Did you know that today is National Calzone Day? Don’t you love all these random National days…
I love Calzones. What is not good about pizza dough stuffed with delicious ingredients? I really only started eating them in college at our favorite pizza spot in Starkville, MS, Stromboli’s. They had the best crust. I loved creating my own creation (sausage and feta was my go-to). I started making them at home years ago by using Pillsbury pizza crust and stuffing it with whatever my heart desired. You can’t get easier than that.
I decided to go a different route with today’s recipe. I wanted to try and make my own crust in an effort to be a bit healthier with a whole wheat crust and fill it with one of my favorite Italian flavors, pesto. That may sound hard to you, but it was really easy to put together. I used Rotisserie chicken and you can even buy the jarred pesto to make it even easier or you can make pesto homemade using THIS recipe.
See below for step x step instructions (with pictures) and scroll to the bottom for the printable recipe!
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Glass Mixing Bowls / Glass Measuring Cup
Recipe:
STEP 1: Make the dough by whisking together warm water, yeast & sugar in a mixing bowl.
STEP 2: Add olive oil, salt and bread flour and stir until mixture is smooth.
STEP 3: Add whole wheat flour gradually and stir until mixture starts to pull from the sides of the bowl and form a ball.
Glass Mixing Bowl
STEP 4: Dump the dough onto a floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth.
Cutting Board
STEP 5: Prepare a bowl by oiling it. Place dough into bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
Stainless Steel Bowl
STEP 6: Allow dough to rise for about 1 1/2 – 2 hours or until doubled in size.
Stainless Steel Bowl
STEP 7: While dough is rising, prepare the filling by mixing shredded chicken and pesto together in a bowl.
STEP 8: When dough is risen, preheat the oven to 475 degrees and prepare a pan with parchment paper.
STEP 9: Divide the dough into 4-5 sections and roll out each section into a rectangle or oval on a lightly floured surface.
Plastic Cutting Board
STEP 10: Spoon about 1/4 cup -1/2 cup of mixture onto one half of each section.
STEP 11: Top the chicken mixture with a slice of provolone cheese.
STEP 12: Fold the dough over the mixture and pinch the edges of the dough to seal each calzone.
STEP 13: Place the calzones on the prepared baking sheet and brush tops with olive oil. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning.
Cookie sheet
STEP 14: Bake calzones for 12-14 minutes or until cooked through.
Looking for another great easy meal recipe, you should try these, too:
Butternut Squash Tater Tots
Blue Cheese, Prosciutto & Honey Pizza
Thai Style “Meat”balls
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Printable Recipe:
Pesto Chicken Calzones
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups warm water 110 degrees
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon dry active yeast
- 1 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 3 cups shredded chicken
- 1 cup pesto
- 4 slices provolone sheese
Instructions
-
Make the dough by whisking together warm water, yeast and sugar in a mixing bowl.
-
Add olive oil, salt and bread flour and stir until mixture is smooth.
-
Add whole wheat flour gradually and stir until mixture starts to pull from the sides of the bowl and form a ball.
-
Dump the dough onto a floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth.
-
Prepare a bowl by oiling it. Place dough into bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel.
-
Allow dough to rise for about 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until double in size.
-
While dough is rising, prepare the filling my mixing shredded chicken and pesto together in a bowl.
-
When dough is rising, prepare the filling by mixing shredded chicken and pesto together in a bowl.
-
When dough is risen, preheat the oven to 475 degrees and prepare a pan with parchment paper.
-
Divide the dough into 4-5 sections and roll out each section into a rectangle or oval on a lightly floured surface.
-
Spoon about 1/4 - 1/2 cup of chicken mixture onto one half of each section.
-
Top the chicken mixture wiht a slice of provolone cheese.
-
Fold the dough over the mixture and pinch the edges of the dough to seal each calzone.
-
Place the calzones on the prepared baking sheet and brust tops with olive oil. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning.
-
Bake calzones for 12-14 minutes or until cooked through.
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