Sausage and Peppers Calzone
Looking for some tasty comfort food? Grab some pizza dough and make this Sausage and Peppers Calzone for dinner tonight!
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I’ll start by saying that I’ve bent the rules of the traditional calzone with this recipe. The term ‘calzone’ comes from the Italian word for ‘stocking’ or ‘trouser,’ and these folded pizzas typically include several varieties of cheese. Ricotta, mozzarella and provolone are all usual suspects when looking at calzone recipes. This Sausage and Peppers Calzone, though? No cheese. (Well, it does include grated Parmesan, but I’m not counting that.)
I can’t believe I’m actually saying this, but I don’t think this calzone needed any cheese. If you’ve followed this blog for a while, then you know I’m all about adding cheese to anything and everything. More cheese, more better! This calzone doesn’t include cheese, however if you wanted to go off-script and add a bit of ricotta or mozzarella, then I don’t think anyone would complain.
Sausage and Peppers Calzone
The idea for this Sausage and Peppers Calzone came from the classic sausage + peppers hoagie. Back in our grad school days, Laura used to make sausage and peppers on a hoagie roll quite often. In fact, I remember one night having to work late at the university. She showed up and surprised me with sausage and peppers hoagies wrapped in foil, and we ate those sandwiches at the desk in my office. Best.dinner.ever…particularly because I was planning on eating peanut butter crackers that night.
While those sausage and peppers calzones used links of Italian sausage topped with sautéed peppers and onions, this calzone uses ground (or bulk) Italian sausage. The sausage gets crumbled into the pan and cooked with the peppers and onions. Talk about flavor! You could take that skillet and serve it over rice or even pasta for a fun twist. However, I highly recommend the calzone form!
Instead of using hoagie rolls, I substituted a batch of our homemade pizza dough instead. This dough has been a staple around our house for years – from pizza (obvi) to breadsticks and even garlic knots, this pizza dough recipe is never far away in our kitchen. (You can certainly use a batch of store-bought pizza dough if making homemade dough isn’t your thing. Or try calling your favorite pizza shop and see if they sell dough – many independent pizza shops will sell you a batch of their dough.)
For this Sausage and Peppers Calzone, I divided that 16-oz. batch of pizza dough into 6 smaller pieces. Each one of these pieces was rolled into an 8″ circle and stuffed with the filling. While you could make larger calzones, I felt like 6 pieces yielded a respectable but not overly large calzone. We added some roasted veggies on the side, and this was a perfect meal. Of course, you can play around with the size to match your preferences. The amount of stuffing (peppers, onions, sausage, etc.) will work well with 16-oz. of pizza dough – no matter whether that’s 6 smaller calzones or 1 gigantic one!
If you’ve never made calzones at home, then I challenge you to try this one – it’s not very difficult and the taste is amazing. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do! Cheers!
Did you make this Sausage and Peppers Calzone at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog). I’d love to see your version – even though taking pictures of calzones is more difficult than it should be!
Sausage and Pepper Calzone
Ingredients
- 16 oz. pizza dough homemade or store-bought
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 red bell peppers seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 medium yellow onion sliced
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 16 oz. ground Italian sausage sweet or hot
- {optional} ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Divide dough into 6 equal portions. Form each piece into a tight ball and place on a floured baking sheet. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1½ hours, or until dough has approximately doubled in size.
- Meanwhile, prepare the filling by adding olive oil to a large skillet. Place skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add sliced peppers, onions and salt. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes, or until peppers have begun to soften.
- Add Italian sausage and {optional} red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring often, for 8-10 minutes, or until sausage is fully cooked. Set mixture aside to cool.
- Preheat oven to 500°F.
- Working on a well-floured cutting board or counter top, roll/flatten 1 piece of dough into an 8” round circle. (Note: Keep the remaining dough covered while working. Use additional flour as needed to ensure dough does not stick.)
- Place 1/6 of the filling into center of the dough. Sprinkle 1/6 of the grated cheese on top.
- Using a small bowl, whisk together egg with 1 Tbsp of water. Lightly brush the edge of half of the dough with the egg mixture. Fold dough in half and crimp edges with a fork to seal. Place calzone on a lightly oiled baking sheet.
- Repeat process using remaining dough, filling and cheese.
- Cut 2-3 small vents into the top of each calzone to let steam escape.
- Brush the tops of the calzones with the remaining egg wash.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until calzones are golden brown in color.
Looking for more fun twists on the classic pizza? Check out these other favorite recipes, too:
Will be making this soon can i use almond milk / vegan cheese and mushrooms and can i skip peppers as am not a big fan of it perfect for my after office meals love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work will dm you if i make this and let you knoe how it goes Thanks Ramya
Yes, you can absolutely use finely chopped mushrooms and vegan options for the cheese here! I think a mushroom calzone sounds quite fantastic actually – just make sure to cook the mushrooms down until there’s no liquid left…otherwise your calzone might get a little soggy. Enjoy!
Italian sausage is one of my favorite ingredients. There’s so much flavor. Sausage and peppers is a perfect pairing. I can see why you left out the cheese for this one and making into a calzone is such a great idea!
I absolutely love Italian sausage, too, Kathy – it really packs in the flavor no matter the recipe! These calzones turned out really well, too. I highly recommend them!!
Hmmmm. These are really lovely and flavorful. But I’d still add a bit of cheese. It does help hold everything together. Or, that’s my excuse, in any case!
Haha – I don’t blame you one bit, Mimi! Cheese really does make everything better. 🙂
these look great david. there used to be a restaurant near us that made them stuffed with loads of garlic butter and prawns. Oh my! so very delish!
Ah – prawns in a calzone? That’s a fun idea! I don’t typically think of seafood in calzones, but that would be rather tasty. I should try that next time we’re in a calzone mood! Thanks, Sherry!
I have some frozen pizza dough and I am going to make these calzones for sure although I will make these with mushrooms and bell peppers since I am a vegetarian 🙂
Ah, you should totally make this recipe with mushrooms and bell peppers – just make sure to cook the mushrooms down until there’s no liquid left. (Otherwise you might end up with a soggy calzone!) That sounds like a delicious idea using mushrooms here, though! Enjoy!
I love sausage and peppers together. Such an excellent combination! This looks absolutely delicious David. Lynne is a huge fan of calzone, I’ll maybe have to surprise her with this and see if she realises there’s no cheese!
Sausage and peppers truly are a great match together! And everything tastes better in calzone form. I definitely say you should make this for Lynne! And if you happen to add some cheese, it wouldn’t be a bad thing…haha. 🙂
David and cheese-free recipes are basically two not compatible things! Shocking indeed.
Also, I did not know that cheese is a typical ingredient for making calzone. But you know what? The combination of sausage and sweet peppers is so delicious and hearty, too – so I won’t be too upset about the cheese shortage 🙂
I know, I know! I’m a little shocked that I left the cheese out of this one, too…but these calzones truly did turn out well without cheese. Of course, if you snuck a little cheese in there, it wouldn’t be a bad thing! 🙂 Speaking of calzones, it’s certain types of cheese that traditionally go into calzones – typically ricotta or mozzarella. Both would be good additions here!!
I would eat this happily, David! Sounds delicious and I totally agree there’s plenty of taste and heft without any cheese.
There is so much flavor going on inside these calzones, Frank! I highly recommend these for a comfort food night. 🙂
While I do love cheese A LOT, I can totally see why you left it out here. I bet with that crust and rich sausage, they didn’t even need it. I just love meals like this. Just perfect for supper during the week or Friday night eats! Lots of sauce on the side for dunking and I’m set! 🙂
Oh, I love cheese A LOT, too! I literally can’t believe I made a calzone without cheese…but I did. And it’s delicious. (Of course, cheese would still be a welcome addition here!) This is my kind of Friday night eats for sure. Cheers, Dawn!
This calzone looks so rich and delicious, David – no cheese required! I’m putting this on the menu for our next pizza night!
Definitely put this calzone on the menu for the next pizza night! We love pizza nights in our house, and these calzones were a huge hit. Thanks, Marissa!
As often as I make pizza, it is a rarity that I use that dough to make a calzone! But this sausage and pepper calzone is totally one I’d make any day of the week! I love that it’s easy, and as much as I love cheese, sometimes, I just need a no-cheese dish – and I completely agree, parmeggiano is a necessity, not a cheese in this calzone! I’m guessing this will appear on a plate near me very soon. Thanks, David!
You should totally use that pizza dough and whip up a batch of calzones on the next pizza night, Laura! They’re a fun way to mix things up a bit. Enjoy!!
Sausage and peppers are a favourite around here esp in pasta, but I have to admit, I always forget about making calzones! Will have to give this recipe a try soon!
We love sausage and peppers here, too, Michelle – and I’m always looking for ways to take those flavors and use them in a different way. These calzones did the trick! I highly recommend making a batch for the next pizza night in your house! 🙂
I would go off script in this one and add mozarella, I want that goeyness on pizza. I bet even without it, this is tasty enough
I can’t blame you one bit on the mozzarella – I love it on pizza! However, this calzone has a ton of flavor as is. Both ways would be delicious!!
No cheese – just a smattering of Parm – means I CAN enjoy more than just a bite of this! This sounds so darn delicious – am wondering how well a veg sausage would hold up in a calzone like this? The only way to know for sure is to just try it – righjt! Also – Dude, Laura is a gem! There was that time you wrote about when she brought you a WHOLE cake and now am reading she brought you hoagies too! So darn sweet! Does she have a brother around my age? Jk Jk! 🙂
Haha – that’s true, Shashi! So I’m thinking a veg sausage would be totally fine in this calzone. Just make sure to cook it until the liquid has mostly evaporated so you don’t end up with soggy calzone dough! In other news, you have an incredible memory!! 🙂