Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Kind of like an antipasto plate wrapped in pizza dough. You can’t beat those cheesy, meaty, salty, and savory Italian flavors. I love the little unexpected twist the provolone adds.
Texture: The crust is crusty on the outside, chewy inside, with that rich cheesy filling. Totally addicting.
Ease: Very easy, especially if you have the pizza dough prepared already! Check out my favorite recipe for homemade pizza dough, it’s SO easy. You can also use store-bought to save some time.
Appearance: These babies just belong in your hand, they’re perfectly sized!
Pros: Fun, flavorful, and crave-worthy. They’re like those frozen pizza rolls, but 1,000 times better.
Cons: None!
Would I make this again? Oh yeah.
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This post was sponsored via the NoshOn.It Publisher Partner Program by BelGioioso Cheese. All opinions are my own.
It has been a long-standing dream of mine to visit Italy, really anywhere along the Mediterranean. I was lucky to have visited Scotland and France when I was younger on a family vacation, but the beauty, food, and history of the countries along the Mediterranean have always called to me. I really, really, really hope that one day in the somewhat near future I get to make this dream a reality, but until then I’ll have to settle for creating Italian-inspired recipes in my own kitchen. One day I’ll taste an actual pizza or calzone in Italy but until then this is as good as it’s going to get. Luckily, these Mini Calzones are pretty darn good.
I mean, just look at that golden brown crust! It’s making my mouth water, luckily I made an extra batch of these calzones and to freeze so I can reheat whenever the craving hits! I often crave that cheesy, meaty, salty, savory bite alongside a lovely acidic dip in marinara sauce. YUM.
When the opportunity came up to create a recipe with BelGioioso cheese, I jumped on it. I love their American-made classic Italian cheeses and use them frequently, making it a perfect partnership! I was even more excited when BelGioioso asked me to create a recipe utilizing their Sliced Mild Provolone since I’ve loved provolone in my sandwiches since I was a kid. Luckily BelGioioso’s provolone is absolutely scrumptious and totally versatile, so I decided to showcase it in these Mini Calzones.
These calzones are positively crave-worthy. I’m guessing it has something to do with the fact that BelGioioso’s Mild Provolone is bursting with flavor because it’s aged for 60 days before shipping. It’s an everyday cheese, but so much more. Plus the BelGioioso Mild Provolone is available in handy 2-pound resealable packs at Costco (my favorite place to stock up on essentials) but also at other retailers. Every time I open the package to grab a slice my dogs come running to the kitchen, it’s like they can just smell the goodness from anywhere in the house!
If you make these Mini Calzones, be sure to take a picture and tag it #handletheheat on Instagram. Cheers!
This post was sponsored via the NoshOn.It Publisher Partner Program by BelGioioso Cheese. All opinions are my own.
Mini Calzones
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Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce) ball pizza dough, homemade or store bought
- 6 ounces (about 6 slices) provolone, cut into small squares
- 3 ounces salami, cut into small squares
- 2/3 cup ricotta cheese, preferably whole milk
- ½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 large egg
- Marinara sauce, warmed, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
For the dough:
- Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and cut into 8 equal pieces. Roll the pieces into balls and transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover and let stand while you make the filling.
For the filling:
- In a medium bowl combine the provolone, salami, ricotta, Italian seasoning, pepper flakes, and black pepper to taste until combined.
To assemble:
- In a small bowl beat the egg with 1 teaspoon water.
- Working with 1 ball of dough at a time, press the ball into a flat disk then use a rolling pin to roll it into a 6-inch round with an 1/8-inch thickness. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of the cheese mixture on one half of the round then fold over to form a half moon shape, pressing the edge to seal. Crimp the edge with a fork and place back on the prepared baking sheet. Brush with the egg wash before repeating with the remaining dough.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve alongside warm marinara sauce for dipping.
To make ahead:
- Allow the baked calzones to cool completely then tightly wrap each individually in plastic wrap. Transfer to a plastic bag and freeze for up to 2 months. To bake from frozen, place on a baking sheet in a 400°F for about 30 minutes, or until heated through.
Fun on a stormy winters day in rural New York.. I hope to get some down to my 94 year young neighbor.. who cared for my baby 55 years ago.. she told me to add parm to my meatballs years ago… I love the size and the taste.. mini calzones will be tasty treats in any weather… thanks
I just will try this one. I made some last week and I had spread Tomato / marinara sauce on the half before putting my stuffing, It was just fantastic. what do you think Tessa?
I made this using GF pizza dough. It doesn’t last too long in the freezer (best between 1 month and 1.5). Fresh also was not as good as reheating. That extra heat/cooking on the second bake was key!
Made a delicious appetizer for my dinner party.
I made this recipe for my office and made 3 batches, so 24 calzones which took me about 5 hours to make as a beginner of calzones.
This recipe is fantastic. It is a chewy (not crunchy), sandwich like calzone with simple ingredients, and is easy to microwave after I made them. This recipe tastes just like the calzones I ate in college that made me fall in love with calzones initially.
Thank you so much for a recipe that turned into nostalgia for me and a real hit in the office.
Hold on to that dream. I finally got to go to Italy at age 49! It is as spectacular as you imagine & we can’t wait to go again. These look amazing & I am going to try them. I have some dough in the freezer just aching to be used.
These calzones look absolutely perfect! Love the mini size!
These look absolutely delicious!
G’day! Your calzone look delish! love that they are also mini!
Cheers! Joanne
Mmmm…Nothing quite beats cheese and meat wrapped up in a pretty pizza package!
Looks absolutely delicious! ! Can you share your recipe for the marinara sauce as well?
Well these look delicious! And love the idea of freezing some for later! Must try!
These look fabulous. I can’t wait to try this recipe.