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!😉
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Easy Recipe for Calzones
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!
Budget-Saving Tip
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.
Calzone Recipe
Servings 4 servingsIngredients
- 6 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced ($2.25)
- 2 ½ Tbsp olive oil, divided ($0.10)
- ½ Tbsp butter ($0.06)
- ½ cup ricotta cheese ($0.85)
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning ($0.05)
- ¼ tsp salt ($0.02)
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.04)
- ⅛ tsp red pepper flakes ($0.03)
- 1 ball pizza dough* ($3.49)
- ⅓ cup pizza sauce, divided ($0.40)
- 24 pepperoni slices, divided ($1.60)
- ½ cup whole milk shredded mozzarella, divided ($0.28)
Instructions
- Slice the mushrooms. Then add ½ tablespoon of olive oil and ½ tablespoon of butter to a large skillet. Heat the skillet over medium heat and add the sliced mushrooms. Sauté the mushrooms for 7-8 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender and have released all of their water. Remove the cooked mushrooms from the skillet to a separate bowl and set aside.
- Next make the ricotta filling. In a separate bowl add the ricotta, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Now prepare the pizza dough. Divide the pizza dough ball into 4 equal sections. Roll out one pizza dough section at a time on a lightly floured surface into a ¼-inch thick circle.
- On one half of the pizza dough circle (closer to the center) add about 1 Tbsp of pizza sauce, 2 Tbsp ricotta cheese, about 6 slices of pepperoni, 1-2 Tbsp sautéed mushrooms, and 1-2 Tbsp shredded mozzarella cheese. Make sure to leave the edges of the pizza dough clean so you can properly seal them.
- Fold the empty side of the dough over the filling. I like to do this by gently pulling the dough out and then gently stretching it over the filling. Now seal the top and bottom of the dough by twisting and crimping the two edges together. Repeat the same steps with the remaining 3 pizza dough balls.
- Place the calzones on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cut 2-3 small slits into the top of each. Brush them with the remaining 2 Tbsp of olive oil. You can also sprinkle the tops with a little extra Italian seasoning (optional). Bake the calzones in the preheated oven for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown on top. Enjoy!
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Equipment
- Large 12" skillet
- Mixing bowl
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Rolling Pin
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!how to make Calzones step-by-step photos
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!
Recipe Success Tips
- Be careful not to overfill your pizza dough, or it will be hard to seal the edges without the filling spilling out.
- Wanna make 2 large calzones instead? Just divide the pizza dough ball into 2 sections instead of 4.
- I recommend cooking out the moisture from any veggies you want to add, like mushrooms or bell peppers, so your dough doesn’t get soggy.
- Always use a baking sheet that is big enough, so they have space to puff up and bake evenly.
- Make sure to crimp the edges well! I use a fold-and-twist motion that holds everything in and looks extra cute once baked. However you do it, just be sure they’re well closed so nothing leaks out while baking.
More Filling Ideas
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.
- Cooked meatballs (cut into smaller pieces)
- Sautéed bell peppers or onions
- Olives
- Crumbled cooked Italian sausage
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Caramelized onions
- Crumbled cooked bacon (I cook my bacon in the air fryer)
- Sliced deli ham or leftover baked ham
- Different cheese (e.g., feta, provolone, or sharp cheddar)
- Pineapple chunks
- Wilted spinach
Storage & Reheating
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.
Absolutely delicious version. I started doing these when my grandsons were young and I often had to feed them lunch or supper. I would, however, suggest an egg wash to make the finished calzone really shine. I also make my own pizza dough–so fast, easy, and cheap! There are recipes on this site. I made these for lunch today and shaved almost $4 off Marsha’s cost due to making my own dough (with half of my recipe now in the freezer) and a good price on mushrooms. Marsha’s step 3 suggestion to precook the veggies is absolutely the best. I do big batches almost weekly–dice 1 large onion, 1 red, orange, or yellow bell pepper, 1 poblano pepper, and plenty of minced garlic–freeze or refrigerate. I usually don’t bother to freeze as I’m certain to use up a batch within days. I do the same with mushrooms, which I like to slice myself as I slice thinner, saute in oil & butter, and add a splash of wine or balsamic vinegar–I almost never have enough left over to freeze, although they are usually enough for more than 1 meal.
Really glad to see some newer recipes that seem like OG budget bytes! I love how I can cook and freeze something like this for easy re-heating later for myself and my family as quick ‘grab and go’ items. Some of the recent ‘fad’ recipes posted the past few months have not been helpful for quick, simple, easy, cheap cooking for why I turn to Budget Bytes for all of my recipe needs. This looks great and I’m excited to incorporate it into my meal plan next week! Thanks so much!