Best Sausage Calzones Recipes

SAUSAGE CALZONES

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

SPINACH, RICOTTA AND SAUSAGE CALZONES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.
• Cook spinach as directed on box; allow to sit a few minutes until cool enough to handle. Squeeze cooked spinach between paper towels to remove excess moisture. Place spinach in large bowl. Add sausage, ricotta, mozzarella, 3 tablespoons of the Parmesan and the Italian seasoning to bowl; stir until well combined.
• Divide pizza dough into 8 balls. Roll and press each ball into a circle 5 to 6 inches in diameter. Place meat mixture onto one half of each of the balls, leaving a 1/2 inch border around the edge. Fold dough over filling; pinch and roll edges to seal in filling.
• Transfer to cookie sheet. Brush tops of calzones with egg. Prick tops of calzones with fork to allow steam to escape.
• Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until dough is golden brown, topping with remaining 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese during last 3 minutes of baking. Cool 10 minutes on cookie sheet. Serve warm with pizza sauce.
• Freezer Directions: Make as directed through step 3. Place on cookie sheet, and freeze about 4 hours or until firm. Place frozen calzones in resealable plastic freezer bag, and freeze. When ready to cook, place calzones on cookie sheet, and brush with egg. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until dough is golden brown, topping with remaining 1 tablespoon Parmesan during last 3 minutes of baking. Serve with pizza sauce.

SAUSAGE PEPPER CALZONES

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.

SAUSAGE AND RICOTTA CALZONES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450°F. Divide pizza dough into 8 pieces. Roll out each into 8-inch round disk.
• To make filling, in 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add onion and mushrooms; cook 5 to 7 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften. Add spinach; continue to cook about 2 minutes or until spinach wilts. Remove from heat; set aside.
• In large bowl, mix cooked sausage, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, salt, nutmeg, pepper and onion-spinach mixture.
• To make each calzone, place filling in center of dough round. (Resist the temptation to overfill the dough.) Fold dough over; press edge and twist to seal. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cut calzones in half to serve.

CALZONES WITH CHEESE, SAUSAGE AND ROASTED RED PEPPER

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.

QUICK SAUSAGE AND BELL PEPPER CALZONES

Steps:

• Separate rolls onto a cornmeal-sprinkled work surface. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest while preparing filling.
• Fry sausage in a 12-inch skillet, breaking it up into small bits with a spoon, until it loses its raw color, about 5 minutes. Depending on the amount of fat in the pan, drain or add oil to equal about 2 Tbs. Add onion and peppers; saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic. Transfer to a bowl. Cool to room temperature; stir in cheeses and optional parsley.
• Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 450 degrees.
• Sprinkling with cornmeal as necessary, roll out each roll into a 7-inch circle. Spoon a scant 1/2 cup of filling just below the center line, leaving a 1-inch border along the bottom half of the dough circle. Spoon filling just below the center line of the circle of dough, leaving a border along the bottom half of the circle. With wet fingertips, moisten the bottom border. Fold dough over filling and press edges together. Thoroughly seal by using fingertips to crimp and flute the edges or by pressing with the tines of a fork. Place on a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. (At this point, can be frozen up to 2 weeks.)
• Brush tops with oil. Bake until golden brown, about 16 minutes (longer if frozen). Let cool slightly and serve with warm marinara sauce.

SAUSAGE & SPINACH CALZONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a large skillet, cook and crumble sausage over medium heat until no longer pink, 4-6 minutes; drain. Add spinach; cook and stir until wilted. Remove from heat., On a lightly floured surface, unroll and pat dough into a 15x11-in. rectangle. Cut into 4 rectangles. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on half of each rectangle to within 1 in. of edges., Stir ricotta cheese and pepper into sausage mixture; spoon over mozzarella cheese. Fold dough over filling; press edges with a fork to seal. Place on a greased baking sheet., Bake until light golden brown, 10-15 minutes. If desired, serve with pizza sauce.Freeze option: Freeze cooled calzones in an airtight freezer container. To use, microwave calzone on high until heated through.

SAUSAGE, PEPPER & MOZZARELLA 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.

SPINACH, RICOTTA AND SAUSAGE CALZONES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. 2 Cook spinach as directed on box; allow to sit a few minutes until cool enough to handle. Squeeze cooked spinach between paper towels to remove excess moisture. Place spinach in large bowl. Add sausage, ricotta, mozzarella, 3 tablespoons of the Parmesan and the Italian seasoning to bowl; stir until well combined. 3 Divide pizza dough into 8 balls. Roll and press each ball into a circle 5 to 6 inches in diameter. Place meat mixture onto one half of each of the balls, leaving a 1/2 inch border around the edge. Fold dough over filling; pinch and roll edges to seal in filling. 4 Transfer to cookie sheet. Brush tops of calzones with egg. Prick tops of calzones with fork to allow steam to escape. 5 Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until dough is golden brown, topping with remaining 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese during last 3 minutes of baking. Cool 10 minutes on cookie sheet. Serve warm with pizza sauce. 6 Freezer Directions: Make as directed through step 3. Place on cookie sheet, and freeze about 4 hours or until firm. Place frozen calzones in resealable plastic freezer bag, and freeze. When ready to cook, place calzones on cookie sheet, and brush with egg. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until dough is golden brown, topping with remaining 1 tablespoon Parmesan during last 3 minutes of baking. Serve with pizza sauce.

CALZONES STUFFED WITH BROCCOLI RABE AND SAUSAGE

Steps:

• For the calzone dough: In a small bowl, combine the yeast and sugar and whisk together with the warm water. Let sit for 15 minutes; when the water looks frothy and smells very yeasty, it's ready.
• In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the flours and salt. Pour in the yeast-water mixture and the olive oil. Mix to combine on medium speed. When a dough ball has formed, continue to knead until the dough is tight and not at all sticky, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Lightly oil a mixing bowl, place the dough in the bowl and cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap. Place the bowl in a warm place to let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch the dough down and let it rise again for 30 to 40 minutes. During the last rise, make the filling.
• For the broccoli rabe and sausage filling: Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil and prepare a well-salted ice bath. Toss the broccoli rabe in the boiling water, swish around and then remove to the ice bath. Let cool and then coarsely chop.
• Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and bring to a medium heat. Add in the sausage and chop it up with the edge of large kitchen spoon. Cook until the sausage is brown and crumbled. Stir in the broccoli rabe and remove from the heat. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and stir in the ricotta and Parmesan. Taste to make sure it is delicious and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• To assemble: Once the dough is rested, divide the dough into nine 2-inch balls. (Save 3 of the balls for another purpose.) On a lightly floured work surface, roll the 6 dough balls into 8-inch circles that are about 1/4-inch thick.
• Place about 3/4 cup of the filling on the bottom half of a dough circle. Brush the bottom half edge of the circle with the egg wash. Fold the top half of the circle over to ALMOST meet the bottom edge of the dough. Fold the bottom edge of the dough over the top edge and crimp it shut. Brush the top of the dough with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Repeat this process with rest of the dough and filling.
• Place the filled calzones on sheet trays and bake for 30 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature with tomato sauce if desired.

MINI SAUSAGE CALZONES (OAMC)

Steps:

• Divide dough into 16 portions.
• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Grease a baking sheet.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add sausage.
• Cook until brown and crumbly, drain fat.
• Stir onion, garlic, basil, oregano, and pizza sauce into skillet, simmer for 10 minutes.
• Roll each dough piece into a 5in circle.
• Spoon sausage mixture onto each circle, sprinkle with cheeses.
• Moisten edges of dough with water.
• Fold dough over to enclose filling, press to seal.
• Place on prepared baking sheet.
• Beat eggs with milk.
• Brush over calzones.
• Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

CHEESE 'N' SAUSAGE CALZONES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine cheeses, oregano and basil; set aside. In a large skillet, saute the onion, green pepper and garlic in oil until tender; add to cheese mixture. In the same skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain and stir into cheese mixture. , Divide each loaf of dough into four portions; roll each into a 6-in. circle. Spoon 2 tablespoons of filling on half of one circle; fold dough over filling and seal edges. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Brush with butter. Place on greased baking sheets. , Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with spaghetti sauce for dipping.

SCRUMPTIOUS SAUSAGE CALZONES

Steps:

• In large bowl, dissolve yeast in water& milk.
• Add oil, salt, sugar and 2 cups of flour; beat until smooth.
• Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
• Turn onto a floured surface& knead until smooth& elastic- approx.
• 6-8 minutes.
• Place in greased bowl, turning once to grease the top.
• Cover& let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook sausage until no longer pink; drain.
• Add spinach, cheeses, parsley& pepper; mix well.
• (mushrooms, onions, etc. can be added at this point) Punch down dough; divide into six pieces.
• On floured surface, roll each piece into 8" circle.
• Top each w/ 2/3 c.
• filling.
• Fold dough over filling; pinch to seal.
• Place on greased baking sheets that have been sprinkled with cornmeal.
• Brush tops lightly with oil; sprinkle with garlic salt.
• Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
• Serve with pizza sauce.

SAUSAGE CALZONES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add the milk, 2 tablespoons oil, salt, sugar and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl; turn once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add the spinach, cheeses, parsley and pepper; mix well. , Punch dough down; divide into six pieces. On a floured surface, roll each piece into an 8-in. circle. Top each with 2/3 cup filling. Fold dough over filling; pinch to seal. , Place on greased baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal. Brush tops lightly with remaining oil; sprinkle with garlic salt. Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with pizza sauce. Freeze option: Freeze cooled baked calzones in resealable plastic freezer bags. To use, reheat calzones on a greased baking sheet in a preheted 350° oven until heated through.

SAUSAGE AND RED PEPPER CALZONES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, stir together the yeast, sugar and warm water. Let stand for 5 min. Combine in food processor, 2 C bread flour, salt and yeast mixture. Slowly drizzle in 1 T. of olive oil and process for about 3 min. The dough should come together into a large ball and pull away from the sides of the bowl; Transfer the dough to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand at room temp until the dough is doubled in size, about 1 hour. Place a pizza stone on middle rack of an oven and preheat to 500ºF. In a 10" fry pan over med heat, warm 1 T olive oil. Add sausage, and cook until browned, about 8 min. Drain on paper towels. Wipe out the pan, set over med heat and warm 1 T olive oil. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 min, then add bell pepper and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are tender and beginning to brown, about 15 min. Transfer veggies to large bowl, add sausage, oregano, ricotta, mozzarella and tomato sauce, stir to combine. Punch down the dough, divide it into 6 equal pieces. Roll each into a ball. Using extra bread flour if the dough is too sticky, roll out 1 ball of dough into an 8" round; use the open calzone mold as a guide (the dough round should be about 1/2" wider than mold). Place dough on the mold. Place 1/3 C filling on one side of the dough, then close the mold, pressing the dough down firmly. Gently remove the calzone from the mold, place on a baking sheet dusted with semolina flour and refrigerate. Repeat to make 5 more calzones. Brush the top of each calzone with 1/2 T olive oil, then dust each with 1 T Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Transfer 3 calzones to a pizza peel dusted with semolina flour,bake for 10 to 12 min @ 500F. Remove the calzones from the oven and let cool for 5 min before serving. Repeat with the remaining calzones.

SPICY SAUSAGE CALZONES

Steps:

• 1. Begin by sauteing your onions in skillet. Add 1 lb. of ground pork sausage to skillet and cook until done.
• 2. Pour a jar of Ragu pizza sauce & a 4.5 oz. jar of sliced, drained mushrooms to a bowl.
• 3. Add meat and onion mixture to the sauce mixture. Stir thoroughly.
• 4. Divide large pizza dough (store bought or homemade) into six balls. On floured countertop or board roll out one ball at a time to an 8 or 9 inch circle.
• 5. Fill 1/2 of circle with meat/sauce mixture and top with mozzerella cheese.
• 6. Moisten edge of pizza dough circle and fold over in half and crimp.
• 7. Spray a large cookie sheet with non-stick spray and place first completed calzone on sheet. Repeat steps 4-6 with remaining dough balls.
• 8. Once all 6 lge. calzones on complete, whisk 2 eggs whites in a bowl. Using a pastry brush, "paint" your calzones with egg white and bake in an oven at 350 degrees for appox. 30 minutes. (Egg white will help them to brown).

CALZONES STUFFED WITH BROCCOLI RABE AND SAUSAGE

Steps:

• For the calzone dough: In a small bowl, combine the yeast and sugar and whisk together with the warm water. Let sit for 15 minutes; when the water looks frothy and smells very yeasty, it's ready.
• In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the flours and salt. Pour in the yeast-water mixture and the olive oil. Mix to combine on medium speed. When a dough ball has formed, continue to knead until the dough is tight and not at all sticky, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Lightly oil a mixing bowl, place the dough in the bowl and cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap. Place the bowl in a warm place to let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch the dough down and let it rise again for 30 to 40 minutes. During the last rise, make the filling.
• For the broccoli rabe and sausage filling: Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil and prepare a well-salted ice bath. Toss the broccoli rabe in the boiling water, swish around and then remove to the ice bath. Let cool and then coarsely chop.
• Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and bring to a medium heat. Add in the sausage and chop it up with the edge of large kitchen spoon. Cook until the sausage is brown and crumbled. Stir in the broccoli rabe and remove from the heat. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and stir in the ricotta and Parmesan. Taste to make sure it is delicious and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• To assemble: Once the dough is rested, divide the dough into nine 2-inch balls. (Save 3 of the balls for another purpose.) On a lightly floured work surface, roll the 6 dough balls into 8-inch circles that are about 1/4-inch thick.
• Place about 3/4 cup of the filling on the bottom half of a dough circle. Brush the bottom half edge of the circle with the egg wash. Fold the top half of the circle over to ALMOST meet the bottom edge of the dough. Fold the bottom edge of the dough over the top edge and crimp it shut. Brush the top of the dough with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Repeat this process with rest of the dough and filling.
• Place the filled calzones on sheet trays and bake for 30 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature with tomato sauce if desired.

SAUSAGE & RED PEPPER CALZONES

Steps:

• Stir together the yeast, sugar and warm water. Let stand for 5 min. In a food processor, combine the 2 cups bread flour, the salt and yeast mixture. Slowly drizzle in 1 Tbs. of the olive oil and process for about 3 min. The dough should come together into a large ball and pull away from the sides of the bowl; it should be moist but not sticky. Transfer the dough to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature until the dough is doubled in size, about 1 hr. Place a pizza stone on the middle rack of an oven and preheat the oven to 500ºF. In a fry pan over med, warm 1 Tbs. of the olive oil. Add the sausage, breaking it into small chunks, and cook until browned and cooked through, about 8 min. Drain on paper towels. Wipe out the pan, set over medium heat and warm 1 Tbs. of the olive oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 min, add the bell pepper and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, about 15 min. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl, add the sausage, oregano, ricotta, mozzarella and tomato sauce and stir to combine. Punch down the dough, divide it into 6 equal pieces and roll each into a ball. Using extra bread flour if the dough is too sticky, roll out 1 ball of dough into an 8-in round. Place the dough on the mold. Place 1/3 cup filling on one side of the dough, fold pressing the dough down firmly. Place on a baking sheet dusted with semolina flour and refrigerate. Repeat to make 5 more calzones. Brush the top of each calzone with 1/2 Tbs. olive oil, then dust each with 1 Tbs. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Transfer 3 calzones to a pizza peel dusted with semolina flour, then carefully slide them onto the preheated pizza stone and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the calzones from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Repeat with the remaining calzones.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE CALZONES

Steps:

• 1. Dissolve yeast in warm water; let stand 5 minutes. Combine yeast mixture, salt, oil and 1 cup flour in a large bowl. Gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a stiff dough.
• 2. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until fmooth and elastic. Place in a well greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.
• 3. Punch dough down; Separate into 4 pieces. Roll each piece into balls and roll flat.
• 4. Preheat oven to 450°F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
• 5. Combine sausage, cheese, tomato paste, and Italian seasoning; mix well. Spread mixture in center of each piece of dough. Fold over filling, overlapping edges. Pinch ends together
• 6. Mix the egg whites with water and brush the top of each calzone with egg white mixture and sprinkle sesame seeds.
• 7. Place lightly on Prepared baking sheet. Bake until 15 to 20 minutes or until the calzones are golden brown. Let the calzones cool for a few minutes before serving.