Sausage and Pepper Calzone

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Dinner, Main Course American/Italian
By Kelly Djalali Serves: 2-4
Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 20 Minutes Total Time: ~40 Minutes

This sausage and pepper calzone features Trader Joe's Chicken Jalapeño sausages and colorful mini bell peppers, pepper jack cheese and tomato sauce.

Ingredients

  • 4-5 Chicken Sausages, sliced into 1/8-inch rounds
  • 5-8 Mini Bell Peppers, sliced into 1/8-inch rounds
  • 1 Jalapeño (optional), sliced into 1/8-inch rounds
  • Olive Oil
  • 1 Prepared Pizza Dough, rolled out to a 12-inch round
  • 1.5 cups Grated Pepper Jack Cheese
  • 1 cup Tomato Sauce
  • Grated or Powdered Parmesan Cheese

Instructions

1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2

Heat a little oil in a skillet and sauté the sausages over medium heat until they begin to develop some browning. Add the sliced peppers to the skillet and continue sautéing until the peppers are slightly softened.

3

Cut the heat and let the sausage and peppers sit until we are ready to use them.

4

Roll your dough out to a 12-inch round.

5

Lay the dough in a lightly oiled sheet pan. It's ok if it doesn't fit, let half of it hangs over the edge since we are folding it over.

6

Cover half of the dough with about half of the grated cheese, be sure to leave about a 1-inch border to fold and seal up the calzone. Spoon on the tomato sauce. If you're using thin sauce, use about 1/2 to 3/4 cup. Spread the sauce over the cheese.

7

Top the sauce with the sausage and peppers. I had about 1 cup of the sausage and pepper mixture leftover to use for something else. (It's a great mix-in for scrambled eggs!) Use enough of the pepper and sausage mix to get good coverage and is substantial, but not so much that it prevents the dough from folding over.

8

Then top the sausage and peppers with the rest of the cheese.

9

Now, fold the dough over the filling. Pinch the crescent edges together. If your dough is not sticking together, moisten the edge of the bottom strip of dough with a little water and see if that helps it to stick together.

10

Then, like a pie, fold and crimp the edge over itself.

11

Brush the top with olive oil. Slice two to three slits in the center top, to allow steam to escape. Slide the sheet pan in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and there is sauce and cheese bubbling around the steam slits. Just before pulling it out of the oven, sprinkle grated Parmesan over the top, if you like, and bake for another minute.

12

Drizzle oil over the top when it comes out, if desired.

13

Let it cool for 5-10 minutes and then slice it up into wedges. Use a serrated knife so all the filling won't squish out from the downward pressure of the knife.

Notes

If using 5 Sausages, you will likely have leftover sausage and pepper filling to use for another recipe, like scrambled eggs or an omelet.