Garlic Chicken and Broccoli Calzones

Calzones are such a good way to use up things you have in the fridge. When I opened my fridge yesterday, I saw some broccoli I purchased last week and figured I’d better incorporate it into dinner somehow before it went bad. In the freezer, loads of chicken. I stocked up last time it was on sale BOGO. So from this came my dinner last night. I added a little garlic because everything is better with garlic and voila, I had a delicious calzone. Now if you’re wondering if Mr. Picky ate this, well no, he didn’t. He had a sausage calzone. How boring and uninteresting. He just didn’t know what he was missing!

Garlic Chicken and Broccoli Calzones
(makes 2 large calzones)

2 chicken breasts, pounded thin
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper
1 cup, chopped broccoli florets
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
prepared pizza dough (I used this recipe)

Begin by pre-heating the oven to 375 F. Heat a pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breasts. Sear on each side just until browned. Top with chopped garlic. Place the pan (if oven safe) into the oven (or place chicken breasts in an oven safe pan) and cook for 20-25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and set chicken breasts aside to cool (about 10 min.) While the chicken breasts are cooling, add 1/2 cup chicken broth to the pan to deglaze it. Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and add back to the pan, along with the chopped  broccoli. Stir to coat the chicken and broccoli with the pan sauce.

Turn oven up to 450 F. Roll out the pizza dough into two even circles. Place chicken and broccoli mixture on one half of each circle. Top with 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Fold the other half of the pizza dough over the filling and press edges together. Cut a couple slits in the top of the dough. Brush the tops of the calzones with olive oil. Bake for 10-15 min until dough is golden brown. Serve with marinara sauce.

"I’m strong to the finish, ’cause I eats me spinach…"

Ok, so I’m not Popeye and would never eat spinach straight from a can, but I do love spinach! I could eat it every day. In salads, in wraps, on pizza, you name it. Luckily, it’s also one of the few vegetables my husband will eat too. So when I found this calzone recipe online I knew I had to put it on my menu for the week. It combines two of my favorite foods-calzones and spinach! Along with some other tasty ingredients too.

Well I was so tired today after getting home so late last night from the first college football game of the season (War eagle!), I thought this might be a good night to try it since it doesn’t take much time to make. I’m going on record as saying this was the best calzone I’ve ever had. The creamy ricotta and fresh taste of the spinach and sun-dried tomatoes went so well with the smokey ham and mozzarella. If you are at a loss for new pizza or calzone ingredient ideas, give this one a try. You won’t be sorry.

Oh and check back later this week for more recipes with spinach. I’ve got a whole bag to use up!

Ham, Spinach, and Sun-Dried Tomato Calzones
(recipe with my alterations)

3/4 cup ricotta cheese
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups baby spinach
1/2 tsp italian seasoning
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 oz sliced ham
6 sun-dried tomatoes
salt and pepper
1 can refrigerated pizza dough
2 Tbsp olive oil
Cooking spray

Preheat oven as directed on pizza dough. Heat olive oil in a skillet and add the garlic. Cook for a minute and then add the spinach. Season with a little salt and pepper. Cook until spinach is wilted down and remove from heat. In a bowl combine ricotta, mozzarella, italian seasoning, ham, sun-dried tomatoes, and cooked spinach and garlic. Divide the pizza dough in half and stretch each half into a circle. Spoon half of the mixture onto half of each circle and fold the other side over, pinching edges to seal. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and place calzones on the sheet. Brush the top of the dough with olive oil. Bake as directed on the pizza dough. Serve with marinara for dipping.

Original source of inspiration for these calzones: Cooking Light

Calzones

One of my favorite foods to eat is calzones. There’s a local restaurant that we go to at least once a month that has the best calzones. I decided I should try to make them at home since I often get a craving for them. They are a quick and delicious dinner and you can basically use any of your favorite pizza toppings inside. Homemade calzones has become one of my favorite go to dinners.

Spinach, tomato, and mushroom calzones

1 tube refridgerated pizza dough (makes two calzones)
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 tomato, sliced
1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup baby spinach chopped
olive oil for brushing the tops
parmesan cheese

Preheat oven according to directions on pizza dough. In my case, 400 degrees. Open the pizza dough and cut the roll of dough in half. Roll each half into a circle. Layer the tomatoes, mushrooms, and spinach on one half of the circle. Fold the other half of the circle over the ingredients and press the edges together to seal. Repeat with the 2nd half of the pizza dough. Brush the tops of each calzone with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake as directed on the pizza dough. It only took 18 min for me. Serve with marinara for dipping.