Calzone

This easy Calzone recipe is a fun twist on pizza night, filled with pizza sauce, mozzarella, Canadian bacon, and pepperoni, all wrapped in dough and baked to golden perfection for a kid-friendly dinner everyone will love.

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If my kiddos had their way we’d have pizza every night – they just never get tired of it! It’s always a fun way to end the week so we often have it on a Friday or Saturday night. Lately, I’ve been trying to switch up things up. So, instead of just making a regular pizza I’ve been making similar dishes that are just a little different like this calzone recipe. The kids call it “The Big Hot Pocket” and I try not to get offended because a calzone is so much better than a frozen hot pocket!

It’s all of your favorite pizza toppings folded up in dough and baked. Ooey melted cheese, meat and sauce wrapped up in a golden crust – so good! Learning how to make a calzone is a game changer and our pizza nights have a little more variety now.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• With this easy calzone recipe you can make any flavor combination that you want.
• It only takes about a half hour to make this recipe that serves four.
• Easily double or triple the recipe to make more than enough for your entire family or guests at a party.

Ingredients For Homemade Calzones

• Homemade or store-bought pizza dough – You want the dough to be about 1/4” thick when you roll it out so it doesn’t tear or break when you fold it over. My homemade pizza dough recipe is perfect for calzones!
• Pizza sauce – Use your favorite pizza sauce. It can be homemade or store bought.
• Mozzarella cheese – Grab a block and shred it yourself for the best meltability! It truly makes a difference. You can also use other cheeses like parmesan cheese or provolone cheese.
• Meats – We used Canadian bacon, ham, sausage and pepperoni, but you can use salami, bacon, chicken, and more!
• Butter – You could also use an olive oil, whichever you prefer.
• Seasonings – Garlic powder and chopped parsley mixed with the butter and brushed on the outside of the dough provides so much flavor!

More Filling Ideas

Just like regular pizza you can easily change the fillings to create all kinds of flavor combinations! Here are some ideas you might want to try in this homemade calzone recipe:

• Supreme: Pizza sauce, pepperoni, cooked sausage, green bell peppers, onions, black olives, and mozzarella cheese.
• Hawaiian: Canadian bacon, pineapple (make sure to drain it so it’s not too liquidy!), mozzarella cheese, pizza sauce.
• Veggie: Cooked mushrooms, olives, peppers, sliced onions, and other veggies you like on pizza! Don’t forget cheese and sauce, too!
• BBQ Chicken: BBQ sauce, cooked chicken, red onion, crumbled cooked bacon, mozzarella cheese.

How to Make Homemade Calzones

First, divide your dough into for equal parts and roll each into a ball. Roll each ball into flat ovals about 1/4″ thick. Flour your work surface before rolling out the dough.

You don’t want it too thin otherwise it won’t be stable enough to hold the fillings. You can stretch the dough by hand, but I think it’s easier to use a rolling pin.

Spoon some marinara sauce on one half of the oval. Don’t spread it all the way to the edge – leave some space around the edge so you can easily seal it when you fold it.

Top the sauce with layers of cheese and meat, then moisten the edge of the homemade pizza dough with some water. This will create glue for the edges so they don’t pop open while in the oven.

Fold the other half of the dough over the fillings. Seal the edge of the easy calzones by pinching and crimping the seams together.

You don’t need a fancy stone or wooden peel to bake your calzones – just transfer them carefully to a large baking sheet. Combine the melted butter, garlic powder and parsley in a bowl and brush the mixture on top of each one.

Using a sharp knife, cut two to three slits in the top of each to allow steam to escape while they bake.

Place the Calzones in a preheated oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 15 minutes or until they are golden brown on top. I like to cool them for a few minutes before serving. You can eat it whole or slice it before serving.

Storage And Reheating

Fridge: Store leftovers of this easy calzone recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. You can also prep them and then place in the refrigerator to bake later.

Freezer: Freeze calzones raw or freeze once they baked. To freeze them place on a baking sheets and flash freeze them in a single layer. Once frozen, place the calzones in a freezer-safe bag or freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to three months.

To reheat a frozen calzone, place in the refrigerator to thaw overnight or at least three hours. You can also bake them frozen, just add more time to the baking time. Bake fully cooked and thawed calzones for half the amount of time. To bake from raw, use the recommended bake time.

Now that you know how to make a calzone, you will always have a crowd favorite dinner to easily whip together. Another crowd favorite is our Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan!

Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!

 

4.94 from 91 votes

Calzone

Pizza dough stuffed with pizza toppings, cheese and sauce make these a delicious dinner!

Prep:10 minutes mins

Cook:17 minutes mins

Total:27 minutes mins

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Video

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Equipment

• Nonstick spray
• Parchment Paper
• Pastry brush
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Sharp knife
• Cutting board
• Baking Sheet
• Small microwave safe bowl

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 pizza dough store-bought or homemade, about 2 lbs
• ▢ 1 cup pizza sauce
• ▢ 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
• ▢ ½ cup candian bacon or ham diced
• ▢ ½ cup pepperoni
• ▢ ½ cup sausage cooked and crumbled
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons butter melted
• ▢ ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley chopped

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat a sheet pan with cooking spray and set aside.
• Divide the pizza dough into 4 pieces. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, shape into balls and then roll into ¼ inch thick ovals.
• Spoon pizza sauce onto one side of the oval. Top with cheese, canadian bacon, pepperoni and sausage. Fold dough in half; dampen seams with water and pinch together then crimp edges all around. Transfer to prepared baking sheets.
• In a small bowl combine butter, garlic powder and parsley. Brush the tops of the calzones with butter mixture. Using a sharp knife, slit the tops of the calzones in 2 to 3 spots to create steam vents.
• Place baking sheet in preheated oven and bake 15-17 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
• Remove from oven. Let cool 5 minutes before cutting open.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 853kcal (43%), Carbohydrates: 53g (18%), Protein: 48g (96%), Fat: 50g (77%), Saturated Fat: 25g (156%), Cholesterol: 160mg (53%), Sodium: 2631mg (114%), Potassium: 398mg (11%), Fiber: 2g (8%), Sugar: 10g (11%), Vitamin A: 1337IU (27%), Vitamin C: 5mg (6%), Calcium: 611mg (61%), Iron: 5mg (28%)

© Julie's Eats & Treats ®

We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box is calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.

How To Serve Calzones

These calzones are pretty filling on their own, but they’re great with a simple green or caesar salad. Or if you want an elevated salad, you’ve got to try out an Antipasto Salad. Roasted Vegetables are also a family favorite to accompany this dish.

Some days the kids like to have a dipping sauce for calzones, and some days they don’t! On the days they’re into dipping, we usually warm up extra pizza sauce and whip up a batch of Garlic Parmesan Sauce.

More Pizza Inspired Recipes

• When you’re craving pizza but you don’t quite have the time, Pizza Chicken is your best tasting alternative! Chicken breast topped with marinara, melted cheese and pepperoni is a combination with pasta for an easy weeknight meal.
• It’s quick, easy and exactly what it sounds like. Breakfast Pizza is a great take on a staple supper meal for the first dish of the day. Eggs, bacon and cheese top your favorite pizza crust. Two classic meals make for a great combination.
• Use a Crescent Roll shortcut to make a meaty, cheesy Pizza Ring this week. Easier than crafting an entire pizza, but just as satisfying and filling. Plus you can have supper on the table in only 30 minutes.
• Looking for an easy lunch box item? Pizza Pinwheels are here to save your sanity when you don’t know what to send with the kids to school. Storebought pizza dough makes them so simple to put together and they freeze really well so you’ve always got them on hand.