Make Your Own Calzones

In just 30 minutes, you can cook up flavor-packed pizza pockets in your own kitchen. Start with our basic recipe, then personalize the seasonings and fillings to your tastes—it’s really that easy! And best of all, you can make an extra batch to freeze for another night or quick lunch.

Basic Calzone Recipe Personalize the fillings to your tastes, just like you would at the pizza shop, or mix up one of our 6 winning combinations (below). Pair them with a delicious salad, and dinner’s done! Makes 8 small or 4 large calzones Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 10-15 minutes INGREDIENTS 1 pound store-bought pizza dough, thawed if frozen About 2 cups of filling Grated Romano cheese, optional Pizza sauce, for dipping *Tip: Always cook raw meats before adding to filling; vegetables can be sauteed or left raw. No matter the ingredients, fillings should be more dry than wet. INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or lightly oil a pizza screen.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to about 1/4” thick. Cut out 8 4”-circles for small calzones, or 4 8”-circles for large calzones. Get more perfect rounds by using an overturned bowl with about a 4” or 8” diameter to cut.
Tip: Make store-bought dough feel homespun! Sprinkle it with fresh or dried herbs, then use a rolling pin to embed and/or dust with flavored salts just before serving.
3. Spoon filling—1/4 cup for small calzones and 1/2 cup for large—onto the center of each circle. With clean hands, fold the dough over the filling, being careful to keep the edges clean.
4. Press the edges with your fingers, then pinch and roll inward, creating a seal. Slice small slits in the tops to allow steam to escape. For extra flavor, brush with garlic or chili-infused oil.
5. Transfer to prepared baking surface and cook for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. Sprinkle with finely grated Romano cheese, if desired, and cool on a rack for 5 minutes before serving.
Make-Ahead Tip: To freeze, arrange unbaked, unwrapped calzones, on a baking sheet. Once frozen solid, transfer to a re-sealable plastic bag or individually wrap in plastic wrap. Bake them straight from the freezer adding 5-7 minutes to the bake time.
6 Calzone Filling Ideas From crowd-pleasing classics to flavorful new takes, the sky’s the limit:
• Caprese Calzone: About 1/2 cup each of diced tomato, fresh basil, grated Parmesan, shredded mozzarella and chopped fresh mozzarella (Not recommended for freezing.)
• Meat Lover’s Calzone: About 1/2 cup each cooked, crumbled Italian sausage, pepperoni and crispy bacon or pancetta, pizza sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese, seasoned with dried Italian herbs.
• Spinach & Feta Calzone: Embed fresh dill into the crust, then fill with 1/2 cup each of chopped spinach, sautéed onion, feta and ricotta cheese.
• Santa Fe-Style Chicken Calzone: 1/4 cup each of shredded chicken, sliced roasted red pepper, diced green chili, black beans,corn, cheddar, mozzarella and ricotta cheese. Serve with creamy salsa dip—half garden-fresh salad, half cream cheese, whipped together.
• Spicy Sausage & Spinach Calzone: Embed ground fennel seed and fresh-cracked black pepper into the crust, then fill with about 1/2 cup each of shredded mozzarella, ricotta, cooked, crumbled spicy Italian sausage, chopped spinach and pizza sauce.
• Pepperoni Pizza Calzones: The classic pizzeria favorite, turned inside out. About 1/3 cup each, pepperoni, mushrooms, ripe sliced olives, shredded mozzarella, grated Parmesan and pizza sauce, seasoned with crushed red pepper flakes.
What kind of calzones do you order or bake the most? Share your favorite seasonings and filling combos below.