Easy Weeknight Calzones

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Easy calzones

We all know that when it comes to the game of Rock, Paper, Scissors, rock crushes scissors, scissors cuts paper and paper covers rock. In other words, I’ll want to be the crusher, cutter, or coverer tomorrow when it comes time to play this silly little game to determine who gets the last piece of these Easy Weeknight Calzones!

This was my first attempt at making calzones and I spent a ridiculous amount of time looking at different recipes out there. I kept looking over this particular recipe for one main reason: it requires dough, from a tube, the kind you smack on the counter to open, which largely goes against the part of my cooking philosophy where I like to use fresh, made-from-scratch ingredients. But then I kept returning to this recipe because it goes right along with the part of my cooking philosophy that’s all about keeping things simple and easy! And I really wanted a simple and easy recipe.

After much debate, I decided not to make my dough from scratch for these calzones, and part of that reason is because I know my readers like dinners that are easy enough for weeknights. And sometimes, to make simple weeknight meals, it requires a little help from the store! When it comes to the lesser of the two evils, I’d rather take a little help from the store to get a home cooked meal on the table, than succumb to getting something from the golden arches, ya know?

This recipe comes together fairly quick and is easily adaptable. This time around I decided to use Italian sausage (hubby’s fav.) and mushrooms (my fav.), but you can use any ingredients you’d like. Next time I’d like to try an all veggie calzone with broccoli, mushrooms, and whatever else I can think of to throw in. Get creative, this is a method that can be changed up any way you’d like!

Tip: One of the first steps in this recipe is to roll out refrigerated french bread dough into a 14 x 12 inch rectangle. I found the best tool to help with this process (and so many others!) when I was at Bed Bath and Beyond a couple weeks ago. I should probably leave out the part about how I was really there to buy a gift for a bridal shower, and how I bought myself a gift too (oops!), but it’s too late for that. Anyhow, I found a silicone non-stick baking mat that has measurements along the sides so that you can easily see the dimensions of the dough you’re rolling out. I believe it was $30, and it has turned out to be a fantastic investment!

Easy calzones 2

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 25 min
Total Time: 35 min

INGREDIENTS

  • 8-10 ounces italian sausage, cooked, crumbled, and drained of excess fat
  • 8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced, and sautéed until lightly browned
  • 1 tube refrigerated French loaf (I bought Pillsbury brand)
  • 1/4 teaspoon each of oregano, crushed red pepper, basil, and garlic powder
  • 2 cups cheese of your choice (I used all sharp cheddar because I had it on hand, but will likely use Mozzarella in the future)
  • Parsley for garnish
  • Pizza sauce for dipping

DIRECTIONS

  1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Roll out the refrigerated French bread dough into a 14 x 12 inch rectangle.
  3. Spread cooked Italian Sausage and mushrooms (or any toppings of your choice) down the middle of the dough.
  4. Season the sausage and mushrooms with oregano, crushed red pepper, basil, and garlic powder.
  5. Sprinkle 2 cups of cheese over the toppings.
  6. Fold the sides of the dough towards the middle and pinch to seal. Pinch the ends of the dough as well.
  7. Place the calzone seam side down on a large baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown.
  8. Cut the loaf into slices, sprinkle with fresh or dried parsley and serve with warm pizza sauce on the side. 
  9. Serves 4-6.

Recipe adapted from
Taste of Home, February 2012

Hi, I’m Ashley & I’m so happy you’re here!

Ashley is the founder of CenterCutCook and a former teacher that now spends her days in the kitchen so that she can share her favorite recipes with you!