Week 40, Recipe 2: Sausage & Pepper Calzones

Photo by Randy Mayor

NOTES

• Original recipe modified from Cooking Light.
• If your kids baulk at "chunky" things like veggies and sliced sausage, do what I did and pulse the filling in a food processor until you've reached the desired consistency. That way you're not leaving any of the good stuff out!
• The original recipe called for apple chicken sausage so we tried it and liked it but thought a regular Italian sausage would have been better.
• The recipe below makes 2 large calzones and 1 smaller one. Double it if you want more or want to freeze extras (freezing directions in step 6 below).

INGREDIENTS

• Pizza dough (either homemade, store bought or pick some up at your favorite pizzeria)
• 1/2 tsp olive oil
• 1 c. thinly sliced red bell pepper (about 1)
• 1/2 c. chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 pound chicken apple sausage or other favorite kind (see NOTE above), cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 c pizza sauce
• 1/4 c. cottage cheese
• 1 tbsp grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Pinch of crushed red pepper

DIRECTIONS
1. To prepare filling, heat oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick skillet. Add bell pepper, onion, garlic, and sausage; saute 10 minutes or until tender. Spoon mixture into a bowl; cool slightly. Add mozzarella and remaining ingredients to sausage mixture; stir well.

2. Preheat oven to 450°.
3. Divide dough into the number of calzones you are making and roll into circles on a lightly floured surface.
4. 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.
5. 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 for a few minutes before serving.
6. To freeze: Cool calzones completely. 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. To cook frozen calzones: Preheat oven to 450°. Place foil-wrapped, frozen calzones on a large baking sheet. Bake at 450° for 40 minutes or until thoroughly heated.