Grilled Bacon Cheeseburger Calzones: $2.36 per serving!

It's Tuesday, which means it is time for another recipe from Every Day with Rachael Ray's $10 Spot!  This week's recipe is for Grilled Bacon Cheeseburger Calzones.  My long-suffering wonderful husband's eyes lit up when he heard which recipe we were trying....if there is one thing he likes, it is comfort food.  And comfort food with bacon? BONUS!

Grilled Bacon Cheeseburger Calzones

  Serves 4

• 1 pound refrigerated pizza dough
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
• 3/4 pound ground beef
• 4 slices bacon
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 plum tomatoes, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat grill to medium-high.  Divide the pizza dough and form into 2 balls.  Place in a large bowl greased with 1 tablespoon olive oil, cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 15 minutes
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the beef over medium heat, breaking up the meat, until browned, about 5 minutes.  Drain and transfer to a large bowl
3. In the same skillet, cook the bacon until crisp.  Transfer to paper towels to drain.  Reserve the drippings in the skillet.  Add the onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes; add to the beef.  Crumble the bacon in to the beef mixture and stir in the cheese; season with salt.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 ball of dough into a 12-inch round and transfer to a large oiled baking sheet.  Place half the beef mixture on one side of the round.  Top with half the tomatoes.  Fold over the dough to form a half-moon; crimp the edge to seal.  Repeat with the remaining dough.  Brush the calzones with olive oil.  Pierce a vent in the top of each calzone.  Transfer the baking sheet to the grill, cover and bake until golden-brown, about 20 minutes

And now for the cost breakdown:

• Pizza dough: $3.29
• Olive oil:  $.33
• Ground beef:  $2.59
• Bacon:  $.75
• Onion:  $.40
• Cheddar Cheese: $1.13
• Tomato:  $.96

Total Cost:  $9.45 or $2.36 per person

Make it cheaper:  The biggest expense that can be cut is the pizza dough.  Dust off your breadmaker and make your own pizza dough (using the dough setting) for less than half the listed cost!  Or use the dough hook attachment on your stand mixer.  As for the beef?  I used 93% lean that I got on a BOGO sale at $3.99/lb, so I paid about $1.50! 

How much cheaper can you make this?

For more recipes, please visit EveryDay With Rachael Ray.  Photo credit:  Kana Okada