Cheats Spicy Chicken Calzones Food

CHICKEN-SPINACH CALZONES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450˚. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the chicken, mozzarella, spinach, roasted red peppers, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl.
• Divide the pizza dough into 4 pieces; keep covered with plastic wrap until ready to use. Working with 1 piece at a time, roll the dough into a ball and dust with flour, then roll into a 7-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Spoon one-quarter of the chicken mixture on one side of the dough round, then fold the dough over the filling and crimp the edges with a fork to seal. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
• Brush the calzones with the beaten egg and make a few slits in the top of each with a paring knife. Bake until the calzones are golden and puffed, about 25 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes. Serve with marinara sauce.

SAUSAGE CALZONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 F.
• Brown sausage in a small skillet in a drizzle of olive oil. Transfer the cooked crumbled sausage to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
• Combine sausage with ricotta, parsley, garlic, Parmigiano, nutmeg, pepper, and pimento. Roll out doughs and halve cross-wise. Place a dough rectangle on a nonstick cookie sheet. Use 1/2 cup mozzarella on half of each dough rectangle and pile a mound of filling on half of the total area. Fold dough over and pinch edges to seal. The result is a rectangular turnover.
• For half-moon shaped calzones, trim excess dough. Roll dough bits into strips, tie in knots and brush with garlic oil and cheese. Garlic knots are fun to dip at the table.
• Bake calzones 15 minutes or until golden all over. Serve calzones with warm tomato, marinara, or pizza sauce for dipping.
• Cook's Note: For an additional time saver, 2 packages precooked sausage crumbles, 8 ounces each, may be substituted for raw Italian sausage used in the above recipe.
• Add olive oil to medium saucepan over moderate heat. Add garlic and crushed pepper to the heated olive oil; when pepper snaps and garlic sizzles, stir in crushed tomatoes. Season sauce with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Cook for five minutes and stir in parsley. Serve.
• Yield: 4 servings

CHEESY SPICY BUFFALO CHICKEN CALZONE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Measure the imprinted stitching on an approximately 12-by-8-inch football-shaped baking pan and cut the provolone into 2 long strips and 7 shorter strips to imitate; set aside. Spray the football pan with the cooking spray.
• Unroll 1 tube of dough and cut in half widthwise. Bake one of the halves on the prepared baking sheet until lightly done, about 8 minutes. (Reserve the other half of the dough.) Use a knife or kitchen shears to cut the baked dough into a football shape slightly smaller than the pan.
• In a medium bowl, toss together the Buffalo sauce and shredded chicken.
• Unroll the remaining tube of dough and drape into the prepared football pan, letting the extra dough hang over the sides. Fill with half of the chicken mixture, half of the grated Swiss or mozzarella and half of the scallions. Top with the football-shaped crust. Add the remaining chicken mixture, grated cheese and scallions. Add the blue cheese. Top with the reserved uncooked dough half. Use a knife to trim the excess edges of dough, leaving a little extra to pinch the 2 edges of dough together. Put the pan on a baking sheet.
• Bake until the crust is just beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and invert the football pan onto the baking sheet to unmold the calzone. Drizzle the crust with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt. Continue to bake until golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Arrange the strips of provolone to mimic the football stitching; the heat of the calzone will slightly melt the cheese and adhere it to the football. Let stand 5 minutes.
• Slice and serve with ranch dressing for dipping, and celery sticks on the side.

BUFFALO CHICKEN CALZONE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 410 degrees F (210 degrees C). Grease a pizza pan.
• Place chicken into a large pot and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Cook the chicken breasts until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 15 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Transfer chicken to a bowl and shred with two forks.
• Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir chicken and Buffalo wing sauce in the hot butter until chicken is coated and heated through, 2 to 4 minutes.
• Turn pizza dough out onto a generously floured surface. Roll dough into a 12-inch round. Brush dough with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and spread 1 cup mozzarella cheese in the center of the dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Spread chicken mixture over cheese; top chicken mixture with remaining 1 cup cheese.
• Fold pizza dough in half and pinch edges together to seal. Transfer calzone to prepared pizza pan and brush top with remaining 1 tablespoon oil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until crust is golden brown, 17 to 20 minutes.

CHEAT'S SPICY CHICKEN CALZONES

Steps:

• Mix the chicken with the salsa and vegetables.
• Lay a tortilla out flat on a bench.
• Place a sixth of the chicken mixture on one half of the tortilla, leaving a gap around the edge.
• Brush the edges of the tortilla with egg white and fold the empty half of the tortilla over the filled half. Press around the edges with a fork, just hard enough to seal the edges together.
• Don't worry if they pop open a bit, they hold together well enough from the next step!
• Spray a frying pan with oil and fry each calzone on both sides until golden brown.
• Serve as is, or wrap in foil to freeze.