Beef – Use lean ground beef for the best flavor with the least grease. Cheese – Use mozzarella cheese for that classic margherita flavor. Sauce – Use my Homemade Marinara Sauce or your favorite pizza sauce with Italian seasoning for the base. Egg – To help bind the edges of the Stromboli together so the fillings don’t fall out!
How to Make Stromboli
Tips for Success
It’s totally optional to brush the top of the Stromboli with egg wash. It gives the finished Stromboli a beautiful, glossy brown finish. But I actually prefer no egg wash. It has that drier, slightly rougher, flour-dusted texture and flavor that I associate with pizza parlors. See the difference between the ground beef Stromboli pictures (no egg wash) and the sweet peppers and sausage Stromboli pictures (with egg wash). If you opt to use tomato sauce, you can make marinara sauce from scratch or buy it in a bottle from the store. I typically pick up Classico or Bertolli marinara to have on hand for crazy nights or when I’m just feeling lazy. But you might want to cook it down a bit over medium-low heat until it thickens slightly so it isn’t too watery when you put it in the stromboli. Preheat your oven for a good 20 minutes or more before putting your Stromboli in to cook. Even though ovens say they are preheated, it actually takes longer than most ovens account for in order to fully heat. Turn the baking sheet upside down as it will help your Stromboli to cook evenly in your home oven if you don’t have a pizza stone. This is a trick I use with normal pizzas too. Make your favorite homemade pizza dough. This recipe uses a single-batch version of my own pizza dough. Any homemade dough (even store-bought pizza dough) would work. You can easily double the pizza base recipe and make multiple Strombolis so that there are leftovers since my family of 4 can easily tackle one Stromboli for dinner on our own.
Substitutions and Variations
Pizza base. Use store-bought dough for the base of this pizza roll, or you can even use Italian bread dough. Spice it up. Red pepper flakes, jalapeños, or a spicy sauce are all delicious ways to bring heat to this dish. Fresh herbs and greens. Add fresh herbs and leafy greens in with the fillings. Alternatively, add them on top of the dough after it’s rolled as a garnish to add nutrients and more flavor. Garnish. Sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese and some Italian herbs like dried basil and oregano before baking. Cheese. Use your favorite cheeses in Stromboli to create a flavor combination that suits your tastes. Mozzarella cheese is a classic choice, but cheddar, Mexican cheese mix, goat’s cheese, or feta would also taste great with the right fillings.
Serving Suggestions
Stromboli makes such a delicious main dish, served with a good salad on the side, like this Spinach, Bacon, and Egg Salad with Creamy Honey Mustard Dressing, or veggies like Roasted Broccoli. It can also be served as an appetizer, dipped in extra marinara or ranch. It’s great for game day parties with Toasted Ravioli or Jalapeno Poppers. Here are some other Stromboli fillings that you might want to try: pepperoni, sweet Italian sausage, ham, chicken, thinly sliced steak, fresh spinach, mushrooms, fresh basil, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, roasted garlic, or eggplant (Stromboli is one of my favorite ways of using eggplant, actually).
More Pizza Night Recipes To Try
Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Four Cheese Pizza with Tomato Basil Arugula Salad Chicken Tikka Masala Pizza Whole Wheat Veggie Pizza Crescent Roll Pizza
More States I Have Visited in my American Eats Series
Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • New Jersey • New York • Oregon • Puerto Rico • South Carolina • South Dakota • Texas • Utah • Wisconsin
Thai Chicken Pizza
St. Louis-Style Pizza (No Yeast)
Cast Iron Pan Pizza (Copycat Pizza Hut Pizza Recipe)
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
