Calzones: Stuffed Pizza Bread

I can remember the local pizzeria in my town where I grew up in NJ served these HUGE, too HOT, oozing calzones filled with ricotta cheese and ham.

Always served on a white paper plate w/ a side of pizza sauce.

They were always too hot to eat and we would burn our mouths, but it was worth the pain.

Why don't I make these hot pockets more often?
The last time I made them was in 2009.

It's just pizza dough stuffed with a filling.

You can use leftover vegetables; sausage; spinach & ricotta, whatever you fancy.

Make your own dough or buy some at your local pizzeria.
It's all good.

These are excellent for the freezer. You can bake them ahead and freeze them, or assemble them, freeze them to bake later.

Here I made a more traditional calzone filled with fresh ricotta, herbs, mozzarella and speck (slices of smoked prosciutto).

You don't have to be neat about it.

Delicious and easy.

These are definitely husband and kid approved.

Calzones: makes 4 big ones

1 recipe for pizza dough
8 oz. of fresh ricotta cheese
1 cup of shredded mozzarella
4 slices of speck (smoked prosciutto) or any ham that you like
1 tbsp basil pesto

I happened to have leftover sauteed broccolini with garlic from last night, so chopped that up and threw it in too.

Roll out the pizza dough and cut 4 even circles.

Place on a floured cutting board.

Mix the ricotta w/ the pesto and mozzarella cheese. No seasonings necessary because the pesto and the smoked ham are salty.

Lay a slice of ham to fit on each circle of dough and top with the ricotta mixture.

Fold in half to make half moons and pinch together to seal with your fingers.
Use a fork and press down on the edges to make the seal nice and tight.

Cut vents in the top of each crescent and brush with olive oil.

Place the calzones on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake 15-20 minutes in a 450F oven.
Don't worry if some of the cheese oozes out, this is normal (just eat it).

Let cool a while before cutting in half.

I don't bother with tomato sauce, but I know you might want some.

To freeze: let completely cool. Double wrap in plastic wrap and freeze in freezer bags.
To reheat: defrost calzones then bake in a 300F toaster oven until warm.

Enjoy!