Recipe: Calzones, Chicken and Sausage Calzone Filling, Dense Vegetable Calzone Filling, Zucchini Calzone

Calzones
rec.food.cooking/Mitch Smith (1998)

I make a very simple dough - flour, water, yeast & salt. The basic recipe (adequate for 2 to 6 calzones depending on size)is:

3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 cup warm water
1 pkg yeast
1 tsp salt

Make as you would any bread dough - I prefer 2 long slow rises before forming. Divide the dough into the desired number of pieces, the form a ball. Roll out on a floured surface until the dough is 1/4" thick or so.

Fill one half of the dough round with the desired fillings. Wet the edge of the dough circle, and fold over to form a half-moon shape. Make sure your oven is already preheated, as I think you get a better result if they are baked immediately after stuffing.

Bake in a preheated 425 oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Time depends on size. Dough should be golden. Serve immediately.

Fillings: your imagination is the limit. A classic is to fill with a variety of Italian meats and cheeses. If you use sausage, you may wish to partially pre-cook to render out some grease. Eggplant which has been brushed with olive oil and grilled is a wonderful stuffing with sausage & cheese. All veggie calzones are also good. A classic ratatouille stuffing (eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini & onion) is wonderful. Like sausage, some veggies can throw a LOT of water, so should be precooked.

I prefer serving any spaghetti sauce on the side (or coating the plate with the calzone on top as the dish is plated-up for serving), instead of including it in the stuffing.

Chicken and Sausage Calzone Filling
rec.food.cooking/Marcy Thompson (1993)

2 cups cooked chicken meat in bite-sized pieces
2 cups cooked mild Italian suasage
1/2 cup chopped scallions
6 oz chopped mild green chiles
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
lots of freshly ground black pepper

Mix this stuff together. It yields about 5 1/2 cups filling, which is sufficient to fill 1 dozen medium or 6 huge calzone.

Dense Vegetable Calzone Filling

4 cups diced mixed vegetables (I use what I have around, usually a combination of onions, celery, red and green peppers, and zucchini)
2 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup bread crumbs
lots of black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp dry sage
1/2 tsp dry thyme
1/2 cup grated parmesan

Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the vegetables and the garlic. Saute until lots of juices run out of the vegetables. Remove from heat and add half the bread crumbs and the seasonings. Depending on how juicy your vegetables are, you may not need to add the rest of the bread crumbs. You want a mixture which is well bound and dry but not crumbly. Stir in the cheese. Makes enough for 12 medium or 6 huge calzone.

Zucchini Calzone
rec.food.cooking/Frank Maginnis (1996)

I just used grated zucchini in a calzone. Good veggie dish also. First I sauteed some onion, peppers and tomato (remove seed and pulp from
tomatoes). Roll out dough into a 7 or 8-inch circle, place some onion mix in one side, add shredded zucchini, salt, and grated cheddar cheese. Fold over dough and seal edges. Let rise for about 1 hr. then bake for 25-30 minutes in a 400 F oven.

Mighty good according to the eaters in my house.