This recipe got an update on 10/4/21
Calzone: As Easy As Pizza Pie
Have you ever made homemade pizza? It’s pretty straightforward. Make the dough, roll it out, top it with your favorite things. Well, making a calzone is pretty similar…you just top half of the dough and then fold it over. And it seems so much more impressive. Fancy. Even the name “calzone” seems more elegant than “pizza.”
Fun fact: did you know “calzones” means “stocking” or “trouser”?
Choosing Your Ingredients
This calzone recipe is pretty straightforward, but quality matters. Use pastured, organic Italian sausage for the best flavor and nutritional profile. Make sure the mozzarella is organic, and grate it yourself if you have the time. (Pre-grated cheese contains additives, and it doesn’t melt as well). And, if you can, use a sourdough pizza dough recipe. I am working on one to share with you, but in the meantime, you can use this bread recipe and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the dough. Then, after it ferments, roll it out and use as normal to make a calzone.
Making the Calzone
You will preheat the oven to 425 degrees, then get to work on peeling and chopping the sweet potatoes. Steam those while you cook the sausage. While the sausage cooks, steam the spinach. Bring all the cooked ingredients together in a bowl and add the grated mozzarella cheese.
Divide your dough into two balls. Roll out each, and fill half of each circle with the sausage and sweet potato filling, leaving a one inch border near the edge. Fold over the bare half of the dough to line up the edges over the filling. Crimp the edges, turning them over and pressing down along the edge.
I hope you enjoy this family favorite as much as we do. Until next time,
Rebekah
Sweet Potato Sausage Calzone
Ingredients
- 2 cups diced sweet potatoes
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 6 links pastured Italian turkey sausage
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 8 cups loosely packed spinach
- 2 cups mozzarella shredded
- 1 recipe sourdough pizza crust *see note below for a sourdough pizza crust recipe
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Peel and dice sweet potato. Add to a pot with enough water to cover, bring to boil, cover with lid, and cook for about 10 minutes until soft.
- Chop garlic. Remove casings from sausage. Cook over medium high heat, together with garlic, crumbling sausage as it cooks, for about 8 minutes or until done.
- Wash and chop spinach. Place in steamer basket with 1/2 cup water, or place in pot with 1/2 cup water. Place lid on top, bring water to boil, and steam until wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Let cool, then squeeze out extra water.
- Mix together cooked sweet potatoes, cooked sausage, spinach, and mozzarella in bowl. Set aside.
- Divide dough into two balls. Roll out each ball on a floured surface into a 12 inch circle. Divide filling between each circle of dough, filling only one side and leaving a 1 inch border near the edge. Fold over the empty side of the circle so the edges line up together, then crimp the edges to form a seal.
- Place each calzone on a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden.
Notes
If only there was Trader Joes in Colorado… though I could find a substitute. This looks great and very creative!
Becki, I wish you had a Trader Joe’s nearby too! It’s good that the closest one to me is half an hour away so I’m not tempted to shop there all the time. You could probably find an easy pizza dough recipe, and you don’t need to let it rise for a calzone. Good luck!
I think I'm going to try this with butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes since that's what I have here… I will let you know how it turns out!!!
Bri, I'm sure it will be just as good. I've substituted butternut squash for sweet potatoes in the past, and it usually turns out great.