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This easy Calzone Recipe wraps creamy ricotta and mozzarella with savory sausage, pepperoni and peppers inside golden pizza dough. Each calzone is crisp on the outside, cheesy on the inside and easy to customize with your favorite pizza toppings. Serve them with warm marinara sauce for dipping and you’ve got an easy homemade pizza night everyone can make their own.
Table of Contents
- Kellie’s Note Pocket Full of Sunshine
- What Is a Calzone?
- Calzone Ingredients You’ll Need
- How to Make a Calzone
- Tips for the Best Calzones
- Calzone vs. Stromboli
- Calzone Variations and Substitutions
- What to Serve With Calzones
- Can You Make Calzones Ahead of Time?
- How to Store, Freeze and Reheat Calzones
- More Pizza Night Favorites
- Calzone Recipe
Kellie’s Note
Pocket Full of Sunshine
After a lot of really delicious trials, I’ve finally landed on what I can truly say is the BEST calzone recipe I’ve ever made! And I’ve made sure to keep it simple, this way you can customize this calzone recipe just they way you like it. It has all of the goodness of a pizza wrapped up in dough and baked until gooey. Similar to Homemade Stromboli but just filled with cheese.
It’s so easy to make calzones. You pretty much just have to make the filling (which is delightfully simple), slap it in some pizza dough and bake until golden brown and irresistible. Dunk it in some marinara sauce on the side and you have the ultimate calzone dinner!
I like to include some sautéed green peppers in my calzone filling, but that’s entirely optional! Feel free to skip them or swap with red bell peppers.
What Is a Calzone?
A calzone is essentially a pizza folded into a half-moon-shaped pocket. Pizza dough is filled with cheese, meats or vegetables, folded over and sealed around the edges, then baked until golden brown.
Unlike a traditional pizza, I like to keep the sauce out of the filling and serve warm marinara or pizza sauce on the side for dipping. This keeps the cheesy filling rich and creamy without adding extra moisture to the crust.
Calzone Ingredients You’ll Need
- Pizza dough – Homemade pizza dough is fantastic here, but your favorite fresh store-bought pizza dough works too.
- Mozzarella cheese – Gives the filling plenty of gooey, melty cheese.
- Ricotta cheese – Makes the inside creamy and rich.
- Italian seasoning – Adds classic Italian herb flavor to the cheese filling.
- Garlic powder – An easy way to add savory garlic flavor without adding moisture.
- Pepperoni – Dice it into small pieces so you get pepperoni in every bite.
- Italian sausage – Brown the sausage before adding it to the calzone.
- Green bell pepper – Sauté it first so it’s tender and doesn’t release extra moisture into the filling.
- Egg – Brushed over the dough to help the calzones bake up beautifully golden.
- Parmesan and pizza seasoning – Sprinkle them over the egg wash for extra flavor.
- Marinara or pizza sauce – Warm it up and serve it alongside the calzones for dipping.
How to Make a Calzone
- Make the filling. Stir together the mozzarella, ricotta, Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Cover and chill until you’re ready to assemble the calzones.
- Prepare the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and coat with cooking spray or sprinkle with cornmeal.
- Divide the dough. Divide the pizza dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a circle about 1/8-inch thick.
- Add the filling. Spoon 1/4 of the cheese mixture onto one half of each dough circle. Add the pepperoni, sausage, peppers or your other favorite fillings, leaving the outer edge clean.
- Fold and seal. Fold the empty half of the dough over the filling to create a half moon. Press the edges together and crimp firmly with your fingers or a fork.
- Finish the tops. Brush each calzone with beaten egg and sprinkle with pizza seasoning and Parmesan cheese.
- Bake. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and crisp.
- Serve. Let the calzones cool for a few minutes, then serve warm with marinara or pizza sauce for dipping.
Tips for the Best Calzones
- Don’t overfill them. Too much filling makes the dough difficult to seal and more likely to burst while baking.
- Leave a clean border. Keep the filling away from the outer edge of the dough so you can get a tight seal.
- Cook the meat first. Sausage and other raw meats should be fully cooked before they’re added to the filling.
- Remove excess moisture. Sauté vegetables like peppers, mushrooms, onions or spinach before adding them to the calzone.
- Seal the edges well. Press the dough together firmly, then crimp it with a fork or your fingers to help keep the cheesy filling inside.
- Don’t judge by time alone. The calzones are ready when the crust is golden brown and crisp.
- Let them rest before eating. The filling will be very hot straight from the oven, and a short rest also gives the cheese a chance to set slightly.
Calzone vs. Stromboli
Calzones and stromboli may use many of the same pizza ingredients, but they’re shaped differently.
A calzone is made from a round of pizza dough that’s filled on one side, folded in half and sealed around the edges to create an individual pocket.
Stromboli is topped with fillings and then rolled into a log before baking. It’s typically sliced into individual pieces for serving.
If you love this recipe, try my Homemade Stromboli next.
Calzone Variations and Substitutions
Calzones are one of my favorite ways to clean out the refrigerator because you can change the filling based on what you have on hand.
- Meat Lover’s Calzone – Add pepperoni, cooked Italian sausage and diced ham.
- Pepperoni Pizza Calzone – Keep it simple with mozzarella and pepperoni.
- Veggie Calzone – Skip the meat and add sautéed peppers, mushrooms, onions or spinach.
- Spicy Calzone – Add crushed red pepper flakes, hot Italian sausage or sliced jalapeños.
- Extra Cheesy Calzone – Add more mozzarella or a little extra Parmesan.
- Homemade Ricotta – If you have a little extra time, homemade ricotta makes the filling even more special.
- Mini Calzones – Divide the dough into smaller portions for party snacks or kid-sized servings. Keep an eye on them because smaller calzones will bake more quickly.
Whenever you’re adding vegetables, sauté or drain them well first so they don’t make the filling watery.
What to Serve With Calzones
Warm marinara or pizza sauce is my favorite choice for dipping, but you can switch things up depending on your filling.
Try serving calzones with:
- Marinara sauce
- Pizza sauce
- Garlic sauce
- Ranch dressing
- Alfredo sauce
- Caesar salad
- Italian chopped salad
- Garlic bread
- Roasted vegetables
For pizza night, I usually keep things simple with warm marinara and a crisp salad on the side.
Can You Make Calzones Ahead of Time?
Yes. The cheese filling can be mixed ahead of time, covered and refrigerated until you’re ready to assemble the calzones.
You can also prep your fillings in advance. Cook the sausage, sauté the vegetables and shred the cheese ahead of time, then store everything separately in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake.
For the best texture, I prefer assembling the calzones closer to baking time so the filling doesn’t sit against the pizza dough for too long.
How to Store, Freeze and Reheat Calzones
Storing Leftovers
Allow leftover calzones to cool, then transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Freezing Calzones
Let baked calzones cool completely before freezing. Wrap them individually, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag, freeze for up to 3 months. Individual wrapping makes it easy to grab just one when you need a quick lunch or dinner.
Reheating Calzones
For the best crust, reheat calzones in the oven or air fryer until hot throughout. The microwave works when you’re short on time, but the crust will be softer.
If you’re reheating a frozen calzone, thawing it overnight in the refrigerator first will help it heat more evenly.
More Pizza Night Favorites
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Calzone Recipe
Equipment
- 1 baking sheet
- silicone basting brush
- measuring cup
- measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Pizza Dough, We like to use homemade but your favorite pizza dough will work here.
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup diced pepperoni, optional
- 1/2 cup browned sausage, optional
- 1/2 cup green bell pepper, sautéed, optional
- 1 egg, lightly beaten.
Optional Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, for topping
- 2 tablespoons Pizza seasoning, for topping
- 1 cup Marinara or pizza sauce, for serving
- 1/4 cup All-purpose flour, for rolling the dough, as needed
- Cooking spray or cornmeal, for the baking sheet, as needed
Instructions
- Make the filling by combining the mozzarella, ricotta, Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Cover and chill until ready to assemble the calzones.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and coat with cooking spray or sprinkle with cornmeal.
- Divide the pizza dough into 4 equal pieces.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a circle approximately 1/8-inch thick.
- Spoon 1/4 of the cheese mixture onto one half of each dough circle. Add your favorite toppings, leaving a clean border around the edge.
- Fold the empty half of the dough over the filling to make a half moon. Press and crimp the edges firmly with a fork or your fingers. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
- Brush the top of each calzone with the beaten egg. Sprinkle with pizza seasoning and Parmesan cheese.
- Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and crisp.
- Let cool for a few minutes, then serve warm with marinara or pizza sauce for dipping.
Notes
- Cook sausage and other raw meats completely before adding them to the filling.
- Sauté or thoroughly drain vegetables before using them to prevent a soggy calzone.
- Don’t overfill the dough or the calzones may be difficult to seal.
- Keep the outer edge of the dough clean so it can be crimped securely.
- Store leftover calzones in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- For the crispiest leftovers, reheat in the oven or air fryer.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is cheesy goodness (I added extra cheese)! This is such an amazing weeknight meal! Will be on our recipe rotation!
Love calzones!! This recipe is so cheesy & tasty!! My kids love that they can fill them with whatever they want!