Easy Calzones (Combo Meat Flavor)

4 servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Easy Calzone Pizzas filled with pepperoni, sausage, olives, onions and cheese baked in 20 minutes with a crispy crust and perfect for dipping.

Calzones may be the most underrated Italian food on menus full of Ultimate Meat LasagnaEasy Bacon Carbonara Pasta and Easy Chicken Parmesan but this handheld dippable crispy pizza deserves more respect for it’s melted cheese delivery system.

Easy Calzone Recipe  Calzone Recipe

Calzones are the original hot pockets but better with a homemade Pizza Dough, homemade (EASY) Pizza Sauce and with sides of ranch dressing (see recipe below) and easy marinara sauce you can make these calzones for a crowd as appetizers or for easy weeknight dinners. The word calzone is Italian and calzones were first created in Naples, Italy where the translation of the word “calza” which means stocking so it’s meant to be like a pizza filled with food like a stocking.

The best part is all the delicious melted cheese that stays inside with the crispy crust both on top and on the bottom. If you’re a fan of thin crust  is your favorite type of pizza crust then calzones are the perfect option for you.

Is Calzone Dough the same as Pizza Dough?

Yes calzone dough is the same as pizza dough, you roll it out to 1/4″ thickness then add the filling to the middle of the dough, roll and pinch the ends of the dough together and cut slits into the top to allow steam to escape so the dough can crisp up and become golden brown while baking.

Raw Calzone before baking

Best Sauce for Calzones:

Since the calzone is a closed pizza recipe you’re going to want to use a traditional pizza sauce recipe instead of marinara sauce or tomato sauce for your filling. The extra liquid in the tomato sauce and marinara sauce will cause your calzones to become soggy.

Crispy Crust:

I like to brush the crust with olive oil but you can also use an egg wash or top with parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning for a more flavorful and decorated crust.

What to serve with Calzones: 

We love serving Olive Garden Italian Salad (Copycat)Garlic BreadUltimate Spinach Artichoke Dip and Baked Million Dollar Spaghetti for the perfect Italian meal!

Baled Calzone on baking sheet

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Easy Calzone Pizzas

Easy Calzone Pizzas filled with pepperoni, sausage, olives, onions and cheese baked in 20 minutes with a crispy crust and perfect for dipping.
Yield 4 servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder

Ingredients
 

  • 1 ball pizza dough
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 3/4 cup pizza sauce
  • 1/4 cup black olives , sliced
  • 2 tablespoons red onions , sliced
  • 4 ounces sliced pepperoni
  • 4 ounces Italian sausage , cooked and crumbled
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese , shredded
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 500 degrees (preheat your pizza stone if using one) and sprinkle work surface and rolling pin with flour and roll each piece into 10 inch circles 1/4" thick.
  • Spoon the pizza sauce onto the half of the dough, then add the olives, onions, pepperoni, sausage and cheese.
  • Fold dough in half, wet the edges and roll and crimp, pinching it closed then brush with olive oil and cut 2" holes into the top two times to allow steam to escape.
  • Cook for 10 minutes, on a pizza stone or baking sheet (use cooking spray), brush with more olive oil and cook for another 10 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 538kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 1462mg | Potassium: 245mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 420IU | Vitamin C: 4.1mg | Calcium: 157mg | Iron: 3.9mg
Keyword: Calzone, Easy Calzone Recipe

Collage of Calzone photos

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. If you enjoyed the recipe and would like to publish it on your own site, please re-write it in your own words, and link back to my site and recipe page. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  1. These were a huge hit with my family. We made it at night and let the kids stuff their own. The kids loved that and I loved how easy they were. My only regret was that I didn’t double the recipe – lesson learned. Will definitely be making these again.

  2. This looks so good!! This would be great to change up pizza night! Plus, everyone can add what they like to theirs! Thanks!