Ingredients
- 2 tube (13.8 oz) Pillsbury refrigerated pizza crust (each makes 4 calzones)
- 2 lb ground beef or ground turkey to lighten it up or Italian sausage
- 1 jar (24 oz) spaghetti sauce we usually use Ragu
- 1 tsp garlic powder plus more for topping
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning plus more for topping
- Salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella sliced
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- 4 oz pepperoni slices
- ½ cup feta cheese crumbled (optional)
- 1 onion small, thinly sliced
- 1 can (2.25 oz) sliced black olives drained
- ½ cup green olives sliced
- ½ cup Kalamata olives sliced (optional)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil for brushing
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan grated
Don't Want to Build Your Own? I've Got You.Every Saturday I share a full week of dinners, sides, and a dessert — with the grocery list already done. Come grab this week's Weekly Meal Plans!Equipment
Pizza Stone If you don't use stoneware when cooking these kinds of dishes, you have no idea what you are missing. Try it on at least an inexpensive piece of stoneware and you will never go back.
SENSARTE Saute Pan For cooking the meat. This has quickly become my favorite pan.
Cutting Boards I love my bamboo cutting boards. Not only are they practical, they are beautiful.
Sharp Chef's Knives When you've got a lot of chopping to do!
Method
- Preheat the oven (and pizza stones, if you have them) to 425°F.
- Cook the ground beef or Italian sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, seasoning as it cooks with the garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper. Drain the excess fat.
- Pour the jar of spaghetti sauce into the skillet with the meat and stir well. You want the meat sauce very thick and chunky — not saucy.
- Prep any other toppings you like: slice the onion, drain the olives, slice the fresh mozzarella, and set out the pepperoni, feta, and shredded cheese.
- Cut each pizza crust into 4 sections and roll out a little if needed.
- Build each calzone: on one half, spread a generous layer of the meat sauce, leaving about 1 inch around the edge for sealing. Add cheeses, pepperoni, onions, olives, and whatever toppings each person wants.
- Fold the dough over and press the edges to seal very tightly. Cut a few slits in the top (mark each with initials so you know whose is whose).
- Brush the tops with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and Parmesan.
- Bake at 425°F for 18–22 minutes, until golden. If the tops are getting too dark but the bottoms are still soft, cover with foil so the bottom crust can crisp.
- Let rest about 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
Nutrition is an estimate and will vary a lot depending on the toppings each person chooses. The fillings are fully customizable — anything that goes on a pizza works beautifully in a calzone.
Keep the meat sauce thick and chunky — a wet filling is the fastest way to a soggy crust. Don't overfill, and seal the edges really well, or the filling will leak while baking. Letting the calzones rest about 5 minutes before cutting keeps the cheese from running everywhere.
