My kids love it when we make homemade calzones.
Everyone gets to add their favorite toppings and as much or as little sauce as they want. I like making homemade calzones because they are easy and delicious. Saturday night at our house is movie night, so we scour Netflix and have food that we can eat in the family room. You know, things like pizza or subs, and calzones definitely fit the bill. Now that my kids are all teens (and one is away at college, but comes home occasionally on weekends) it is nice to have some fun family time, where we can all do something fun together.
Besides, these calzones are the first thing I cooked for my hubby 25 years ago when we were dating, and he really liked them then! 😉
The secret ingredient for our calzones is crescent rolls!
They make the perfect crust. Then we fill them with a mixture of cheeses, sauce, and other yummy toppings like turkey pepperoni (less greasy than regular) or sausage and veggies like peppers, onions and olives. Then they are baked to golden brown perfection. Yum!
So here is how to make your own homemade calzones!
Ingredients are super simple.
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Ingredients
1 can of 8 crescent rolls will make 4 servings. (There was a sale on smaller cans, so I used 2 of those instead)
8 oz. container part skim milk ricotta cheese
1 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
Turkey pepperoni or your favorite toppings
Jar of pizza sauce
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
Directions
Make the cheese mixture.
In a bowl, combine the ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese.
Add 1/4 tsp. EACH garlic salt and garlic pepper. (This is what I like, but you could make it more “Italian” by substituting 1/2 tsp of oregano or Italian seasoning instead).
Set aside the cheese mixture.
Make the crust.
Unroll the crescent rolls so that 2 triangles are still attached to each other so they form a rectangle. When using the large can, you will end up with 4 rectangles.
Flour your workspace.
Set a rectangle down on the floured surface and with your fingers pinch the diagonal seam together so it is now one rectangle.
Then turn the rectangle over to flour the other side, and roll out the dough so it is about double in size. It will be thin, so make sure it is well-floured.
Here is the rolled out piece next to the unrolled one for comparison.
Now comes the fun part – adding your fillings!
Put a large spoonful of the cheese mixture near the bottom of the rectangle. Then add your toppings. Next spoon on some jarred pizza sauce. Finally add a bit more mozzarella to make it nice and gooey.
Seal up the calzones.
Fold the dough over the filling and pinch it together around all of the edges to seal up the seams. Otherwise everything will ooze out while baking and you’ll end up with a messy pan and an empty calzone!
Because they are a bit long and fragile before baking, I use a wide spatula to pick them up and transfer them to the baking sheet. It’s hard to see it in this picture, but if you look at the picture above, you can see it at the top, while I’m working.
Bake your homemade calzones in a 350° oven for 15-20 minutes or until the crusts are golden brown.
Let them sit on the pan for a minute or two before transferring to plates. We’ve also learned to cut them in half and let them cool a few minutes before eating them. Nothing like burning the roof of your mouth with melted cheese. Ouch!
And that’s all there is to making these homemade calzones!
They are so easy and really delicious. What are your favorite calzone fillings?
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By the way, here is another of our favorite Saturday night dishes:
So why not set aside Saturday night for a fun movie with family and good food?
~ Pam
P.S. Looking for some yummy desserts? Fill out the form below to get a free downloadable copy of recipes for my 10 favorite easy desserts!