Recipe File: Pizza in a Pocket

Personalize your very own “pizza sandwich.”

Homemade pizza is a tried and true dinner favorite in our home, but even surefire kid-pleasers like pizza can get a bit, well, repetitive. How about a calzone instead? Using the same pizza dough you’d use for a traditional pie, you can make a “pizza sandwich,” as my daughter Edie calls it.

The fun part about calzones is that they’re individual so you can personalize them to everyone’s tastes and preferences. Trying to feed a meat eater? No problem! Sprinkle a little bit of ground chicken or beef inside. If you have vegetarian or a vegan in your home like I do, use a simple pizza or pesto sauce and a cheese substitute such as Daiya.

If you choose to make each calzone different, I recommend cutting each in half or in quarters and sharing them with your dining companions. It’s fun to mix and match the varieties and any leftovers will taste even better the next day.

Homemade Calzones
Makes 4 calzones

1 store-bought pizza dough (let dough rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before working with it)

2 tablespoons of homemade or store-bought pesto

½ cup store-bought pizza sauce

¼ cup cooked chicken sausage OR cup cooked tofu (mashed or cubed)

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese OR ½ cup Daiya cheese or other cheese substitute

Olive oil

Flour for dusting surface (use liberally)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425˚ F.

2. Grease a baking sheet with olive oil.

3. Divide pizza dough into 4 equal pieces.

4. On a floured surface, roll each piece into a 5- to 6-inch round. (It’s OK if the shape is rustic.)

5. Place onto baking sheet.

6. Spread pesto or pizza sauce onto each round.

7. Top with your favorite toppings, such as meat, cheese, veggies or tofu.

8. Fold top edge over the bottom and then pinch with a fork to seal.

9. Cut two slits on top of each calzone, and brush the tops with olive oil.

10. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before enjoying.

Author
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Judith Rich

Judith Klein Rich has been blogging about food since 2007. Born in Slovakia, her enthusiasm for food experimentation and creation stems from her deeply seated Eastern European roots. Currently writing under the alias of Eaty Pie (eatypie.com), her blog explores dining experiences, meal creation and travel adventures from a kid and a grown-up perspective.