Sausage Pepper Mozzarella Calzones Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 F.
• Brown sausage in a small skillet in a drizzle of olive oil. Transfer the cooked crumbled sausage to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
• Combine sausage with ricotta, parsley, garlic, Parmigiano, nutmeg, pepper, and pimento. Roll out doughs and halve cross-wise. Place a dough rectangle on a nonstick cookie sheet. Use 1/2 cup mozzarella on half of each dough rectangle and pile a mound of filling on half of the total area. Fold dough over and pinch edges to seal. The result is a rectangular turnover.
• For half-moon shaped calzones, trim excess dough. Roll dough bits into strips, tie in knots and brush with garlic oil and cheese. Garlic knots are fun to dip at the table.
• Bake calzones 15 minutes or until golden all over. Serve calzones with warm tomato, marinara, or pizza sauce for dipping.
• Cook's Note: For an additional time saver, 2 packages precooked sausage crumbles, 8 ounces each, may be substituted for raw Italian sausage used in the above recipe.
• Add olive oil to medium saucepan over moderate heat. Add garlic and crushed pepper to the heated olive oil; when pepper snaps and garlic sizzles, stir in crushed tomatoes. Season sauce with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Cook for five minutes and stir in parsley. Serve.
• Yield: 4 servings

Steps:

• Crumble sausage into a large nonstick skillet; add the onion, peppers and 2 teaspoons oil. Cook over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. , Stir in the sherry, vinegar, salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon each oregano and rosemary; heat through., Divide each loaf of dough into six portions. On a floured surface, roll each portion into a 6-in. circle. Brush with remaining oil; sprinkle with remaining oregano and rosemary. , Spread 1 tablespoon pizza sauce over each circle. Spoon about 1/4 cup sausage mixture on half of each circle to within 1/2 in. of edges; fold dough over filling and seal edges. Cut a small slit in top., Sprinkle cornmeal over greased baking sheets. Place calzones on baking sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. , Bake at 400° for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Warm remaining pizza sauce; serve with calzones.

Steps:

• In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium heat. Add sausage, onion and peppers. Cook until sausage is no longer pink and vegetables are tender, breaking up sausage into crumbles. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain., Stir in sherry, 1 teaspoon each oregano and rosemary, vinegar, salt and pepper; heat through. On a lightly floured surface, divide each loaf of dough into six portions. Roll each into a 6-in. circle. Brush with remaining oil; sprinkle with remaining oregano and rosemary., Spread 1 tablespoon pizza sauce over half of each circle to within 1/2 in. of edge. Spoon about 1/4 cup sausage mixture over sauce. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cheese. Fold dough over filling; press edge with a fork to seal. Cut a small slit in top., Sprinkle cornmeal over greased baking sheets. Place calzones on baking sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes., Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°. In a small bowl, whisk egg and water; brush over calzones. Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Warm remaining pizza sauce; serve with calzones. Freeze option: Freeze cooled calzones in a resealable plastic freezer bag. To use, reheat calzones on a greased baking sheet in a preheated 375° oven until heated through.

Steps:

• Pour 1 1/2 cups warm water into large bowl. Stir in yeast. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes. Mix in oil and salt. Add 3 3/4 cups flour, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until blended. Turn dough out onto floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, sprinkling with more flour if sticky, about 10 minutes.
• Place dough in oiled large bowl; turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, char bell pepper over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in paper bag and let stand 10 minutes. Peel, seed and slice pepper. Heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add red onions; sauté until brown, about 25 minutes. Set aside. Sauté sausage in heavy medium skillet over medium heat until cooked through, breaking into 1/2-inch pieces with spoon, about 15 minutes. Set aside. Mix both cheeses and oregano in bowl, season with salt and pepper.
• Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Dust 2 baking sheets with flour.
• Punch dough down. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth, about 1 minute. Divide into 4 equal portions; shape each into ball. Roll out dough balls on lightly floured surface to 9-inch rounds. Spread 1/3 cup cheese mixture over half of each round, leaving 3/4-inch border. Cover cheese on each with 1/4 of onions, 1/3 cup cheese mixture, 1/4 of sausage, 1/3 cup cheese mixture, then 1/4 of bell peppers. Fold plain dough halves over filling, forming half circles. Pinch edges of dough firmly together to seal.
• Using spatula, transfer 2 calzones to each prepared sheet. Pierce tops in several places with small knife. Bake calzones 15 minutes. Reverse baking sheets and bake until tops of calzones are golden brown, about 15 minutes longer.

Steps:

• Allow both crust pouches to stand at room temperature 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in large skillet brown sausage with onions and garlic; drain. Stir in basil, Italian seasoning and pepper. In small bowl, beat eggs with fork. Reserve 1 1/2 tablespoons; set aside. Add ricotta cheese to remaining eggs; mix well. Stir into sausage mixture. Add mozzarella cheese, red peppers and 3 tablespoons of the pine nuts; mix well.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Remove crusts from pouches; unfold. Press out fold lines. If crusts crack, wet fingers and push edges together. Place one prepared crust on end of large ungreased cookie sheet with about 1/3 of crust hanging over edge. Spoon half of sausage mixture over half of crust on cookie sheet, leaving about 1-inch border and mounding filling towards center. Fold pie crust half over filling; press edges with fork to seal. Cut four 1-inch slits in top of crust. Repeat with second crust and remaining filling at opposite end of cookie sheet. Brush with reserved 1 1/2 tablespoons egg. Sprinkle with remaining pine nuts.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until crust is golden brown. To serve, cut each calzone in half or into 3 wedges.

Steps:

• Preheat oven and pizza stone (if available) to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
• In a large grill plan, cook sausage until browned. Drain.
• In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, garlic, seasonings, pepperoni and cooked sausage. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
• Roll dough out to a 15" circle on a pizza paddle or baking sheet that has been lightly dusted with cornmeal. It doesn't have to be a perfect circle.
• Spread meat and cheese filling over 1 side of the dough. Leave at least 1-inch of the edge without filling to ensure a tight seal.
• Lift 1 side of dough and fold over so that it meets the other side, forming a half moon, and pinch the edges together to seal, using a fork to press edges together. Remove any excess dough which isn't needed for the seal.
• Brush with olive oil and sprinkle some parmesan cheese over top.
• Cut a few slits in the top to allow steam to release.
• Transfer calzone from pizza pad to pizza stone in oven.
• Bake 10-15 minutes, until puffed up golden brown.
• Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
• Heat the marinara sauce in the microwave for dipping.

Steps:

• To prepare dough, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 1/2 cup flour, 1 cup warm water, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl; let stand 15 minutes.
• Gradually add 1 3/4 cups flour, 1 tablespoon oil, and 3/4 teaspoon salt; stir until a soft dough forms.
• Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining 1/2 cup flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands.
• Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.).
• To prepare filling, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick skillet.
• Add bell pepper, onion, garlic, and sausage; sauté 10 minutes or until tender. Spoon mixture into a bowl; cool slightly. Add mozzarella and remaining ingredients to sausage mixture; stir well.
• Preheat oven to 450°.
• Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes. Divide into 8 equal portions. Roll each portion into a 6-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Spoon about 1/2 cup sausage mixture onto half of each circle, leaving a 1/2-inch border.
• Fold dough over filling; crimp edges of dough with fingers to seal. Place calzones on a large baking sheet lined with foil and coated with cooking spray.
• Pierce the tops of the dough once with a fork. Lightly coat the calzones with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 14 minutes or until browned. Remove from oven. Cool completely on a wire rack.
• Coat a sheet of foil with cooking spray. Place 1 calzone on coated side of foil; seal. Repeat procedure with remaining calzones and cooking spray. Place calzones in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; freeze.
• Preheat oven to 450°.
• To reheat, place foil-wrapped, frozen calzones on a large baking sheet. Bake at 450° for 40 minutes or until thoroughly heated.