Homemade calzones are simple to make when you start with store-bought pizza dough. These spicy chicken sausage and spinach calzones come together in about 30 minutes and are perfect for weeknights, weekend lunches, or late-night snacks.
If you’re over frozen convenience foods, calzones are an easy upgrade. You don’t need to buy frozen calzones—these are almost from scratch and ready in no time. They’re also a fun recipe to make with kids: let them help roll the dough and add their favorite fillings.
All the ingredients shown here were purchased at Trader Joe’s, but you can use whatever brands you prefer.
Sausage Calzone Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Pizza dough (store-bought or homemade)
- Tomatoes (cherry, grape, or sliced)
- Sausage (spicy chicken, pork, turkey, tofu, or another protein)
- Spinach (or kale/other leafy greens)
- Sauce (pizza sauce, marinara, pesto, or alfredo)
- Cheese (melting cheeses like mozzarella; plus grated parmesan)
If you want to make your own dough, there are many easy recipes available; otherwise, store-bought dough works great. Many grocery stores sell whole-wheat or herb-flavored dough, and some pizzerias sell dough by the pound.
Most pre-made sausages are already cooked, but briefly browning them in a skillet adds flavor and improves texture.
Assembly
This recipe uses one pound of pizza dough and yields four handheld calzones. If you prefer larger, shareable calzones, divide the dough into two portions instead.
On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a circle about 7 inches in diameter. Spread sauce over half of the circle, then top with cooked sausage, tomatoes, and wilted spinach. Season with kosher salt and a pinch of red pepper flakes if you like heat. Fold the plain half of the dough over the filling and pinch the edges to seal.
Place the sealed calzones on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle grated parmesan and additional shredded mozzarella on top for extra cheesiness.
Bake at 450°F (about 230°C) for 18–20 minutes, or until the dough is golden and the cheese is melted. Let the calzones rest for a few minutes before cutting—this keeps the filling from spilling and prevents burns.
Serve warm with extra marinara or pizza sauce for dipping. A final dusting of grated parmesan on top adds a nice finishing touch.
More Pizza Dough Dinner Ideas
- French Onion Pizza
- Mushroom Kale Pesto Pizza
- Cast Iron Skillet Pizza
- Summer Vegetable Pizza
Spicy Chicken Sausage and Spinach Calzones
Maryanne Cabrera
4
15 mins
20 mins
35 mins
Ingredients
- 1 pound pizza dough (homemade or store-bought)
- 8 oz cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 9 oz spicy Italian chicken sausage, sliced and quartered (or protein of choice)
- 6 oz spinach
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup pizza sauce or marinara
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Crushed red pepper flakes, as desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until warmed through. Remove and set aside. Add spinach to the skillet and cook just until wilted, about 1 minute; remove and set aside.
- Divide the dough into four equal portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a roughly 7-inch circle. Spoon about 1½ tablespoons of sauce onto half of each circle. Top with sausage, tomatoes, spinach, a sprinkle of salt, and red pepper flakes if using. Add mozzarella.
- Fold the plain half of the dough over the filling and pinch the edges to seal. Place each calzone on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle parmesan and more mozzarella over the tops.
- Bake 18–20 minutes, until the dough is golden and cheese is melted. Let rest a couple of minutes before serving. Serve warm with extra sauce for dipping.
Nutrition
Calories: 618 kcal, Carbohydrates: 66 g, Protein: 33 g, Fat: 26 g, Saturated Fat: 10 g, Sodium: 2212 mg
Nutrition information is an approximation and should be used as a guideline.
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