I don’t usually cook on Fridays nights. After a long week of working, cleaning, cooking, blogging, mothering, wife-ing, daughtering and a lot of general running around, I’m pooped! Sometimes we’ll get take-out. And, sometimes we’ll just go out. Last Friday night, though, the weather sucked. It was rainy, foggy and gross. I decided that going out for dinner was going to be more trouble than it was worth, so I graciously offered to cook so that we could stay warm and dry at home, and save a few bucks in the process. I’m really considerate that way. Mr. SGCC was all for it.
I was originally going to make sausage and peppers over pasta. But, then I remembered the cute little calzone mold that I’d picked up recently, so I decided to make sausage and peppers calzones instead. I definitely didn’t want to mess with making dough from scratch, so I picked up some refrigerated pizza dough on the way home from my aforementioned running around.
There are lots of different ways to make sausage and peppers. Some fry the sausage. Some add tomato sauce. Not me. I bake my sausage until it’s almost cooked through, and then I slice it and add it to the peppers to finish. Doing it this way eliminates a lot of extra grease (Who needs that?), yet still allows the sausage juices to flavor the rest of the dish. And to me, tomato sauce in sausage and peppers is just plain wrong!
I must admit, I’d never used sausage and peppers as a filling for calzones before. I was a little concerned that the filling would be too “wet” and soak through the dough. But, after draining out as much liquid as possible before I filled the calzones, it worked just fine.
Don’t they look good?
Making sausage and peppers is really easy. Come on! I’ll show you…
And, if you use a ready made pizza dough, the calzones are a snap too. Of course, if you have the time and want to make your dough from scratch, more power to you! I have better things to do on a Friday night. 😉
These Sausage and Peppers Calzones are perfect for a casual, rainy day meal, but they’d make a great party dish too, (think Super Bowl). They’re hearty, delicious and self-contained. We loved them! I hope you do too.
Easy Sausage and Peppers Calzones
Ingredients:
1 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 pound hot Italian sausage
6 tablespoons olive oil
3 red bell peppers, sliced into strips
3 yellow bell peppers, sliced into strips
2 large sweet onions, sliced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 cup chicken stock
2 packages refrigerated pizza dough
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, F.
2. Place sausages in one layer on a shallow baking sheet and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until slightly browned and almost completely cooked through. Remove from oven and when cool enough to handle, slice into 1/2-inch slices and set aside.
3. While sausage is baking, Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and onions and sauté for about 10-12 minutes. Add the garlic and Italian seasoning and sauté about 3 minutes more. Adjust the heat if needed to avoid burning.
4. Add the sliced sausage to the skillet with the vegetables. Pour in the chicken stock and cover. Cook for about 10 minutes more, until peppers and onions are very soft and sausage is cooked through. Take the lid off and simmer a few more minutes to reduce the liquid in the pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Meanwhile, raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees, F. Put a pizza stone in the oven and preheat for about 15 minutes. If you don’t have a pizza stone, you can use a shallow baking sheet. You don’t have to preheat it.
6. Unroll pizza dough on to a lightly floured surface and cut out two 6-7 inch circles of dough. Gather the scraps together and roll out dough to make a third circle. If using a calzone press, place one dough circle on the open press. Place a generous scoop of sausage mixture in the center. Make sure to drain as much liquid out of the sausage mixture as you can, so that the calzones won’t be soggy. Top with mozzarella and lightly brush the outside edges with olive oil. Flip one side of the press over the other and press to seal. If not using a press, place filling and mozzarella on one side of the dough, brush edge with olive oil and fold the other side of the dough over the filling. Gently press together and roll the edges. Press edge down with the tines of a fork to seal. Lightly brush the tops of each calzone with more olive oil and sprinkle a little Kosher or sea salt on top. Place calzones on the pizza stone or baking sheet and bake for about 20-22 minutes, until golden brown.
7. When finished baking, let the calzones sit for a minute or two before serving. They will be HOT!
Makes 6 calzones.
Enjoy!
Filed Under: Breads and Pizza, Cooking, Italian, Pork, Recipes
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On January 24, 2010 at 2:44am, Dave -nibbleanibble said...
Italian sausage is great. Well…to be honest, any type of sausage is great. Sometimes I can’t help wondering what they are made of. But…another bite and the thought goes away. Who cares…because sausage…is great.
On January 24, 2010 at 8:13pm, Susan said...
Lol! You’re right. Sausage is great! Why analyze? 😉
On January 24, 2010 at 4:35am, Memoria said...
Your calzoni (plural of “calzone”) look so scrumptious!! I’ve never seen a mold to make a calzone before. That looks cool. I love your choice of ingredients as well. YUM!
On January 24, 2010 at 5:13am, Katie said...
Why not in mouth?!
Katie xox
On January 24, 2010 at 8:14pm, Susan said...
???
On January 24, 2010 at 5:32am, beth said...
Never made Calzone - they look wonderful. Hubby would love these
On January 24, 2010 at 7:40am, Jennifer said...
These look mouthwateringly delicious!!!! What a special treat for a rainy night!!!!
On January 24, 2010 at 8:01am, shelly (cookies and cups) said...
It is 8:00 am and I am seriously drooling over this! I have never made sausage and peppers that way, but it sounds like a no-brainer eliminating the grease like that…and how great is that calzone mold?
Definitely going to try these!
Thanks!
On January 24, 2010 at 8:08am, Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) said...
These look delicious! We’re lucky here in Rhode Island to get great local pizza dough in the supermarket, but almost any pizzeria will sell you uncooked dough if you ask them. So, if you have a favorite pizza place in your neighborhood, call and see if they’ll sell you a bit of dough.
On January 24, 2010 at 8:16pm, Susan said...
Thanks, Lydia! I can (and do) get raw dough from a few places here, including my local market. I was feeling a bit lazy that night though, and didn’t even feel like rolling. 😉
On January 24, 2010 at 8:19am, Rosa said...
Mmmmmhhh, fabulous! Those calzones look irresistible
Cheers,
Rosa
On January 24, 2010 at 11:03am, bellini valli said...
I like the idea of a calzone mold Susan, but like the idea of calzones even better!!!!
On January 24, 2010 at 1:34pm, nina said...
I think you have just shot yourself in the foot here, Susan. I think going out for supper is going to become a fond memory and you will be doing a lot more cooking on Friday nights!!! They look scrumptious!!!!
On January 24, 2010 at 8:18pm, Susan said...
No way! I’ve already told Mr. SGCC it was a one shot deal! 😉
On January 24, 2010 at 2:22pm, Ivy said...
Now I am craving calzone :0 These look so delicious!
On January 24, 2010 at 2:23pm, Margaret said...
A calzone MOLD!! Who woulda thought. Great idea. I make calzones periodically, but not with sausage and peppers. These look wonderful. Next time….
On January 24, 2010 at 2:51pm, Donna said...
I never thought of baking my sausages first then finishing them off in the skillet. I learn so much from you. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
On January 24, 2010 at 3:25pm, Erika from The Pastry Chef At Home said...
You’ve made me feel better about never cooking for my husband on Friday nights!
I had no idea calzone molds existed. I always thought they were a free form thing! And you’re right…tomato sauce has no business invading a sausage and peppers dish. Your calazones are making me so hungry!
On January 24, 2010 at 3:44pm, laura said...
Where did you find a calzone press? That thing is so cool!!
Those look so good with the sausages. MMMmmmmmmm
On January 24, 2010 at 8:19pm, Susan said...
I found this one at Williams-Sonoma. It’s a lightweight plastic and it set me back $12.99.
On January 24, 2010 at 3:55pm, Hannah said...
These look amazing - and I had no idea calzone molds/presses existed! You learn something new every day
On January 24, 2010 at 4:10pm, Scate said...
Looks great! i’m with you - cooking the sausage whole, then slicing after the cooking is much tastier - and easier! I like that the sausage stays moist on the inside instead of cooking every last drop of goodness out of it (if you slice before cooking.)
Calzone molds… sounds like something my kitchen is lacking. I think it would get used less than the potato ricer… fun though! can never have too much kitchen gear!
On January 24, 2010 at 4:56pm, Lucy said...
These look so scrumptious - I can just imagine the gorgeous melty mozzarella filling! I love your calzone mould - very nifty 😉
On January 24, 2010 at 6:44pm, The Food Hunter said...
This looks so very delicious. I’m a sucker for anything with sausage and peppers. I love your calzone maker.
On January 24, 2010 at 8:22pm, Susan said...
Thanks for your comments, everyone! Glad you like the calzones (calzoni for Memoria)! As I mentioned above, the calzone mold can be found at Williams-Sonoma (online or in stores) for $12.99. I originally bought it because I thought it would work well for turnovers. Haven’t tried that yet, but I’ll let you know.
On January 25, 2010 at 9:06am, Anne said...
Hmmm, I wonder if these would freeze well? It would be nice to make some in advance or extra. Then hubby can pull one out of the freezer and take in his lunch.
On January 25, 2010 at 9:44am, Manggy said...
UGH! It is raining and blowing outside! I wish I could teleport one of these into my hands right now! (They DO look good! 😉
That’s the main reason it’s such a boon to live next to the place you work- you can skip all the miserable weather-dodging and go straight to cuddling up inside
On January 25, 2010 at 1:09pm, Nicole Spasiano said...
if you have a cookie drying rack you can put the sausages on there so the fat drips away from the sausages, making them even leaner.
looks good. I have just done ‘typical’ calzones but this looks great
On January 25, 2010 at 1:17pm, patsy said...
I love something that simple for a weeknight meal! I make sausage and spinach “puffs” with puff pastry that I buy at the store… so simple and yet everyone gobbles them right up!
On January 25, 2010 at 1:44pm, Kirsten said...
Making calzones was a key part of my first job at a family style Italian Restaurant where I grew up in Connecticut. Brings back memories and reminds me I need to make some soon! Thanks for the post!
On January 25, 2010 at 1:45pm, Tami said...
I love sausage calzones and your look perfect! The press is way cool!
On January 25, 2010 at 1:46pm, Rachel (S[d]OC) said...
Friday nights are always “casual Friday” to me. I usually cook, but it’s always something super easy.
I LOVE calzones. In some ways they’re more satisfying than pizza since the ratio of filling/crust is that much greater. I often like to order mine with sausage and peppers adn sometimes with sausage ana broccoli, and sometimes with sausage and eggplant (do we see a theme?) I noticed you don’t use ricotta in yours. Is that to keep it from being too wet, or just a personal preference?
On January 25, 2010 at 4:31pm, noble pig said...
I loved your first paragraph, it cracked me up. But this dish was worth staying home for…yum.
On January 28, 2010 at 11:35am, Eliana said...
I saw a calzone mold at Williams Sonoma recently and after reading this delicious post now I must add it to my ever expanding collection of kitchen gadgets.
On January 29, 2010 at 10:06am, Chelsea said...
OH MY GOODNESS. I just bought the calzone mold from Williams-Sonoma and I am going to make these for dinner tonight, this recipe looks AMAAAAAAAAAAAAAZING!
On February 21, 2010 at 3:12pm, eastside living said...
Love you blog. I am making the cauliflower au gratin right now.
Why not make your own dough? I find making dough some much easier to work with then store bought. The stuff from the store is always cold and just seems to bounce back to it’s original shape.
Try this one time and I swear you will always want to make it yourself.
1 packages of yeast. 1 cup of water, tablespoon each of salt and sugar and rosemary, 2 tablespoons of olive oil. mix till yeast is dissolved. Add about 4 cups of flour one cup at a time till it’s forms a ball. Add dough to an oiled bowl and turn once. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Turn oven on to 350 for a few minutes then shut off oven and add your bowl.
Then start cooking your peppers and sausage. You can wait the full hour to use your dough, but it will be fine to use in 30 minutes. You can switch it up and sub 1/2 cup of cornmeal to flour.
On May 29, 2010 at 8:26pm, SueL said...
Hi Loved the idea of home made Calzone, which has always been one of our family favourites.
I would normally make our own dough, as its a great chance to my children and I to spend some time together enjoying cooking as a family. Plus I find some of the shop bought doughs have too much salt and my goal is to provide my daughters with a love of good healthy food which is why I created my own site with our family favourite healthy recipes on it. It is not always easy if you are a working mother during the week to cook healthy meals, but easier at weekends, and I love involving my daughters.
I did love the idea of a Calzone press, never seen one of those before, so I will have to keep my eyes open now for one.
Keep up the good work.
On August 11, 2010 at 12:22pm, Thomas Wallick said...
Great recipe…tried it with with my sourdough whole wheat pizza dough recipe on my blog (http://www.cookhacker.com/2010/08/11/sourdough-whole-wheat-pizza-crust) and it was delicious, so I linked to it. Give it a try…it really works well together!
On September 29, 2010 at 12:06am, SweetShay said...
Thanks for posting, can’t wait to try. Love the directions and photos on how to make calzones!
On February 07, 2011 at 10:19pm, Tessa said...
These look like a great way to warm up on a rainy day! Yum!
On November 20, 2011 at 5:23pm, Florida Cars said...
This sounds awesome! Sauaage and peppers on Pizza works so why not in the calzone. This is a real meal.
On December 31, 2011 at 5:16am, Mehernosh said...
Happy New Year to you and thank you for all the super delicious stuff you post just love it.
On February 03, 2012 at 12:51pm, Deb@RecipesForLife said...
I’m a midwest transplant from NY looking for a calzone recipe for superbowl! This will hit the spot and I grew up ALWAYS baking/roasting sausage…yum, can’t wait to make and try!