How to Make Mom's Calzones {Step-by-Step}

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Mmmmmm, calzones.  They're like little personal-sized pizza pillows.  And for me, they hold beautiful memories from growing up.

A few times a year, Mom and I would go on an all-day shopping trip.  I'd save, and save, and save my babysitting money so I'd have a nice little pot of money to spend on whatever clothes struck my fancy.  Back in those days I was quite the little clothes hound {not so much anymore}.  Oh, I loved our shopping trip days ...




... Not only did I get to spend the whole day with my Mom and buy lots of new stuff, we always got one of my favorite foods for lunch.  You guessed it ~ calzones.

Growing up in Vermont, our 'big' shopping trip days required a trek to the closest city with a mall, about an hour away.  An hour away now seems like nothing {shoot, until recently I drove about that far one-way every day for work} ... but it seemed like an eternity of a drive to me back then.  We'd hit the mall, shop to our heart's content, and stop in at a tiny little spot in the mall for their delicious calzones for lunch.  Good times.

But then, since we loved them so much, my sweet little Mom figured out how to make our own calzones at home so enjoying them wasn't limited to just our shopping trip days.  She's clever like that.

And you know what?  You can make your own calzones at home, too! ... Here's how, courtesy of my Mom.
Now, you can make your own bread dough ... but we shortcut this step by buying frozen dough loves or pizza dough balls.



Start by cutting each frozen dough loaf or pizza dough ball into four equal sections ...



... and then roll each section into a 7- to 8-inch circle.  They don't have to be perfect, but I do measure mine with a ruler to make sure they're generally the right size.  Place the dough circles on cookie sheets, four circles to each sheet.



Place the filling ingredients ... herbed ricotta cheese, mozzarella, pepperoni, and mushrooms (or whatever fillings you desire) ... in the center of each dough circle.



Then, fold the dough up over the filling, forming the dough into a turnover-like half circle.



Gently press and crimp the edges of the dough together to seal the calzone.

At this point, your calzone will look like a big ol' camel's hump ... kind of like this ...



That's because the filling is still all balled up in the center.  You don't want that.

With your fingertips, gently push down on the filling and spread it out as evenly as possible throughout the entire calzone.

Now, it should look about like this ...



Bake 'em up 'til the dough is cooked through and they're a nice golden brown.  I always check the bottoms to see if they're done ... they should be golden brown about like this ...


If you happen get the dough a bit too thin in the middle or stuff the calzones a little too full, you may get a couple of blow-outs ... but that's okay ... they'll still taste yummy!



All done!  At this point, you can serve them ... or, wrap them individually in foil and freeze them for later.


Here's what these little beauties look like inside.  Mmmmmmmm.

Serve 'em up with some warmed spaghetti sauce spooned on top and you've got a very tasty dinner.
Ahhhhhh ... memories.  Thanks, Mom!
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Pepperoni & Mushroom CalzonesSource:  An original by my Mom

Ingredients

• 2 loaves frozen bread dough
• 15 oz. container ricotta cheese
• 4 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
• 1 package pepperoni slices
• 1 (4 oz.) can sliced mushrooms
• 1 jar spaghetti sauce (or homemade sauce)

Directions

1. Thaw the bread dough loaves overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Cut each bread loaf into four pieces. Form a 7-inch to 8-inch flat circle out of each dough piece. Lay each dough circle on a cookie sheet lightly sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. You'll need two cookie sheets, placing four dough circles on each sheet.
3. Mix together the ricotta cheese, dried oregano, dried basil, and garlic salt.
4. Place a dollop of the ricotta mixture in the center of each dough circle; top with some of the mozzarella, pepperoni slices, and mushrooms, dividing these ingredients evenly between the eight dough circles.
5. Carefully fold each dough circle in half like a turnover, bringing the dough up over the filling. Seal the edges together by gently pressing together the dough and slightly crimping it together. With your fingertips, gently pat down and spread the filling inside the dough out to the edges to disperse it evenly throughout the calzone.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, switching the rack position of the pans after the first 10 minutes to ensure even browning.
7. To serve, place each calzone on a plate and slash an 'x' in the top with a sharp knife; pour warm spaghetti sauce over the top.

Note:  Calzones freeze well - wrap individually with aluminum foil to freeze.  When ready to eat them, thaw for a bit in the refrigerator and then reheat (while still in the foil) at 400 degrees until heated through.  Top with spaghetti sauce to serve.
Enjoy!



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