Calzone Meat Pie

Calzone meat pie is an easy recipe made with a bread based dough where you shape pockets of dough filled with all your favorite pizza toppings. More like making pita bread where you add your favorite fillings except that this recipe is much quicker.

Make calzone pockets for lunches, or serve as a dinner main course with a side of crispy potato chips or a salad, either way, you are sure to love them!

What Is Calzone?

Calzone is an Italian oven-baked turnover, made with leavened dough. It originated in Naples in the 18th century. A typical calzone is made from salted bread dough, baked in an oven and stuffed with salami, ham or vegetables, mozzarella, ricotta and Parmesan or pecorino cheese, as well as an egg. As referenced in Wikipedia

This calzone meat pie recipe, is the best of both worlds, we have half the calzone's filled with Italian cured meats and the other half, is filled with cooked ground beef and potatoes. However, there are so many options on how you can fill them.

Pack these up with fall-apart lamb, slow cook beef ragu, cheese, salami, sauce and vegetables for a delicious lunch-time meal or dinner with a salad.

Calzone Dough

You can use any bread or pizza dough to make calzones and the best news is that you can also use puff pastry which is even more convenient. The other option is to buy ready-made pizza dough. Your only reminder when rolling out the dough, is not make it too thin. Remember that it needs to hold all the fillings, so work around ¼-inch in thickness.

3 Reasons To Love Calzone's

1. Lots of creativisy in how you would like to shape the dough, especially with children as an activity.
2. Loads of options for the fillings from vegetarian, to cooked and cured meats, cheese, sauce etc.
3. Very good to make ahead and the storage is convenient

Calzone Ingredients

The ingredients are the same as a pizza dough or an easy bread dough.

Calzone Filling

• Meat:  Salami, ham, chorizo, bacon, Italian sausage, cooked lamb, beef, chicken, pork and really most cuts of meat.
• Cheese:  Cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan, feta
• Veggies:  Bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, shallots, spinach, kale
• Dips:  Choose your favourite dip or sauce.

In this recipe, we used cooked ground beef with potatotoes. Calzone is very good for a way to use up leftovers, when you simply add cheese or sauce and bake it.

How To Make Calzone

This is such a wonderful family recipe, it goes quick and the great part is that you can add any leftovers you may have in terms of cooked meat, veggies and cold meats. Prepare all the fillings in advance to make it easier when it's time to bake.

Step 1 - Shape The Dough
On your work surface, roll your dough out and divide into portions and then roll those portions into circles.

Step 2. Filling
Now that you have the balls of dough, that's how many calzones you will make. Spread each dough ball out, by hand or use a rolling pin. On the one half of the dough, add what ingredients you wish to add.

Step 3. Seal The Calzone
Take the other half and fold it over the meet the side that's filled. Gently but firmly press the edges, by hand or use a fork.

For Puff Pastry: Cut the pastry into squares, add the filling and follow the steps to seal and bake. Remember that's its then no longer a calzone but more of a pie with puff pastry, but it's a choice.

Step 4. Bake
Use a pastry brush to lighty brush oil over the tops and (optional) cut small vents on the top. Bake at 200°C/400°F for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Quick And Easy Lunch Recipe Ideas

• Chicken Sandwich Recipe
• Air Fryer Tortilla Wraps
• Warm Beef Wraps with Labneh
• The Easiest Pizza Base Recipe

How To Store Calzone's

To Freeze: Calzones freeze extremely well both uncooked and cooked. First be sure to cool them completely and then place them on a them in a freezer-safe bag or container.

To Reheat: Remove the calzone's from the freezer to the fridge overnight, as they need to thaw before reheating. If they are raw, follow the baking method in the recipe card below or if they are cooked, then they need half the time in the oven to reheat.