Cowboy Calzones

Wednesday night I cooked what is now one of my favorite meals. I cooked these from scratch - including the dough for the calzones. Now I know life is hectic for a lot of people and not everyone gets summers off like I do so I won't tell anyone if you use the pizza dough from the can. Really, I won't tell.

I got this recipe from The Pioneer Woman Cooks. I got this cookbook from my dad for Christmas 2010 and it has quickly become my go-to cookbook for many yummy recipes. I highly recommend it!

This recipe makes 8 calzones - plenty for leftovers!

Pizza Crust
1 teaspoon or 1/2 packet active dry yeast
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
OR
pizza crust from the can (yay doughboy!)

1. Pour 1 1/2 cups warm water into a bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the water.
2. Combine flour and salt, in a mixing bowl.
3. With an electric mixer on low speed, drizzle in the olive oil until just incorporated.
4. In a seperate bowl, gently stir the yeast/water mixture.
5. Drizzle yeast/water mixture into the flour/oil mixture, mix until the dough forms a ball - I did this by hand because the dough got caught up in the electric mixer
6. Drizzle a little olive oil into a clean bowl. Toss the ball of dough in the bowl and turn over to coat in oil.
7. Cover the bowl with a moist kitchen towel and set in a warm place for 1-2 hours (I put mine on my patio - thanks Texas summer heat!)
Then your dough is ready to use!

Calzone Filling
1/2 pound hot breakfast sausage
1 pound ground beef
1/2 onion, finely diced
One 10 oz can tomatoes and chilies (Rotel)
8 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 egg, beaten
Salt and black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450
2. In large skillet, combine the sausage and hamburger with the onion.
3. Brown over medium heat. Drain the excess grease.
4. Pour in the tomatoes and chilies - Cook note: Drain them first
5. Stir to combine and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
6. In a bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, Monterey Jack, and egg. Add a dash of salt and pepper.
7. Add the cooled meat mixture to the cheese mixture and stir gently to combine.
8. Divide the dough into 8 equal-size (Cook note: Really?! Just eyeball it. Some are going to be bigger than others - and that's okay) balls. With a rolling pin on a floured surface, roll each ball into a 6-inch circle.
9. Spoon one-eighth of the meat/cheese mixture in the middle of each circle.
10. Fold half of the circle over the other half, pressing gently to slightly spread and flatten the filling inside. Press a fork along the edge to seal closed, then transfer the calzone to a greased (Cook note: I just line it with aluminum foil) baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Brush the calzone with olive oil.
11. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer the calzones to a basket or wrap individually in foil.

I served these with a salad and we had ranch dressing on the side to dip the calzones in. I wrapped the leftovers in foil and put them in the fridge. These are so good but I think they'd be even better on a cold winter day... just a thought.

If you try this recipe, let me know how it goes!
Did you change any of the ingredients?
Is there any way to make this healthier without sacrificing taste?