There’s always at least one pizza night in our house every week because who doesn’t love pizza? And Calzones are the easiest way for everyone to have their own pizza with their favorite toppings. They’re super versatile and my kids love to help make them! This calzone recipe is made with fresh pizza dough, a ricotta cheese filling, and some of my favorite filling ingredients. But feel free to get creative and make this recipe your own!😉
A calzone is a portable Italian turnover, not to be confused with the stromboli, which is rolled up instead of folded like a pocket. Filling ingredients are super versatile—pick and choose your favorites based on what you love and what fits your budget. Just about any pizza topping works in a calzone! I personally love the combo of pepperoni and mushrooms (that’s what you’ll see in this recipe), and my husband’s go-to is pepperoni and Italian sausage. I’ve also shared some more filling ideas below!
This recipe works great with fresh pizza dough, usually found near the bakery section at the grocery store or canned dough. But if you’re looking to save even more dough (yep, pun intended 😄), try making your own pizza dough! It’s super easy, freezer-friendly, made with real pantry staples, and costs just pennies. You can even whip up a quick homemade pizza sauce while you’re at it to make this recipe even more budget-friendly.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Gather all of your ingredients.
Sauté the mushrooms: Start by slicing 6 oz. baby Bella mushrooms so they cook evenly and tuck nicely into the filling.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add ½ tablespoon of olive oil and ½ tablespoon of butter to the skillet and add the sliced mushrooms once heated. Sauté the mushrooms for 7-8 minutes or until they’re tender and have released all of their water. This is an important step as it stops the mushrooms from releasing more water when they cook in the oven later on. Set the sautéed mushrooms to one side.
Make the ricotta filling: Add ½ cup ricotta cheese, ½ tsp Italian seasoning, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, and ⅛ tsp red pepper flakes to a mixing bowl. Stir well to combine.
Divide the dough: Preheat your oven to 425°F. Take your ball of pizza dough and divide it into 4 equal sections, as shown here.
Fill the dough: Lightly flour your work surface and roll out one pizza dough section into a ¼-inch thick circle. In one half of the pizza dough circle (closer to the center), add about 1 Tbsp of pizza sauce, 2 Tbsp ricotta cheese filling, and 1-2 Tbsp sautéed mushrooms.
Now top the filling with about 6 slices of pepperoni and 1-2 Tbsp shredded mozzarella cheese. Be sure to keep the edges clean so you can properly seal them closed.
Fold and crimp the dough: Now fold the empty side of the dough over the filling. I do this by gently pulling the dough (not too hard, though; otherwise, it’ll tear) and gently stretching it over the filling ingredients. Seal the dough by twisting and crimping the edges shut. Now, repeat the filling and folding process with the remaining pizza dough sections.
Bake: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the calzones on top. Brush the tops with the remaining 2 Tbsp of oil (this will help them brown nicely in the oven).
Carefully slice 2-3 small slits into the tops of each and, if you have any extra, sprinkle them with a little Italian seasoning (optional).
Bake them in the preheated oven for 20-22 minutes or until the tops are nicely golden brown. Serve, and enjoy!
There are so many ways to fill a calzone, and this is where you can really make it your own! Mix and match based on what you love and what you already have on hand. Want to keep it budget-friendly? Go easy on the meat and bulk things up with veggies.
Once cooled, store your homemade calzones in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3-4 days. Reheat them in the oven (cover with foil if it starts to brown too much) or in the microwave. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months, but I’d let them thaw in the fridge first to ensure even reheating.
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