mini stuffed pizzas (calzones)
My husband loves pepperoni pizza, but I'm more of a Hawaiian-style or sausage and green pepper lover. So, rather than buy two every time we wanted pizza, I came up with this simple recipe to make small individual-sized stuffed pizzas that could be tailored to everyone's tastes. I have taken them to several get-togethers and parties as appetizers, and they were gobbled right up. If making them larger, you can get about 6 servings per tube. Appetizer size, you'll get 12 to 18 servings per tube. Substitute the sauce with your favorite pizza sauce to save time.
Blue Ribbon Recipe
For those nights you can't get anyone to agree on a pizza, make these mini stuffed pizzas. Prepare a variety of fillings and let everyone create their versions. We went with ham, mushrooms, and mozzarella cheese. While premade sauce can be substituted, take a few minutes to make the homemade sauce. It adds something to the calzones. Make sure to serve some sauce on the side for dipping, too. Make them smaller for an appetizer. Cut the dough larger, and you have a quick dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped or grated
- 1 clove garlic, finely diced
- 1 can tomato sauce (29 oz)
- 1 can tomato paste (6 oz)
- 2 tubes refrigerated pizza dough or make your own
- 4 tablespoons pizza seasoning or make your own blend using rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes
- - salt and pepper, to taste
- your favorite pizza toppings and cheese
- PIZZA TOPPING AND CHEESE IDEAS
- - pepperoni
- Italian sausage
- ham
- pineapple
- green peppers
- mushrooms
- mozzarella cheese
- cheddar cheese
- smoked Gouda
- Feta cheese
How To Make mini stuffed pizzas (calzones)
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Step 1In a large saucepan, saute onion and garlic in 1 Tbsp of olive oil until the onion is clear. -
Step 2Add tomato sauce and tomato paste and heat until a slow simmer.
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Step 3Add pizza seasoning, salt, and pepper; cover. Simmer for about 20 minutes or so, or until the sauce has thickened. Then set aside to cool.
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Step 4Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Roll out pizza dough to about 1/2 to 1/4 inch thick and cut into rectangles roughly the size of your hand. Can make them smaller if you want to use them as an appetizer.
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Step 5Place pizza rectangles on a baking sheet. On each rectangle, spread about 2 - 3 Tbsp of pizza sauce. The dough should be covered to within a half-inch of the borders.
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Step 6Add your favorite pizza toppings along with cheese on top of the sauce.
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Step 7Fold over and seal the edges.
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Step 8Cut a slit on top of each. If making different kinds, use a paring knife to mark each one differently so you know which "pizza" is which. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 - 20 minutes or until the crust is light golden brown.
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Step 9Let rest 5 - 10 minutes before serving. You can serve them with a small bowl of warmed-up pizza sauce on the side for dipping.
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Step 10Variations I've tried are sauteed mushrooms and green peppers, pepperoni, Italian sausage, ham and pineapple, roasted veggies, hamburger and cheddar, and 4 cheese, to name a few.
- Last Step: Don't forget to share! Post a picture of your finished recipe here and on your favorite social network. Don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes!
