Turkey Sausage Calzones
By Nick Evans, Macheesmo
About this Dish
“I can’t believe it’s already back-to-school season and while it may be the case that the school year isn’t going to be a completely normal one, at least we can make sure to have some good meals in the fridge during the year! These Turkey Sausage Calzones are a great option!” – Nick Evans, Macheesmo
Looking for other healthy, Italian inspired turkey dishes? Find our top 3 below!
Ingredients
Calzone Dough:
4 c (22 oz) bread flour
1 packet instant yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
2 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 c warm water
Calzone Filling:
1 lb turkey sausage
2 tbsp olive oil
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 c marinara sauce
1 tbsp fresh sage
2 cloves garlic
1 lb ricotta
1 egg yolk
6 slices Provolone cheese
1 egg + tbsp water
Directions
For dough:
Stir together flour, yeast, and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir in olive oil and then add water, mixing on medium speed with a dough hook or with a wooden spoon until it comes together and then knead it for about 10 minutes until it’s smooth. If you’re using a dough hook, mix dough on medium for 8-10 minutes. If at any point the dough is very wet and sticky, add more flour by the tablespoon. If the dough is very dry and cracking, add more water by the tablespoon.
When dough is ready, add to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for two hours. Then divide into six even portions for calzones.
For Filling:
Remove turkey sausage from casing if it is in a casing and break apart in a skillet, with olive oil, over medium-high heat. Cook for 4-5 minutes, continuing to break apart sausage as it cooks, until it’s browned and cooked through.
Once sausage is cooked, add peppers and onions and continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes until vegetables soften.
Add marinara, sage, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper and cook until combined. The mixture shouldn’t be watery at all and nice and thick.
Meanwhile, whisk together ricotta with egg yolk.
To Make Calzones:
Preheat oven to 375˚F. Working with one portion of calzone dough (1/6 of batch), roll it out on lightly floured surface into a circle at least 6 inches in diameter. Add about 1/4 cup of ricotta mixture to the bottom half of dough and top with a sixth of the turkey mixture. Top that with a slice of provolone cheese, ripped up.
Fold the top of the calzone over the filling, pulling it tight and crimping it around the edges. Then use a serrated knife to cut a few slices in the top of the calzone so steam can escape.
Move the calzone to a baking sheet and repeat until you have six calzones.
Brush the calzones with egg wash and move to oven.
Bake calzones for 30-35 minutes at 375˚F until they are golden brown on top and around the edges.
Let cool for five minutes before serving or let cool to room temperature and wrap in foil for storage in the fridge.
Reheat stored calzones in a 350˚F oven for 10 minutes until warmed through or in the microwave for 1 minute on high. Calzones will keep in the fridge for 5 days or freeze for longer storage.
