Sausage And Mushroom Calzone Food

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

SAUSAGE AND PEPPERONI CHEESE STUFFED CALZONE

Steps:

• Preheat oven and pizza stone (if available) to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
• In a large grill plan, cook sausage until browned. Drain.
• In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, garlic, seasonings, pepperoni and cooked sausage. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
• Roll dough out to a 15" circle on a pizza paddle or baking sheet that has been lightly dusted with cornmeal. It doesn't have to be a perfect circle.
• Spread meat and cheese filling over 1 side of the dough. Leave at least 1-inch of the edge without filling to ensure a tight seal.
• Lift 1 side of dough and fold over so that it meets the other side, forming a half moon, and pinch the edges together to seal, using a fork to press edges together. Remove any excess dough which isn't needed for the seal.
• Brush with olive oil and sprinkle some parmesan cheese over top.
• Cut a few slits in the top to allow steam to release.
• Transfer calzone from pizza pad to pizza stone in oven.
• Bake 10-15 minutes, until puffed up golden brown.
• Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
• Heat the marinara sauce in the microwave for dipping.