pizza Archives - Family Dinners

Easy Hot Cheesy Pizza Dip Recipe

Andrea + Stef — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 00:07:00 +0000

If you are a pizza lover, this cheesy, gooey and absolutely delicious hot pepperoni pizza dip is perfect for you. Mouthwatering layers of seasoned cream cheese, pizza sauce, mozzarella, parmesan and pepperoni combine all your favorite pizza flavors within this oven baked dip.

Served with crusty bread or your favorite crackers, pepperoni pizza dip is an amazing appetizer to an Italian dinner, but can also be served at your next party, movie night or on game days.

You can also easily personalize this dip by adding your favorite pizza toppings instead of slices of pepperoni. Not a meat lover? Make this easy pizza dip vegetarian by topping it with vegetables such as black olives, green bell peppers or red onions.

WHAT IS PIZZA DIP?

This super yummy and addictive oven baked dip starts out with a layer of seasoned cream cheese, that is topped with a layer of tasty pizza or marinara sauce. Then sprinkled with two of Italy’s most popular cheeses: mozzarella and parmesan and finally topped with pepperoni slices. It combines all the flavors of a pepperoni pizza in a mouthwatering dip.

Why You’ll Love This

Notable: pizza dip is creamy, cheesy, full of flavor and can easily be personalized with your favorite pizza toppings
Main Ingredients: cream cheese, sour cream, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, pepperoni
Cooking Method: air fryer, oven baked
Cooking Time: 5 minutes prep time and 25 minutes cook time
Pairs well with: crusty bread, pita chips, crackers, bagel chips, tortilla chips, garlic bread, french bread, pita bread, fresh bell peppers
Diets: keto friendly, gluten free
Special Equipment Needed: medium bowl, electric hand mixer, air fryer, oven-proof skillet

Ingredients

You may have all of these ingredients for this hot cheesy pizza dip recipe in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store! If this is your first time making this pepperoni pizza dip you might want to read the possible variations before deciding on your ingredients.

Easy Pizza Dip Ingredients

8 oz cream cheese (softened)
½ cup sour cream
1 ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
1 ¼ cup pizza sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese (shredded)
¼ cup parmesan cheese (grated)
10 pepperoni slices

Optional Garnish

Fresh basil

Substitutions

Pizza Sauce: Use your favorite store bought pizza or marinara sauce or make your own. Check out our recipe for the best, easy to make Marinara Sauce.

Italian Seasoning: You can substitute plain oregano, or make your own Italian seasoning for this easy party dip.

Cheeses: For best results, shred your own cheeses. Pre-shredded cheese contains preservatives and doesn’t melt as well or taste as good.

Pepperoni: Original or turkey pepperoni work well. You can also use mini pepperoni.

Variations:

Add extra cheese or use less cheese, depending on your preference.
Add different meat options: ham, grilled chicken, bacon, or sausage.
Try making your dip vegetarian by topping it with roasted bell peppers, mushrooms, or sliced black olives.
Make it Hawaiian by topping it with diced ham, bacon bits and pineapple chuncks.
Try a Buffalo twist, top with grilled chicken and crumbled up blue cheese, bake, and then top with just the right amount of Buffalo sauce.

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love this cheesy dip recipe with pepperoni, try our Rotel Dip with Sausage. You’ll love it because you only need 3 simple ingredients to make this super easy, cheesy and absolutely delicious dip.

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Air Fryer – This recipe requires an air fryer. We have both this Cosori air fryer, which is wonderful, and this Cuisinart Air Fryer, which we also love. The Cuisinart also has convection oven and toaster oven capacity. You can buy an air fryer with a basket with high sides that food goes into or a tray type of machine. The trays are shallow but are usually longer and can accomodate more food in a single layer.

Cast Iron Pan — A cast iron skillet works best for this recipe, because it retains heat for a long time. It therefore keeps the dip warm and gooey till it’s all eaten up. However, any oven safe pan, baking dish or a 9-inch pie plate will work as well.

Electric Mixer – Use an electric hand mixer to make the cream cheese layer for this good pizza dip.

Instructions

This section shows how to cook pepperoni pizza dip in the oven, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For printable instructions and nutritional information see the recipe card below.

Prep: Firstly, heat oven to 350ºF. Then grate cheeses and measure ingredients.

Step 1: In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder.

Step 2: Using a hand mixer, beat until creamy and smooth.

Step 3: Spread the cream cheese mixture into the bottom of a cast iron skillet or pie baking dish.

Step 4: Top cream cheese layer with pizza sauce and sprinkle with the two types of cheese.

Step 5: Then top with pepperoni. You can add some extra pepperoni, but note that pepperoni releases grease when cooked, so too much pepperoni could make your dip extra greasy.

Step 6: Bake uncovered in an 350 f oven for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown. Let rest for 5 minutes then serve with chips, crusty bread, pita crackers or thick slices of bell pepper.

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love the delicious flavor of easy to make party dips then you’ll love our Million Dollar Dip. This crowd pleaser is full of yummy cheese, crispy bacon and crunchy almonds.

How To Make Pizza Dip Ahead

Hot pizza dip can also easily be made ahead. Simply assemble the dip, cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Pull the dip out of the refrigerator and bake when you are ready to serve it. You might have to increase cooking time, because the uncooked dip will be very cold.

How To Make Pizza Dip In The Air Fryer

You can also cook this easy pizza dip recipe in the air fryer if you prefer:

Preheat the air fryer to 325ºF.
In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer, cream together the cream cheese, sour cream, Italian seasoning and garlic powder.
Then spread cheese mixture into the bottom of a pie tin or cake pan that fits easily into your air fryer.
Top with pizza sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese.
Top with pepperoni slices.
Cook uncovered for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown.
Let the dip rest for 5 minutes, then serve with chips, crusty bread, pita crackers or thick slices of bell pepper.

Recipe Tips

Follow these tips to make the best baked pizza dip appetizer.

Tip: For best results, use room temperature cream cheese. Cold cream cheese will not mix together well with the other ingredients.
Tip: Taste the pizza sauce before using if it’s store bought. Not all pizza sauce is equal. Make sure you like it!
Tip: Shred your own mozzarella cheese. Pre-shredded cheese has preservatives and doesn’t melt as well or taste as good.
Tip: Do not add too much pepperoni. Pepperoni releases grease when it’s cooked and your dip will be very greasy if there’s too much pepperoni.

More Amazing Dip Recipes

If you love this hot cheesy pizza dip recipe, then you’ll enjoy these other delicious appetizer recipes:

More Delicious Pizza Recipes

If you love love pepperoni pizza dip you’ll also enjoy Grilled Pizza, Thick Crust Pizza and these easy recipes:

How To Store

Refrigerate: You can store uncooked pepperoni pizza dip in the fridge for up to 24 hours. We recommend eating baked pizza dip immediately. You can store hot pizza dip leftovers in an airtight container or wrapped tightly with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Freeze: We do not recommend freezing this dip.

How To Reheat

You can reheat leftovers in the microwave, oven or air fryer. Preheat the oven to 350ºF and bake your dip until heated through, about 10-15 minutes. For the air fryer, put your dip in a pie tin or cake pan and air fry at 325ºF for 5-10 minutes.

Common Questions

Are pizza sauce and marinara sauce the same?

Even though they contain very similar ingredients, there are some slight differences. For example pizza sauce has a thicker consistency and often contains olive oil, while marinara sauce has a lighter consistency and often contains onions or shallots. You can use both sauces in this recipe with similar results.

Can I cook hot pizza dip in the air fryer?

Yes, preheat your air fryer to 325ºF. Prepare the hot pizza dip as described in the recipe. Use a cake pan or pie tin that fits your air fryer instead of a cast iron pan. Cook uncovered for 10-15 minutes in the air fryer. Let rest for 5 minutes then serve.

Is it possible to add other toppings to this pepperoni dip?

Of course! Prepare the hot pizza dip as instructed in the recipe until the mozzarella and parmesan cheese layer. Now you can get creative and top the dip with your favorite toppings, such as green peppers, black olives or ham, for example.

What to serve with cheesy pizza dip?

You can serve this delicious pizza dip with different types of crusty bread, such as baguette slices, ciabatta, bread sticks or pizza bread. Pizza dip is also a great way to use up stale white bread. Simple cut the bread in slices and toast them in the oven until golden brown and crispy.
Pita chips, bagel chips, crackers, pretzels or thick slices of bell pepper are other great options to serve with this dip.
Oven baked pepperoni dip also makes a perfect appetizer when served with garlic knots and Italian salad.

Easy Hot Cheesy Pizza Dip Recipe

This creamy and cheesy hot pizza dip has everything you love in pizza. Enjoy dipping crusty bread, vegetables or crackers in this game day favorite.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword baked cheese dip, cheesy pepperoni dip, hot pizza dip, pepperoni pizza dip, pizza dip

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 247kcal

Author Andrea + Stef

Equipment

Medium Bowl
hand mixer
spatula
cast iron pan or other oven safe pan, or baking dish

Ingredients

8 oz cream cheese softened
½ cup sour cream
1½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
⅛ tsp garlic powder
1¼ cups pizza sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
¼ cup parmesan cheese grated
10 slices of pepperoni

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder.
Using a hand mixer, beat until creamy and smooth.
Spread the cream cheese mixture into the bottom of a cast iron skillet or pie dish.
Spread the pizza sauce over the cream cheese mixture.
Sprinkle the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses over the top of the pizza sauce.
Top the cheese with pepperoni slices. Add more if you prefer a lot of pepperoni. Note that pepperoni expresses grease when cooked, so too much pepperoni could make your dip extra greasy.
Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown.
Serve while warm.

Notes

RECIPE NOTES:

Add more or less cheese, depending on your taste.
Optional: Add an ⅛ teaspoon of salt to the cream cheese mixture.
Use any pizza toppings you prefer. Try sliced olives, mushrooms, peppers, or sausage.
To make ahead, prepare the dip up until the point of cooking but do not cook. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Cooking time may increase if ingredients are very cold.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

Serve with crusty bread, pita chips or crackers.
Serve as an appetizer with Italian Salad and garlic knots.

Nutrition

The post Easy Hot Cheesy Pizza Dip Recipe appeared first on Family Dinners.

White Pizza with Garlic Pizza Sauce

Andrea + Stef — Mon, 06 Jun 2022 22:34:39 +0000

Surprise your family with this amazingly delicious vegetarian white pizza with garlic pizza sauce on your next pizza night. This crispy oven baked pizza topped with creamy and garlicy “Alfredo” like pizza sauce, lots of yummy cheese and aromatic fresh basil is simply to die for.

White pizza is immensely flavorful and ready in only 20 minutes. Serve this easy to make cheese pizza with a nutritious salad like our Italian Salad and yummy roasted vegetables.

You can easily personalize this recipe by adding some of your favorite pizza toppings, such as ham, grilled chicken, olives or crumbled up bacon. You will absolutely love the incredible flavor of this perfect cheese pizza.

WHAT IS WHITE PIZZA?

White pizza, also called pizza bianca, is pizza made without marinara or tomato pizza sauce. White pizza uses a béchamel based sauce that is seasoned with garlic and parmesan cheese, and is then topped with white cheeses such as mozzarella or provolone, for example. Even though, white pizza has a different flavor profile than regular pizza, it is every bit as delicious.

❤️ WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS GARLIC PARMESAN PIZZA RECIPE

✔️ Unbeatable creamy, cheesy and garlicy flavor. Everyone raves about this.

✔️ Comes together in only 20 minutes.

✔️ It’s a vegetarian pizza recipe. Add some of your favorite veggies if you want.

✔️ Uses preservative-free, homemade white pizza sauce.

WHITE PIZZA INGREDIENTS

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for white garlic parmesan pizza, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

You may have all of these white pizza with garlic pizza sauce ingredients in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store. See recipe card below for ingredient amounts.

Pizza Dough: Use your favorite refrigerated pizza dough from the grocery store or make your own. Have you tried our favorite homemade pizza crust recipe?
Mozzarella Cheese: For best results, shred your own mozzarella cheese. Pre-shredded cheese contains preservatives and doesn’t melt as well or taste as good. Use low moisture mozzarella not the fresh kind stored in liquid.
Garlic Pizza Sauce(Parmesan Garlic Sauce): This béchamel based garlic pizza sauce recipe is amazing, but you can substitute store bought garlic pizza sauce or Alfredo sauce for this recipe.
Parmesan Cheese:We recommend freshly shredded parmesan cheese for best flavors.
Italian Seasoning: You can substitute plain oregano, or make your own Italian seasoning by mixing oregano, dried basil, and thyme.
Olive Oil

INSTRUCTIONS

This section shows how to cook white cheese pizza in the oven, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full instructions, nutritional information, to print the recipe or to have the recipe scaled to double or triple, see the recipe card below.

PREPARE GARLIC PIZZA SAUCE: Take a look at our garlic parmesan sauce post for detailed instructions on how to make this out of this world yummy pizza sauce.

🔴 TIP: Make your own pizza sauce, You can use a jar of store bought garlic pizza sauce or alfredo sauce but this garlic pizza sauce recipe is amazing!

PREPARE PIZZA CRUST: First, stretch out the pizza dough, then brush with oil, sprinkle with seasoning and top with white pizza sauce.

🔴 TIP: Don’t roll your pizza crust with a rolling pin, Try to stretch the dough with your hands on the pizza pan. This will allow it to maintain its elasticity.

ADD TOPPINGS AND BAKE: Generously top with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, then bake at 450ºF until the crust is cooked through and the cheese is melted.

🔴 TIP: Use lots of cheese, Don’t try to cut back on the cheese.

SERVE: Garnish with fresh basil chiffonade, cut into slices and serve.

TIPS FOR THE BEST WHITE PIZZA

Follow these tips to make the best garlic parmesan pizza.

✔️ Make your own sauce! You can use a jar of store bought garlic pizza sauce or Alfredo sauce but this garlic pizza sauce recipe is amazing!

✔️ Don’t use a rolling pin. Try to stretch the dough with your hands on the pizza pan. This will allow it to maintain its elasticity.

✔️ Use lots of cheese. Don’t try to cut back on the cheese.

✔️ Bake until golden brown and melty. Cook until the crust is cooked through and the cheese on the top is bubbly and melted.

STORAGE TIPS

Refrigerate: Place parchment paper or wax paper between pizza slices and wrap in a cling film or place in an airtight food storage bag for up to 3 days.

Freeze: You can freeze oven baked white pizza for up to 2 weeks. Place parchment or wax paper between the slices to prevent them from sticking together. Then place them in an airtight freezer bag.

Defrosting: Thaw on the counter for 1-2 hours or in the refrigerator overnight.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH PIZZA

Serve white pizza with garlic pizza sauce with a healthy side dish, such as a crunchy salad. We love Caprese Salad, Italian Salad, Greek Salad, Chopped Asparagus Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette or Raw Asparagus Salad.

Or if you prefer to make your side dish in the air fryer, check out our amazing air fryer vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus or green beans, for example.

You can also combine this fabulous cheese pizza with Italian Salad and Italian Sausage Pasta for a great Italian dinner party.

MORE PIZZA RECIPES

If you love love white pizza you’ll enjoy our Breakfast Pizza, Hot Pizza Dip, Air Fryer Naan Pizza, Pizza Dough Garlic Knots, Air Fryer Pizza bites, or Stef’s Fig Prosciutto Pizza.

Have you tried our super scrumptious calzone recipes? You will love our Pepperoni Calzone, Chicken Pesto Calzone, 3 Meat Calzone and Meatball Calzone.

This BBQ season you also have to give Andrea’s fabulous Grilled Pizza a try. It is really easy to make and incredibly flavorful.

If you are looking for a low carb and keto friendly pizza alternative try our insanely delicious Cheesy Cauliflower Breadsticks.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

For perfect results every time, here are answers to the most common questions about cooking white garlic pizza.

Are there any substitutions for mozzarella cheese on pizza?

Mozzarella is definitely the preferred cheese when it comes to making pizza. However, you can substitute provolone, cheddar cheese, gouda, Monterey jack or a pre-packaged pizza blend in a pinch. Most importantly, choose a cheese that melts well.

What is béchamel sauce?

Béchamel is a mixture of flour and butter that has been cooked together (also called a roux) and milk with just a bit of seasoning. It’s often called a “mother sauce” because it is a sauce used to make other sauces. Béchamel sauce is also an essential part of so many amazing dishes, like lasagna, and mac and cheese! Our garlic parmesan sauce is made from a béchamel sauce. It’s somewhat thick and clings to food the way you would want a sauce to.

Can I add other toppings to this pizza?

Of course. Try adding some cooked crumbled up bacon, red onion, olives, roasted red bell pepper or ham, for example. You can also add some grilled chicken, then drizzle the finished pizza with some homemade BBQ sauce, for an amazing BBQ chicken pizza. Or have you ever tried putting some fresh arugula on a pizza? So yummy!

White Pizza with Garlic Pizza Sauce

Learn how to make delicious white pizza with garlic pizza sauce. This gourmet pizza is easy to make and the perfect cheese pizza!

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword cheese pizza with garlic parmesan sauce, garlic pizza sauce recipe, pizza with white sauce, white pizza recipe, white pizza with garlic sauce

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 11

Total Time 21

Servings pizza

Calories 2485kcal

Author Andrea + Stef

Equipment

small saucepan
whisk
pizza pan or baking sheet

Ingredients

Garlic Pizza Sauce Ingredients:

2 tablespoon butter unsalted
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1¼ cup whole milk
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ tsp black pepper
3 cloves of garlic very finely chopped (3 tsps of jarred minced garlic)
¼ cup parmesan cheese freshly grated

Pizza Ingredients:

1 pizza crust homemade or store bought
8 oz low moisture mozzarella cheese grated
½ cup parmesan garlic sauce (recipe above)
¼ cup parmesan cheese grated
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon olive oil

Garnish:

2 tablespoon fresh basil chiffonade

Instructions

Garlic Pizza Sauce Instructions:

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.
Whisk in flour. Continue whisking for about 2 minutes. Do not brown.
Slowly whisk in milk. Whisk continually until the mixture is smooth, thick and bubbly, about 3-5 minutes.
Add ¼ teaspoon sea salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper and 3 cloves of finely chopped garlic. Whisk to combine.
Add parmesan cheese. Whisk until just melted. Remove from heat.
Allow to cool before using or cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Pizza Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 450ºF.
Roll out your crust on a 12-14" pizza pan.
Brush the crust with olive oil. Sprinkle on the Italian seasoning.
Spread garlic sauce around the crust.
Add mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or util the crust is cooked and the cheeses are melted.
Garnish with basil.

Notes

You can use a rectangular baking sheet as well. Cut the slices into squares or long rectangles like breadsticks.
Serve with a side salad or roasted vegetables.

Nutrition

The post White Pizza with Garlic Pizza Sauce appeared first on Family Dinners.

Sausage Breakfast Pizza

Andrea + Stef — Thu, 02 Jun 2022 14:05:38 +0000

This tasty and easy to make sausage breakfast pizza recipe is perfect if you are looking for a special weekend or holiday breakfast for your family. Breakfast pizza is a simple and delicious crowd pleaser loaded with cheese and sausage and egg that also makes a great addition to any brunch table.

You can use refrigerated pizza dough and ready to use pizza sauce for convenience or make your own tasty marinara and pizza crust.

Best of all, this amazing recipe can be anything you want it to be. We love sausage and sunny side up eggs on our oven baked breakfast pizza, but you can also scramble your eggs and add bacon, ham or veggies, if you prefer.

❤️ WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS BREAKFAST PIZZA RECIPE

✔️ Amazing blend of breakfast flavors on an oven baked pizza.

✔️ It’s ready in under 30 minutes. If your pizza crust and sausage are ready to go you’ll be able to make this quickly.

✔️ Can easily be turned into a vegetarian dish by swapping the sausage for roasted vegetables.

✔️ 303 calories per serving and 18 grams of protein.

SAUSAGE BREAKFAST PIZZA INGREDIENTS

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for sausage and egg pizza, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

You may have all of these breakfast pizza ingredients in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store. See recipe card below for ingredient amounts.

Pizza Dough: Use your favorite refrigerated pizza dough from the grocery store or make your own. Have you tried our favorite homemade pizza crust recipe?
Mozzarella Cheese: For best results, shred your own mozzarella cheese. Pre-shredded cheese contains preservatives and doesn’t melt as well or taste as good. Use low moisture mozzarella not the fresh kind stored in liquid.
Pizza Sauce: Use your favorite store bought pizza or marinara sauce or make your own. Check out our recipe for the best Marinara Sauce.
Sausage: Use cooked Italian or regular sausage. If your sausage is raw, cook it first in a skillet.
Eggs

VARIATIONS: Try Different Toppings!

Add bacon. Sprinkle some cooked, crumbled up bacon on your breakfast pizza.
Huevos Rancheros Pizza: Leave out the sausage altogether and cook the pizza following our instructions. Top the finished pizza with some warm salsa.
Eggs Benedict Pizza: Substitute cooked diced ham for the sausage. Drizzle the finished pizza with some warm hollandaise sauce.
Vegetarian Breakfast Pizza: Instead of cooked sausage, top the pizza with roasted and diced vegetables, like mushrooms, broccoli, spinach or bell peppers. (Great way to us up leftover veggies!)

INSTRUCTIONS

This section shows how to cook egg and sausage pizza in the oven, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full instructions, nutritional information, to print the recipe or to have the recipe scaled to double or triple, see the recipe card below.

PREPARE: Grate your cheese, cook your sausage and prepare your pizza sauce. Then spread the pizza dough in a pizza pan and top with pizza sauce, cheese and cooked sausage, leaving 4 open spaces for the eggs.

🔴 TIP: Preheat the pizza stone. If you are using a pizza stone, put it in the oven when you start preheating.

BAKE: Cook the pizza in the oven at 450ºF for 10 minutes. Remember, the eggs have not been added yet.

🔴 TIP: Create little egg wells. When adding toppings, use the sausage and cheese as little barriers for the egg. This will prevent the egg from spreading all over the pizza.

ADD THE EGGS: Remove the pizza from the oven and crack 4 eggs into the reserved spaces. Cook the pizza for another 6 minutes.

FINISH: Take the pizza out of the oven, sprinkle with salt, pepper and parsley (optional), and slice. Serve with hash browns, fruit salad and orange juice.

🔴 TIP: Don’t overcook the pizza after adding the eggs. The egg will cook quickly and the yolk will look raw but will be cooked through if you cook longer than 6 minutes.

TIPS FOR THE BEST SAUSAGE BREAKFAST PIZZA

Follow these tips to make the best breakfast pizza.

✔️ Use your favorite pizza dough. If you don’t like the crust you aren’t going to love the pizza! Our favorite pizza dough is Andrea’s Thick Crust Pizza Dough. You can make this a day or two ahead and refrigerate until you’re ready to use.

✔️ Use cooked sausage bits. If you sausage is raw, cook it first in a skillet.

✔️ Don’t put the eggs on too early. Do not put the eggs on before precooking the rest of the pizza. Otherwise, the eggs will be overcooked.

STORAGE TIPS

Refrigerate: Place parchment paper or wax paper between the pizza slices and wrap in a cling film or place in an airtight food storage bag for up to 3 days. We recommend eating the pieces with the runny eggs on them on the first day.

Freeze: You can freeze cooked breakfast pizza for up to 2 weeks. We do not recommend freezing the pieces that have the runny egg on them though. Place parchment or wax paper between slices to prevent them from sticking together. Then place in an airtight freezer bag.

Defrosting: Thaw on the counter for 1-2 hours or in the refrigerator overnight.

MORE PIZZA RECIPES

If you love love sausage and egg pizza you’ll enjoy our White Pizza with Garlic Pizza Sauce, Hot Pizza Dip, Air Fryer Naan Pizza, Pizza Dough Garlic Knots or Air Fryer Pizza bites.

Have you tried our super scrumptious calzone recipes? You will love our Pepperoni Calzone, Chicken Pesto Calzone, 3 Meat Calzone and Meatball Calzone.

This BBQ season you also have to give Andrea’s fabulous Grilled Pizza a try. It is really easy to make and incredibly flavorful.

MORE BREAKFAST RECIPES

If you are looking for more delicious brunch or weekend breakfast ideas, we have got you covered. Try our most amazing Air Fryer Breakfast Bites, Instant Pot Egg Bites (Starbucks Copycat), Egg Salad Sandwiches, or Air Fryer Egg Bites.

Not sure how to cook your eggs? Take a look at our posts on how to cook hard boiled eggs in the Air Fryer, Instant Pot, oven, Crockpot or on the stovetop.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

For perfect results every time, here are answers to the most common questions about cooking sausage breakfast pizza.

Does sausage or bacon have to be cooked before it’s added to the pizza?

Yes. The pizza is only in the oven for 16 minutes. In order to make sure all the meat is cooked through and therefore safe to eat, you need to pre-cook it before adding it to the pizza. Additionally, you don’t want all the grease the meat releases during cooking on your pizza.

Are there any substitutions for mozzarella cheese on pizza?

What is the purpose of a pizza stone?

A pizza stone or baking stone is put into the oven right when you start preheating. It stores and distributes the heat evenly when the cold uncooked pizza is added to the oven. Pizza stones ensure an evenly cooked pizza and a more crispy crust.

Sausage Breakfast Pizza with Egg

This sausage breakfast pizza with egg is the perfect weekend brunch recipe. Made with pizza dough, your favorite pizza sauce, cheese, sausage, egg and with some spices to really bring the flavors together!

Course breakfast

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword breakfast pizza, breakfast pizza with egg, how to make breakfast pizza, sausage and egg pizza, sausage breakfast pizza recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 16

Total Time 26

Servings slices

Calories 303kcal

Author Andrea + Stef

Equipment

pizza stone (optional)
pizza pan
knife or pizza cutter

Ingredients

1 pizza dough homemade or store bought
1½ cups mozzarella cheese shredded
¼ cup pizza sauce
1 cup cooked sausage
4 eggs

Garnish:

salt and pepper optional
2 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450ºF. If using a pizza stone, put the stone into the oven to heat.
Spread pizza dough into a 12” or 14” pizza round on your pizza pan.
Spread ¼ cup of marinara sauce onto the pizza dough. Avoid putting sauce on the very edges. Add more sauce, if desired.
Sprinkle pizza with cheese, leaving 4 open spaces for the eggs to be cracked later.
Add cooked sausage to pizza, avoiding the areas where the eggs will be.
Put your pizza pan into the oven. Cook pizza for 10 minutes.
Remove the pizza from the oven. Crack eggs carefully into the 4 open areas. Put the pizza back into the oven for 6 minutes.
Remove pizza from the oven. Slice and serve.

Notes

Recipe Notes:

When adding toppings, use the sausage and cheese as little barriers for the egg. This will prevent the egg from spreading all over the pizza.
Do not overcook the pizza after adding the egg. The egg will cook quickly and the yolk will look raw but will be cooked through if you cook longer than 6 minutes.
If you prefer, scramble the eggs a little before adding to the pizza at the end of the cooking time.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve with hashbrowns and fruit.

Nutrition

The post Sausage Breakfast Pizza appeared first on Family Dinners.

Air Fryer Naan Pizza

Andrea + Stef — Sat, 21 May 2022 03:15:25 +0000

This air fryer naan pizza is a cinch to make and so delish! You can add any toppings you like, but our favorite recipe is caprese pizza with balsamic glaze. Great as a snack, appetizer or main dish, you’ll want to make these delicious flatbread pizzas again and again.

If you’ve never made homemade pizza with naan, or if this is your first time making pizza in an air fryer, it’s so easy you’ll wonder why you didn’t try this sooner. In just 10 minutes, you’ll have golden, crispy mini gourmet pizza full of flavor.

WHAT IS AIR FRYER NAAN PIZZA?

Air fryer naan pizza uses a delicious buttery flat bread native to India, called naan, as a substitute for traditional pizza dough crust. It makes the perfect substitute thanks to its soft texture and flat roundish shape. Just add your favorite toppings and heat until it’s crispy.

❤️ WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS CAPRESE PIZZA RECIPE

✔️ Quick and easy. Only 10 minutes from start to finish.

✔️ Use ingredients you already have on-hand.

✔️ A fun meal the kids can help make! Use any ingredients they love.

INGREDIENTS

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for air fryer naan pizza, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

You may have all of the ingredients for air fryer naan bread pizza in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store. See recipe card below for ingredient amounts.

Naan bread: You can find naan in the bread section of your grocery store. Some stores also sell it frozen.
Tomatoes: Grape or cherry tomatoes are perfect for these mini pizzas.
Olive oil
Pesto: To save time, use ready-made pesto.
Mozzarella: Grate your own mozzarella cheese using low moisture mozzarella (not the fresh mozzarella cheese stored in liquid).
Basil: Use fresh basil leaves.
Balsamic glaze: You can make your own or use store-bought to save time.

VARIATIONS

Meat lovers – Using pizza sauce as your base, add pepperoni, ham, prosciutto, crispy bacon, sausage and/or sliced Italian meatballs. It’s an easy way to create a meat lover’s delight.

Asparagus and prosciutto – Top with prosciutto wrapped asparagus, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and add a few dollops of goat cheese.

Veggie lovers – Make the perfect Greek-inspired vegetarian pizza with onions, mushrooms, minced garlic, peppers, kalamata olives and feta cheese.

Extra crispy – For an extra crispy, less doughy crust, air fry your naan for 3 minutes before adding toppings.

INSTRUCTIONS

This section shows how to cook this caprese pizza on naan bread in the air fryer, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full instructions, nutritional information, to print the recipe or to have the recipe scaled to double or triple, see the recipe card below.

PREPARE: Slice tomatoes and grate mozzarella cheese. Mix olive oil and pesto together. Brush ½ teaspoon of olive oil onto the top of each naan bread. Sprinkle with ¼ cup of fresh grated cheese. Add sliced tomatoes.

🔴 TIP: Grate your own mozzarella cheese. Use low moisture mozzarella (not the fresh, wetter mozzarella cheese). Don’t use prepackaged shredded mozzarella if you can avoid it.

COOK: Cook in the air fryer basket at 400°F for 4-5 minutes. Keep an eye on them so they don’t overcook.

FINISH: Sprinkle with basil and top with balsamic glaze. Serve.

🔴 TIP: Put the basil on the pizza after it’s cooked. Basil will blow right off the pizzas when cooked in the air fryer or will crisp up too much if broiled in the oven.

RECOMMENDED TOOLS

Air Fryer – This recipe requires an air fryer. You could also adapt this recipe to the oven.

HOW TO MAKE AIR FRYER PIZZA AHEAD

Air fryer caprese pizza is an excellent alternative to store bought frozen pizza. To make ahead, add the toppings to your pizza and wrap in plastic wrap and store freezer-safe bags with all air removed. When you are ready to cook them, put them directly in the air fryer. If cooking from frozen, add a few additional minutes of cooking time.

HOW TO MAKE NAAN PIZZA IN THE OVEN

If you don’t have an air fryer, oven baked caprese pizza is just as delicious! Set the oven to broil and prepare the pizza according to the recipe. Broil for 2-3 minutes, watching carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn. Remove from the oven when the cheese is melted. Top with basil and balsamic sauce.

TIPS FOR THE BEST CAPRESE PIZZA

Follow these tips to make the best caprese pizza on naan.

✔️ Brush the basil pesto base onto the naan. It spreads more evenly when brushed on than applied with a spoon.

✔️ Grate your own cheese using low moisture mozzarella. Avoid fresh mozzarella packed in water (not as melty), and prepackaged shredded mozzarella (not as flavorful)

✔️ Put the basil on the pizza after it’s cooked. Basil will blow right off the pizzas when cooked in the air fryer or burn if broiled in the oven.

STORAGE TIPS

Refrigerate: Place parchment paper or wax paper between slices and wrap in a cling film or place in an air tight food storage bag for up to 3 days.

Freeze: You can freeze cooked air fryer naan pizza for up to 2 weeks. Place parchment or wax paper between slices or whole pizzas to prevent them from sticking to each other. Then place in an air-tight freezer bag.

Defrosting: Thaw on the counter for 1-2 hours or in the refrigerator overnight.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH CAPRESE PIZZA

Air fryer naan pizza pairs perfectly with our easy Italian salad, antipasto tortellini salad, or shrimp fettuccini with lemon garlic sauce. Want to make your side dish in the air fryer? Check out our other air fryer recipes below for ideas.

MORE AIR FRYER RECIPES

If you like this easy caprese air fryer pizza, you’ll love our air fryer prosciutto wrapped asparagus, air fryer meatballs, air fryer fried fish, air fryer lemon chicken, or air fryer bagel bites.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

For perfect results every time, here are answers to the most common questions about cooking air fryer naan pizza.

Can naan bread be heated in an air fryer?

Using an air fryer is probably one of the best ways to heat naan bread because it gets hot quickly without becoming rubbery. The longer you cook it the more crispy will become.

How do you crisp up the bottom of a pizza?

If you like your naan pizza crust more crispy, heat your naan for a few minutes in air fryer before adding the toppings, just until it starts to feel crisp. Then add your toppings and place it back in the air fryer until the cheese is fully melted and all ingrdeints are hot.

Is naan vegan?

Traditionally naan is made with yogurt so the most common name brand naan available in stores are not vegan.

How long do you put pizza in the air fryer for?

This air fryer naan pizza recipe cooks up in the about 5 minutes.

Air Fryer Naan Pizza

This easy air fryer naan pizza can be made with so many toppings. Our caprese pizza with balsamic glaze version is delicious! Air fryer caprese pizza couldn't be easier!

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Italian

Keyword air fryer caprese pizza, air fryer naan pizza, caprese pizza

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 5

Servings pizzas

Calories 477kcal

Author Andrea + Stef

Equipment

1 Air Fryer

Ingredients

4 pieces naan bread (or small cooked pizza dough rounds)
8 pieces grape tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes)
2 tspn olive oil
1 tspn pesto
1 cup mozzarella, low moisture whole milk freshly shredded
8 pieces basil chiffonade
2 tablespoon balsamic glaze

Instructions

Mix extra virgin olive oil and basil pesto together and spread ½ teaspoon onto each piece of naan with a basting brush.
Slice tomatoes 3-4 times each. Tap to remove excess moisture. Place ¼ cup shredded cheese and as many tomatoes as desired onto each mini pizza.
Place mini pizzas into the air fryer. You may need to cook 2 at a time.
Cook at 400°F for 4-5 minutes.
Top with fresh basil, cut chiffonade or torn into pieces. Drizzle with balsamic glaze.
Serve.

Notes

Brush the basil pesto base onto the naan rather than trying to spread it around with a spoon.
Grate your own mozzarella cheese using low moisture mozzarella. Fresh mozzarella is an option but when tested we found it didn’t melt up as nicely as the shredded and needed to cook quite a bit longer in the air fryer.
Put the basil on the pizza after it’s cooked. Basil will blow right off the pizzas when cooked in the air fryer or will crisp up too much if broiled in the oven.

Nutrition

The post Air Fryer Naan Pizza appeared first on Family Dinners.

Easy Three Meat Calzones

Andrea + Stef — Thu, 19 May 2022 19:08:59 +0000

Switch up pizza night with these delicious homemade three meat calzones. Stuffed full of salami, sausage, pepperoni and melty cheeses inside a puffy golden crust, they are sure to satisfy every pizza and meat lover.

Using store bought-pizza dough makes this recipe come together in a snap, making it a perfect weeknight or game day meal. You can also make your own dough using Andrea’s pizza crust recipe. Fill them with your favorite flavors, bake them up and get ready to dip them in a robust red sauce or creamy ranch. Yum!

❤️ WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS EASY CALZONE RECIPE

✔️ Use refrigerated pizza crust for a quick pizza night variation.

✔️ Add your favorite pizza fillings. We suggest our favorite 3 meats but you can use your favorite toppings.

✔️ Just 30 minutes to bake these in the oven. No special equipment required.

POSSIBLE VARIATIONS

PEPPERONI CALZONE – Perfect for pepperoni lovers, swap out sausage and salami with more layers of delicious, savory pepperoni or other Italian sliced meats of your choice.
MEATBALL CALZONE – You can use frozen or leftover meatballs for a simple hearty meal.
VEGGIE CALZONE – Use a mix vegetables such as red peppers, mushrooms, onions, spinach, fresh basil.
PESTO CHICKEN CALZONE – The combination of chicken and pesto is a favorite around here.

THREE MEAT CALZONES INGREDIENTS

You may have all of the ingredients for three meat calzones in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store. See recipe card below for ingredient amounts.

Pizza dough: Make your own using Andrea’s pizza crust recipe or you can use a canned, refrigerated dough.
Cheeses: We’re using mozzarella, parmesan and/or ricotta can also be added.
Meats: Pepperoni, sliced salami and ground sausage (Italian sausage or regular) but you can also use other meats like capicola or canadian bacon.
Salt: Use a freshly ground sea salt.
Italian seasoning: We love using a premade Italian seasoning but you can also make your own.
Egg: A medium or large sized egg will work.
Water: The water is mixed with the egg to make an egg wash.
Marinara or ranch dipping sauce: Use our red wine marinara recipe to make your own, or use store bought sauce in a pinch. Also ranch dipping sauce goes well with calzones.

INSTRUCTIONS

If you’d like to print this recipe, scroll down to the recipe card where you can print the recipe or have it scaled to double or triple. You’ll also find nutrition information.

PREHEAT OVEN: Heat oven to 375° and line your baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the calzones from sticking to your pan.

DIVIDE DOUGH: Divide the pizza dough into two. Roll dough into a ball. Roll out each piece to be about 8 inches in diameter. Or, if you’re using a can of pizza dough, you can unroll into rectangles.

🔴 TIP: Dust your work surface with flour to keep the dough from sticking.

ADD FILLING LAYERS: Layer half the pepperoni, sausage, salami, and mozzarella cheese on each dough. We like to put a little cheese between each meat layer.

TOP WITH CHEESE: Top with half the mozzarella cheese.

KITCHEN TIP

When putting ingredients onto the crust, keep ingredients about 1 inch away from the edges.

FOLD CALZONE: Fold calzone over and pinch edges together. Roll pinched edges up and pinch again. Create a 1-inch border along the edge. You can use a fork to pinch the edges by pressing it down all along the edges before rolling it if you’re having trouble getting the edges to stick together.

APPLY EGG WASH: Make an egg wash in a small mixing bowl by whisking together the egg and water. Brush the egg wash over the top and sides of the calzones.

SEASON: Sprinkle the top of each calzone with ⅛ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning. Optional: sprinkle with ⅛ teaspoon of garlic powder or red pepper flakes on each calzone.

PLACE ON BAKING SHEET: Transfer both calzones to the parchment paper covered baking sheet.

BAKE: Loosely tent the baking sheet with foil. Bake covered for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes or until the crust of the calzone is a deep golden brown. Optional: brush finished calzone with olive oil.

STORAGE TIPS

Refrigerate: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat my microwaving or warming in the oven or air fryer.

Freeze: Place the cooled meatball calzones in a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 2 months.

Defrosting: Thaw in the fridge overnight, or cook frozen at 350 degrees in the air fryer or oven until it’s warm all of the way through.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH A CALZONE

Enjoy this great recipe as a great addition to a full meal with these other recipes:

MORE PIZZA RECIPES

While we love Three Meat Calzones we also love some of these other recipes and think you will as well.

PEPPERONI CALZONE – A classic pepperoni calzone is everyone’s favorite.
PESTO CHICKEN CALZONE – Pesto and chicken were made to go together!
MEATBALL CALZONE – Don’t feel like leaving for takeout? This budget friendly calzone is fun and easy to make.
ANTIPASTO TORTELLINI SALAD – If you need a meal you can make ahead then pull out and eat cold, this is the one!
FIG PROSCIUTTO PIZZA – This yummy, buttery pizza is gourmet made easy.
GRILLED PIZZA – Pizza with your favorite toppings done on the grill cooks up perfect every time.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Do calzones have sauce inside?

Technically, if a calzone is a traditional Italian recipe, there is no red sauce on the inside but we really like having the sauce on the inside so they aren’t dry.

What’s the difference between a calzone and a stromboli?

Shape is one of the major things that separate a calzone from a stromboli. Calzones are folded into a half moon shape. (Think of them as a pizza taco.) Strombolis, however, are rolled, more like a burrito, and the extra dough is folded over to seal in the contents.

Do calzones taste like pizza?

Our calzones use traditional pizza ingredients, so maybe a little. However, there is a little more dough used in ours compared to other ingredients so the texture is different.

What are the best toppings for calzones?

The options are endless! We recommend using your favorite pizza combo such as all meat, tons of veggies, pepperoni and mushroom, and even sausage and broccoli.

Three Meat Calzone

Switch up pizza night with this simple but delicious recipe for three meat calzones.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Italian

Keyword 3 meat calzone, how to make a meat calzone, meat lovers calzone

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Servings calzones

Calories 1384kcal

Author Andrea + Stef

Ingredients

11 ounce pizza dough
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
14-20 slices pepperoni
14-20 slices salami
1 cup cooked sausage, ground
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon water

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the calzones from sticking to your pan.
Divide the pizza dough into two. Roll each into a ball. Roll out each piece to be about 8 inches in diameter.
Layer half the pepperoni, sausage, salami, and mozzarella cheese on each dough. We like to put a little cheese between each meat layer.
Top with half the mozzarella cheese.
Fold calzone over and pinch edges together. Roll pinched edges up and pinch again.
Make an egg wash in a small mixing bowl by whisking together the egg and water. Brush the egg wash over the top and sides of the calzones.
Sprinkle the top of each calzone with ⅛ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning. Optional: sprinkle with ⅛ teaspoon of garlic powder on each calzone.
Transfer both calzones to the parchment paper covered baking sheet.
Loosely tent the baking sheet with foil. Bake covered for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes or until the crust of the calzone is a deep golden brown.
Serve with an Italian salad and marinara dipping sauce.

Notes

When putting ingredients onto the crust, keep ingredients about 1 inch away from the edges.
You can use a fork to pinch the edges by pressing it down all along the edges before rolling it if you’re having trouble getting the edges to stick together.
Optional: brush finished calzone with olive oil.

Nutrition

The post Easy Three Meat Calzones appeared first on Family Dinners.

Chicken Pesto Calzone

Andrea + Stef — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 13:45:10 +0000

Only a few simple ingredients are needed to make these puffy, golden brown and incredibly delicious chicken pesto calzones. Ready to bake in the oven or air fryer in only 10 minutes, these folded pizzas are much more yummy than any takeout.

Served with an Italian salad and marinara sauce for dipping, cheesy and flavorful chicken calzones are a wonderful and budget friendly weeknight dinner. These homemade pizza pockets with the most scrumptious filling of pesto, chicken, mozzarella, and parmesan will soon become a family favorite for pizza night.

WHAT IS A CALZONE?

A calzone is basically an oven-baked folded pizza. Just like regular pizza, calzones are made with yeasted pizza crust and filled with sauce and delicious pizza toppings of choice. Calzones are also often called pizza turnovers or pizza pockets.

❤️ WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS CALZONE RECIPE

✔️ Crispy crust, juicy chicken and tasty pesto are an amazing flavor combination.

✔️ You can easily personalize calzones with your favorite pizza toppings.

✔️ Calzones are ready to bake in only 10 minutes.

✔️ They make a great weeknight dinner served with Italian salad.

PESTO CHICKEN CALZONE INGREDIENTS

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for chicken pesto calzone, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

You may have all of these oven-baked calzone with chicken ingredients in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store. See recipe card below for ingredient amounts.

Pizza Dough: Use your favorite refrigerated pizza dough from the grocery store or make your own. Have you tried our favorite homemade pizza crust recipe?
Pesto: You can buy your favorite pesto at the store, or you can also make your calzones extra special by making your own pesto. We absolutely love this homemade pesto recipe.
Mozzarella Cheese: For best results, shred your own mozzarella cheese. Pre-shredded cheese contains preservatives and doesn’t melt as well or taste as good.
Parmesan Cheese: We recommend freshly shredded parmesan cheese for best flavor.
Cooked Chicken: Any type of grilled or roasted chicken works well with this recipe.
Salt
Italian Seasoning: You can substitute plain oregano, or make your own Italian seasoning by mixing oregano, dried basil, and thyme.
Egg
Water

VARIATIONS: Try Different fillings and toppings!

Not a big fan of pesto? No problem! Instead of pesto, you can also try other sauces in your calzones. We love white garlic pizza sauce, creme fraîche, tomato pizza sauce or marinara sauce. Check out our out of this world yummy marinara sauce recipe!
Omit the pesto completely and fill your calzones only with chicken and cheese. Then serve different dipping sauces on the side, such as pesto, marinara sauce, pizza sauce, ranch dressing, BBQ sauce….
Instead of chicken and pesto you can also use meatballs and marinara sauce to make incredibly delicious calzones. Follow our favorite recipe for meatball calzone.
Blend your Italian seasoning with some garlic powder before sprinkling it on top of your calzones.

INSTRUCTIONS

This section shows how to cook pesto chicken calzone in the oven, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full instructions, nutritional information, to print the recipe or to have the recipe scaled to double or triple, see the recipe card below.

PREPARE: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

ROLL DOUGH: Divide pizza dough into two pieces. Roll out into a 6-8” diameter.

ADD TOPPINGS: Spread equal parts pesto, mozzarella, parmesan and chicken into the middle of each calzone dough.

🔴 TIP: Keep the edges clean, when putting ingredients onto the crust. Keep them about 1 inch away from the edges, because any sauce or fillings on the edges will prevent the calzones from sealing properly.

SEAL: Fold the calzone over and pinch edges together. Roll pinched edges and pinch again.

🔴 TIP: Make sure you seal the edges well. You can use a fork to pinch the edges by pressing it down all along the edges before rolling it if you’re having trouble getting the edges to stick together.

SEASON: Whisk egg and water together. Brush calzone tops and edges with the egg wash. Avoid brushing the seam of the rolled edge to prevent the egg wash from opening up the sealed edge. Sprinkle with the Italian seasoning and an optional teaspoon of grated parmesan cheese.

🔴 TIP: OPTIONAL: Add ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder to the tops of the calzones before cooking.

BAKE: Transfer calzones to the baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, loosely tenting them with foil the last 15 minutes to prevent the tops from getting too brown. Remove from oven when crust is firm and a deep golden brown.

SERVE: Allow to rest 5 minutes then serve with Italian salad and marinara dipping sauce.

RECOMMENDED TOOLS

Rolling Pin – A rolling pin comes in very handy to roll out your pizza crust evenly, but you can also use your hands to stretch out the dough into rounds. You can also easily find a number of rolling pin substitutes in your kitchen such as wine bottles, drinking glasses, reusable water bottles, or beverage cans.

HOW TO MAKE CALZONES AHEAD

You can completely assemble your calzones and freeze them unbaked on a baking sheet. As soon as they are turning solid you can transfer them to freezer bags and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let them defrost or bake from frozen when needed. If you are baking them from frozen, make sure to add a couple of minutes of baking time.

You can also freeze baked and completely cooled calzones. When ready to eat, let them thaw in the fridge overnight or bake from frozen in the oven or air fryer until heated through.

HOW TO MAKE CALZONES IN THE AIR FRYER

Roll out the dough into 4 inch rounds (They will be smaller than the ones that cook in the oven.)
Prepare calzones as described in the recipe.
Preheat the air fryer to 375°F.
Spray the bottom of the air fryer basket/tray with cooking oil or line with parchment paper. (Make sure you add the parchment paper only together with the pizzas, so it stays in place. Use air fryer parchment paper or cut your own and poke a couple of holes into it.)
Lay mini calzones into the air fryer. Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and cooked through.

TIPS FOR THE BEST CALZONES

Follow these tips to make the best chicken pesto calzones.

✔️ Roll out your pizza crust on a floured work surface. Crusts should be 6-8” round.

✔️ Keep your edges clean. Place any sauce in the center of the crust. Keep away from the edges. Any sauce near the edges will prevent the calzone from sealing closed.

✔️ Generously fill your calzones. Fill the dough nice and full of toppings. Remember that cheese will melt down so don’t be afraid to add too much.

✔️ Pinch the edges together well. Then roll the crust edges. Try to make sure the top and bottom layer are bonded.

✔️ Be careful with the egg wash. When applying the egg wash, keep out of the rolled edge as much as possible as the egg will work its way in and unseal the edges.

✔️ Monitor your calzones in the oven. If your calzone is getting dark too quickly, cover loosely with foil. This will prevent it from getting too brown while still allowing it to cook.

STORAGE TIPS

Refrigerate: Let your chicken pesto calzones cool completely. Then store leftovers in an airtight container or ziploc bag in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat your calzones by microwaving or warming in the oven or air fryer.

Freeze: Place the cooled chicken calzones in a freezer safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

Defrosting: Thaw the folded pizzas in the fridge overnight, or cook from frozen at 350 degrees in the air fryer or oven until heated through.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH PESTO CHICKEN CALZONES

Serve chicken pesto calzones with a healthy side dish, such as our crispy and nutritious Italian salad or mouthwatering Antipasto Tortellini salad. Pesto chicken calzones also taste fabulous with our best ever marinara sauce. In case you are planning on surprising your family with a special Italian feast, additionally pair the calzones with Italian meatballs and a perfect chocolate lasagna.

MORE CALZONE RECIPES

If you love love chicken pesto calzones you’ll enjoy our other Italian recipes.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

For perfect results every time, here are answers to the most common questions about cooking calzones with chicken.

What is the difference between a calzone and a stromboli?

Although they both use most of the same ingredients, there are a few differences between calzones and strombolis. The most obvious difference is of course the sealing technique. While calzones are dough circles folded in half, strombolis are rectangles rolled up into cylindrical pizza rolls. Calzones are usually single servings while a stromboli is sliced up to be served to multiple people.

How do I keep my calzone from bursting?

Make sure you roll out the pizza dough evenly and not too thin. Don’t stretch the dough over the filling, it should cover the filling easily but not loosely. Carefully seal the edges by pushing down with a fork, then roll the edges and crimp like you would a pie crust. Keep the seals clean from egg wash, because the egg might work its way in and unseal the calzones.

Can I make vegetarian calzone?

Of course! You can fill your folded pizza with wilted spinach, pre-cooked mushrooms, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes or roasted bell peppers. Just make sure to get any additional oil or water out of your ingredients before filling your calzones.

Pesto Chicken Calzone

Amazingly delicious pesto chicken calzones that are crispy and golden brown on the outside and stuffed with melty cheese, juicy chicken and tasty pesto.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword calzone with chicken, chicken pesto calzone, easy calzone recipe, how to make a calzone, pesto chicken calzone

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings calzones

Calories 956kcal

Author Andrea + Stef

Equipment

baking sheet lined with parchment paper
Rolling Pin
spoon or spatula
pastry brush

Ingredients

11 oz canned pizza dough or 1 large pizza crust recipe
¼ cup pesto
1½ cups mozzarella cheese shredded
¼ cup parmesan cheese grated
1 cup cooked chicken sliced
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 egg
1 tablespoon water

Garnish:

freshly grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the calzones from sticking to the baking pan.
Divide the pizza dough into two pieces. Roll each half of the dough into a ball then roll them out with a rolling pin until they are about 8” in diameter.
Spread half the pesto onto the center of each pizza dough round. Avoid the edges of the dough.
Spread half the mozzarella cheese over the pesto.
Sprinkle each with half the parmesan cheese.
Top the cheese with half the cooked chicken slices.
Fold calzone over and pinch edges together. Roll pinched edges up and pinch again.
Whisk together egg and water. Brush egg wash over the top of the calzones.
Sprinkle tops of calzones with salt and ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning. Optional: Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of grated parmesan cheese.
Transfer both calzones to the parchment paper covered baking sheet.
Loosely tent baking sheet with foil. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes or until the crust is a deep golden brown.
Allow the calzones to rest for 5 minutes then serve with Italian salad and marinara sauce.

Notes

Recipe Notes:

When putting ingredients onto the crust, keep ingredients about 1 inch away from the edges.
You can use a fork to pinch the edges by pressing it down all along the edges before rolling it if you’re having trouble getting the edges to stick together.
Optional: Add ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder to the tops of the calzones before cooking.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve with an Italian salad and marinara dipping sauce.

Nutrition

The post Chicken Pesto Calzone appeared first on Family Dinners.

Pepperoni Calzone

Andrea + Stef — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 02:12:35 +0000

Piping hot, oven baked pepperoni calzones are a delicious, inexpensive alternative to the same old pizzeria take-out. We’re stuffing our pepperoni calzone with a cheesy ricotta calzone filling made with three cheese and a blend of savory Italian spices. Serve it with a side of marinara for the perfect pizza night delight.

Calzones may seem tricky, but we’ll show you how to make a pepperoni calzone the easy way using store-bought pizza dough. It’s so fun, the kids will want to help! (Want to make your own dough? Try Andrea’s pizza crust recipe.) Speaking of kids, these perfectly portable pizza pockets are also great for school lunches (and work!) so consider making extra.

❤️ WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS PEPPERONI CALZONE

✔️ Quick and easy! Use premade pizza crust.

✔️ The perfect golden outside and cheesy inside!

✔️ Made in the oven, no special appliances or equipment.

✔️ Easy to make different fillings in each one.

PEPPERONI CALZONES INGREDIENTS

You may have all the ingredients for pepperoni calzones in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store. See recipe card below for ingredient amounts.

Pizza Dough: We’re using store bought pizza dough but you can also make your own using Andrea’s pizza crust recipe.
Cheese: Our ricotta calzone filling uses ricotta, shredded mozzarella and grated parmesan.
Pepperoni: Fresh sliced pepperoni from your deli or pre-packaged work great.
Salt
Italian Seasoning
Egg
Water

INSTRUCTIONS

If you’d like to print this recipe, scroll down to the recipe card where you can print the recipe or have it scaled to double or triple. You’ll also find nutrition information.

PREHEAT OVEN: Preheat the oven to 375°. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the calzones from sticking to your pan.

ROLL DOUGH: Divide the pizza dough into two. Roll each into a ball. Roll out each piece to be about 8 inches in diameter.

COMBINE CHEESE & SEASONING: In a small mixing bowl, combine ricotta, parmesan cheese and ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning. Stir until well mixed.

SPREAD CHEESE MIXTURE: Spread half the ricotta mixture onto the center of each crust, avoiding the edges of the crust.

ADD PEPPERONI: Place half the pepperoni on top of the ricotta mixture. If you prefer, layer pepperoni, cheese mixture then more pepperoni and cheese mixture.

🔴 TIP: When putting ingredients onto the crust, keep ingredients about 1 inch away from the edges.

TOP WITH CHEESE: Top with half the mozzarella cheese.

FOLD DOUGH: Fold calzone over and pinch edges together. Roll pinched edges up and pinch again. You can use a fork to pinch the edges by pressing it down all along the edges before rolling it if you’re having trouble getting the edges to stick together.

MAKE EGG WASH: Make an egg wash in a small mixing bowl by whisking together the egg and water. Brush the egg wash over the top and sides of the calzones.

SEASON: Sprinkle the top of each calzone with ⅛ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning. Optional: sprinkle with ⅛ teaspoon of garlic powder on each calzone.

PLACE ON BAKING SHEET: Transfer both calzones to the parchment paper covered baking sheet.

TIPS FOR MAKING CALZONES

✔️ When putting ingredients into your calzone crust, be careful not to get ingredients caught into the edges you’re sealing. Any moisture will prevent the two sides from sealing.

✔️ Cheese melts and shrinks once cooks so don’t be afraid to put a lot of filling and cheese into the inside. If you don’t put much your calzone will be very flat.

✔️ Don’t skip the egg wash on the top of the calzones. This helps give the crust a nice, golden crispy outside.

STORAGE TIPS

Refrigerate: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat my microwaving or warming in the oven or air fryer.

Freeze: Place the cooled meatball calzones in a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 2 months.

Defrosting: Thaw in the fridge overnight, or cook frozen at 350 degrees in the air fryer or oven until it’s warm all of the way through.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH A PEPPERONI CALZONE

Traditionally calzones are served with an Italian Salad and Marinara Sauce for dipping and often with garlic knots as well.

MORE CALZONE RECIPES

Once you learn how easy it is to make calzones you’ll want to make them all the time and will want to make many different versions! Try one of these other great recipes!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Do calzones have pizza sauce?

Technically, a traditional calzone has no red sauce on the inside, but if you want to add it, we won’t tell! In this recipe, we recommend serving marinara sauce on the side as a dipping sauce.

Do calzones taste like pizza?

Our calzones use traditional pizza ingredients, so maybe a little. However, there is a little more dough used in ours compared to other ingredients so the texture is different.

What are the best toppings for calzones?

The options are endless! We recommend using your favorite pizza combo such as all meat, tons of veggies, pepperoni and mushroom, or even sausage and broccoli.

Pepperoni Calzone

Piping-hot pepperoni calzones are an easy, delicious replacement for pizzeria take-out.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Italian

Keyword homemade calzone, pepperoni calzone

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Servings calzones

Calories 843kcal

Author Andrea + Stef

Ingredients

11 ounces pizza dough
½ cup ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
20-30 slices pepperoni
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 tablespoon water

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the calzones from sticking to your pan.
Divide the pizza dough into two. Roll each into a ball. Roll out each piece to be about 8 inches in diameter.
In a small mixing bowl, combine ricotta, parmesan cheese and ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning. Stir until well mixed.
Spread half the ricotta mixture onto the center of each crust, avoiding the edges of the crust.
Place half the pepperoni on top of the ricotta mixture. If you prefer, layer pepperoni, cheese mixture then more pepperoni and cheese mixture.
Top with half the mozzarella cheese.
Fold calzone over and pinch edges together. Roll pinched edges up and pinch again.
Make an egg wash in a small mixing bowl by whisking together the egg and water. Brush the egg wash over the top and sides of the calzones.
Sprinkle the top of each calzone with ⅛ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning. Optional: sprinkle with ⅛ teaspoon of garlic powder on each calzone.
Transfer both calzones to the parchment paper covered baking sheet.
Loosely tent the baking sheet with foil. Bake covered for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes or until the crust of the calzone is a deep golden brown. Serve with marinara dipping sauce.

Notes

When putting ingredients onto the crust, keep ingredients about 1 inch away from the edges.
You can use a fork to pinch the edges by pressing it down all along the edges before rolling it if you’re having trouble getting the edges to stick together.
Optional: brush finished calzone with olive oil.

Nutrition

The post Pepperoni Calzone appeared first on Family Dinners.

Air Fryer Pizza Bites

Andrea + Stef — Fri, 25 Feb 2022 05:17:00 +0000

To make this quick and easy pizza snack, simply wrap some flaky biscuit dough around pepperoni and mozzarella, top it with butter and Italian seasoning and cook it up in the air fryer.

You can fill pizza bites with pretty much any pizza topping you like. This recipe also works great with grilled chicken, cooked sausage, bacon, canned mushrooms, black olives or grilled red bell peppers.

Biscuit pizza bombs make the perfect appetizer, game day or after school snack and are best served with a bowl of marinara sauce. If you would like to make your own sauce, check out our recipe for insanely good homemade marinara sauce.

POSSIBLE VARIATIONS

BREAKFAST BISCUIT BITES – Fluffy biscuit bites filled with scrambled eggs and crisp bacon are a perfect handheld breakfast.

HAM AND CHEESE SANDWICH BITES – Ham and cheese wrapped in a flaky biscuit crust and baked in the air fryer. A quick and easy twist on a traditional sandwich.

USE YOUR FAVORITE FILLING – You can easily personalize this recipe. Simply add your favorite meat and cheese instead of pepperoni and mozzarella. You can use cooked sausage, ham, bacon, Swiss cheese, Gruyere, pepper jack or brie.

ADD VEGETABLES: Canned mushrooms, black olives or grilled red peppers could also be added for additional flavor.

AIR FRYER PIZZA BITES INGREDIENTS

You may have all of these pepperoni pizza bombs ingredients in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store. See recipe card below for ingredient amounts.

Jump to Recipe

Refrigerated biscuits: We used large canned Grands biscuits, but canned crescent dough or pizza dough can be substituted.
Mozzarella cheese: Use a block or mozzarella cheese sticks. You can also substitute your favorite cheese.
Pepperoni slices: We used regular pepperoni, but turkey pepperoni would work great too.
Butter
Italian seasoning: Oregano or pizza seasoning can be substituted.

INSTRUCTIONS

If you’d like to print this recipe, scroll down to the recipe card where you can print the recipe or have it scaled to double or triple. You’ll also find nutrition information.

Jump to Recipe

TOOLS AND SUPPLIES NEEDED:

knife and cutting board
pastry brush
air fryer

PREPARE DOUGH: Open the can of biscuits and separate dough pieces. Split each biscuit in half, so you end up with 16 pieces of biscuit dough.

KITCHEN TIP

In case you don’t have any canned biscuits at hand, you can also use refrigerated canned crescent dough or pizza dough.

FILL: Add 1 cube of cheese and some chopped pepperoni to each biscuit.

SHAPE BISCUIT BOMBS: Wrap the biscuit dough around the pepperoni and cheese and seal closed with your fingers.

KITCHEN TIP

Make sure the biscuits are closed up so they don’t open in the air fryer and leak cheese all over.

PLACE IN AIR FRYER: Place pepperoni pizza bites into the air fryer basket so they are not touching. You might have to do two batches, depending on the size of your air fryer.

BASTE WITH BUTTER: Baste the tops of the pizza bites with the melted butter using a pastry brush.

KITCHEN TIP

If you like your pizza bombs extra buttery, baste the tops with butter again after they are done baking.

SPRINKLE WITH TOPPING: Sprinkle pizza biscuit bites with Italian seasoning.

KITCHEN TIP

Try sprinkling a little salt on top of the pizza bites before cooking for a bit of a salty kick. Another option would be a sprinkle with some freshly grated parmesan cheese.

AIR FRY BISCUIT BITES: Cook in the air fryer at 350ºF for 6 minutes. Time may vary depending on your machine so check them at 5 minutes.

COOL: Let them cool for a few minutes before eating. Serve with marinara sauce or ranch dressing.

KITCHEN TIP

If the air fryer pizza bites look dry after they come out of the air fryer, baste the tops again with melted butter.

STORAGE TIPS

Refrigerate: If you have leftover pizza biscuit bombs, store them in an airtight container or ziplock bag in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, pop them in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds.

Freeze: If you would like to freeze your leftovers, individually wrap each pizza biscuit bite with plastic wrap and then put them into a ziptop freezer bag or an airtight container. Biscuit bombs can be frozen for up to a month.

Defrost: To defrost, unwrap desired number of biscuit bites completely and put them on a microwave safe plate. Cover them with a paper towel and reheat in the microwave for 1 – 1 ½ minutes depending on your machine.

RELATED RECIPES

While we love air fryer pizza bombs we also love some of these other recipes and think you will as well.

3 CHEESE BOMBS – Soft and flaky biscuit dough wrapped around melty cheese makes one of the world’s best appetizers.

BREAKFAST BISCUIT BITES – The ideal brunch addition, these little breakfast bites combine the classic breakfast flavors of eggs and bacon.

HAM AND CHEESE SANDWICH BITES – These little ham and cheese bites are the perfect for a breakfast on the go, but they are also great for a party or cocktails with friends.

MEATBALL CALZONES – With only 8 simple ingredients, these easy calzones come together in no time and they are better than take out.

THICK CRUST PIZZA DOUGH – This quick and easy pizza dough produces the best homemade thick crust pizzas.

Air Fryer 3 Cheese Biscuit Bombs

These cheese filled biscuit bites are the perfect start to a meal. You can use your favorite cheeses to create this mouthwatering appetizer.

See Recipe

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Does it matter what kind of refrigerated dough I use?

You can use refrigerated canned biscuits, crescent or pizza dough for similar results.

I don’t have an air fryer. Can these pizza bites also be baked in the oven?

Yes, you can also place the pizza bites on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake them at 375ºF for about 10 minutes until golden brown and baked through. Brush biscuits again with melted butter.

Can I add other meats and cheeses to the filling?

Yes, you can add Swiss cheese, Gruyere, pepper jack, brie or any type of cheese you prefer, as well as ham or bacon instead of the pepperoni.

biscuits, mozzarella, pizza

Air Fryer Pizza Bites

These fluffy and delicious pepperoni pizza bites are super easy to make and will sure impress every pizza lover in your life.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword air fryer pepperoni bombs, pepperoni pizza bites, pizza bombs

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 6

Servings bites

Calories 168kcal

Author Andrea + Stef

Equipment

knife and cutting board
pastry brush
Air Fryer

Ingredients

1 can refrigerator biscuits
6 oz mozzarella cheese cubed into 16 pieces
48 slices of thin pepperoni chopped
1 tablespoon Butter melted
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Instructions

Open the can of biscuits. Split each biscuit in half, so you end up with 16 dough pieces.
Add 1 cube of cheese and some chopped pepperoni to each biscuit.
Pull the sides of the biscuit up and pinch them together to secure.
Place pepperoni pizza bites into the air fryer basket so they are not touching. You might have to do two sets, depending on the size of your air fryer.
Baste the tops of the pizza bombs with the melted butter using a pastry brush.
Sprinkle with Italian seasoning.
Cook in the air fryer at 350ºF for 6 minutes. Time may vary depending on your machine so check them at 5 minutes.
Remove pizza bites from air fryer when the tops are a deep golden brown and they are baked through.
Let them cool for a few minutes before eating.

Notes

Make sure the biscuits are closed up so they don’t open in the air fryer and leak cheese all over.

Optional: Use cooked sausage or canned mushrooms instead of pepperoni.

Optional: Sprinkle some fresh grated parmesan cheese on top of the pizza biscuit bombs before cooking.

If biscuit bites are too close together in the air fryer they might cook together and therefore may not cook completely within 6 minutes. If this occurs, increase cook time.

Serve with marinara sauce or ranch dressing.

Nutrition

MORE RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE

The post Air Fryer Pizza Bites appeared first on Family Dinners.

Meatball Calzones

Andrea + Stef — Fri, 18 Feb 2022 12:07:00 +0000

This meatball calzone only requires 8 ingredients and is a fun and easy 30 minute meal. We love using this easy calzone recipe when we don’t feel like leaving for takeout and because it’s budget friendly.

In case you were wondering, a meatball stromboli is not the same as this meatball calzone, but they are really similar. Strombolis are longer and thinner in shape. Historically there are other differences, but we are breaking the rules and adding a delicious red wine marinara, and you will be glad we did!

MEATBALL CALZONE INGREDIENTS

You may have all of these in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store! See recipe card below for ingredient amounts.

Meatballs: Choose from our Italian Meatballs, Air Fryer Meatballs, Chicken Meatballs, Turkey and Spinach Meatballs or Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs.
Dough: We are using store bought pizza dough but you can also make a homemade pizza crust.
Pizza Sauce: Use store bought sauce or our homemade marinara.
Cheese: shredded mozzarella
Egg.
Spices: Italian seasoning, garlic salt
Water.

POSSIBLE VARIATIONS

Try these popular calzone ideas!

Pepperoni and Mushrooms: Instead of using meatballs, place several pepperonis and sliced mushrooms inside.
Veggie: Go vegetarian and add olives, spinach, onions, and peppers.
Buffalo Chicken: Replace the regular meatballs and skip the marinara. Use buffalo chicken meatballs instead.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Enjoy this great recipe as a great addition to a full meal with these other recipes:

Italian Salad – Balance this Italian favorite with Olive Garden inspired salad.
Red Wine Sangria – This is one of my all time favorite sangria recipes. Use the rest of the wine leftover from your marinara recipe.
Parmesan Roasted Broccoli – A delicious veggie to round out the meal.

INSTRUCTIONS

If you’d like to print this recipe, scroll down to the recipe card where you can print the recipe or have it scaled to double or triple. You’ll also find nutrition information.

TOOLS AND SUPPLIES NEEDED:

knife
rolling pin (optional)
parchment paper
baking sheet
whisk
pastry brush
aluminum foil

PREHEAT OVEN: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

DIVIDE THE DOUGH: Split the dough into 2 pieces and roll together into balls.

KITCHEN TIP

If you prefer, make your own pizza dough.

ROLL IT OUT: Using a rolling pin or your hands, roll the dough doll into two large circles. To prevent the dough from sticking, flour your work surface and rolling pin.

ADD MEATBALLS: Transfer the calzone crust to the baking sheet and add 4 meatballs on one half.

KITCHEN TIP

If you are using larger meatballs, slice them in half.

TOP WITH SAUCE: Drizzle the marinara or pizza sauce on top of the meatballs, keeping it away from the edges.

KITCHEN TIP

If pizza sauce gets on the edges it will not seal. Make sure you keep pizza sauce away from the edges or dry it off if it does get on the edge.

ADD CHEESE: Cover the meatballs and sauce with mozzarella cheese.

FOLD THE CALZONE: Fold the dough over to make a semi-circle and press edges together. Fold the sealed edges up towards the calzone and press again.

KITCHEN TIP

Apply the egg wash liberally to the tops of the raw calzones. The egg wash will make the crust crispy and shiny.

MAKE EGG WASH: In a small bowl, whisk the water and egg together. Brush the egg wash using a pastry brush, on the outside of the calzone.

KITCHEN TIP

Substitute your favorite pizza topping for the meatballs.

SEASON: Sprinkle the garlic salt and Italian seasoning on top. Repeat for the other calzone.

COOKING TIME: Cover the calzones with foil so it does not touch the tops. Bake for 15 minutes then remove the foil. Continue baking for another 15 minutes until the crust is golden brown.

STORAGE TIPS

Refrigerate: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat my microwaving or warming in the oven or air fryer.

Freeze: Place the cooled meatball calzones in a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 2 months.

Defrosting: Thaw in the fridge overnight, or cook frozen at 350 degrees in the air fryer or oven until it’s warm all of the way through.

RELATED RECIPES

Pesto Fettuccine and Meatballs: A flavorful twist on a classic pasta recipe.

Chicken Parm Sandwich Bake: All of your favorite Italian flavors packed into one sandwich.

Meatball Sliders: These are filled with gooey mozzarella cheese on a sweet Hawaiian roll.

Meatball Stuffed Biscuits Recipe

Mozzarella meatball biscuit balls are the best appetizer for parties and game days. They are also simple to make, which makes them an easy weeknight dinner idea.

See Recipe

Hawaiian Roll Meatball Sliders

These chicken meatball sliders are great for game day appetizers or a quick and easy weeknight dinner.

See Recipe

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Do calzones have pizza sauce?

Technically, if a calzone is a traditional Italian recipe, there is no red sauce on the inside. But we really like having the sauce on the inside so they aren’t dry.

Does a calzone taste like pizza?

Our calzones use traditional pizza ingredients, so maybe a little. However, there is a little more dough used in ours compared to other ingredients so the texture is different.

What are the best toppings for calzones?

The options are endless! We recommend using your favorite pizza combo such as all meat, tons of veggies, pepperoni and mushroom, or even sausage and broccoli.

marinara, meatballs, mozzarella, pizza

Meatball Calzone

These homemade calzones are so easy to make and ready in no time. Switch up the pizza toppings and you'll never eat the same version twice!

Course Appetizer, Main Dish

Cuisine American, Italian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 36

Servings

Calories 760kcal

Author Andrea + Stef

Ingredients

1 can refrigerated pizza dough
8 meatballs cooked
½ cup marinara sauce
½-1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon water

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Divide the pizza dough into 2 pieces.
Using your hands or a rolling pin, roll out each piece to make a circle. You may need to flour your surface and rolling pin a little to prevent sticking.
Place parchment paper on a baking sheet.
Transfer one calzone crust to the baking sheet to make calzone.
Place 4 meatballs on one side of the pizza crust. Cut up meatballs if they’re large.
Drizzle 1 tablespoon of marinara or pizza sauce on the pizza crust in the middle, keeping it away from the edges.
Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese
Fold over dough to make a half circle shape. Pinch edges together to seal then fold the pressed edges up toward the calzone and press again.
Whisk egg and water together to make an egg wash.
With a pastry brush, brush the egg wash on the outside of the calzone.
Sprinkle calzone with /18 teaspoon garlic salt and ¼ teaspoon of Italian seasoning.
Repeat with the next calzone.
Loosely tent calzone with foil so the foil doesn’t touch the tops of the calzones. Please in the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the foil then cook for 15 more minutes until the crust is a deep golden brown.

Notes

If pizza sauce gets on the edges it will not seal. Make sure you keep pizza sauce away from the edges or dry it off if it does get on the edge.
Apply the egg wash liberally to the tops of the raw calzones. The egg wash will make the crust crispy and shiny.
Omit the sauce for a traditional calzone. You can dip the calzone in sauce, if you prefer.
Substitute your favorite pizza topping for the meatballs.
If you prefer, make your own pizza dough.

Nutrition

The post Meatball Calzones appeared first on Family Dinners.

Easy Homemade Garlic Knots Recipe

Andrea + Stef — Tue, 29 Dec 2020 23:53:11 +0000

These traditional pizza dough garlic knots are our favorite addition to any Italian themed meal. You only need seven simple ingredients to make this delicious easy garlic knots recipe. Simply shape, let them rise, then brush with butter, seasoning and parmesan and bake. These buttery, fluffy and incredibly yummy garlic knots are a true comfort food and taste amazing dipped in marinara sauce.

If you’ve never made your own garlic knots then start with this foolproof recipe and you wont be disappointed. You can buy pizza dough for convenience or make your own, the result will be a huge hit with your whole family either way. Serve these delicious pizza dough garlic knots as a side dish, appetizer or fun addition to parties or pizza night.

What are Pizza Dough Garlic Knots?

Garlic knots are traditionally found in pizzerias in the United States. They were developed in the 1940’s as a way to use up pizza dough scraps. What started as a way to use up leftovers has turned into one of my favorite things!!

Garlic bread knots are usually pizza dough, tied in an overhand knot and topped with spices and lots of butter. The more butter, the better. Dunk the warm knots in this marinara sauce recipe and you are in bread heaven.

Why You’ll Love This

Notable: soft, flavorful and buttery garlic rolls that go well with Italian dishes and crunchy salads
Main Ingredients: pizza dough, salted butter, garlic, Italian seasoning, parsley, parmesan cheese, olive oil
Cooking Method: oven baked
Cooking Time: 20 minutes prep time, 1 hour rise time, 20 minutes baking time
Pairs well with: side of marinara sauce, pasta dishes, Italian meatballs, lasagna, salads
Diets: vegetarian
Special Equipment Needed: sharp knife, pizza cutter or scissors, large bowl, sheet pan, pastry brush

Ingredients

You may have all of these ingredients for these easy garlic knots in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery stores! If this is your first time making this buttery garlic knots recipe you might want to read the possible variations before deciding on your ingredients.

Fresh Garlic Knots Ingredients

22 oz store-bought pizza dough or homemade pizza dough
½ cup salted butter (melted)
3-4 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon dried parsley
2 tablespoon parmesan cheese (grated)
olive oil (for working with the dough)

Variations and Substitutions

Pizza Dough: Buy your favorite pizza dough from the grocery store (have you tried the dough from Trader Joe’s?) or make your own pizza crust dough (this is our favorite easy recipe).

Add more cheese on top: Add some shredded mozzarella to the top of the garlic knots before you cook.
Add a little spice: In case you like your garlic knots to have a little kick, add red pepper flakes to taste to the garlic butter sauce.
Dip in marinara: These can feel like a meal if you dip them in warmed marinara sauce. Use this homemade marinara as bread dip for best results.
Stuff with cheese: Before baking, carefully stuff with mozzarella cheese.

How To Make Gluten Free

Use a gluten free pizza crust to make these delicious garlic knots gluten free.

How to Make Vegan

Use your favorite butter substitute and omit the cheese to make garlic knots vegan. Check to make sure your pizza dough is vegan (most will be naturally gluten free).

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you loved this easy homemade garlic knots recipe, try our Garlic French Bread. You’ll love it because it is made with fresh parmesan cheese and store-bought french bread.

Recommended Tools

Links to our favorite tools are affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link we may get a tiny portion of the sale.

Baking Sheet — These delicious homemade garlic knots bake to perfection on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Instructions

This section shows how to cook this easy garlic knots recipe in the oven, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For printable instructions and nutritional information see the recipe card below.

Prep: Firstly, preheat the oven to 150°F. Then line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Afterwards, gather your pizza dough, garlic and all your spices. Measure and chop your spices.

Step 1: On a lightly floured surface, begin by shaping the soft dough into a log shape.

Step 2: Afterwards, divide the loaf into four equal pieces with a sharp knife or scissors. Then cut each section into four more pieces for a total of 16 equal portions.

Step 3: Use olive oil to grease your fingers and roll each ball of dough into a 6-inch long rope or strip.

Step 4: Then tie the dough rope into a single knot. Afterwards, place bread knots on the prepared baking sheet, spaced 2 inches apart. Repeat for the remaining pieces of dough.

Step 5: Cover the baking sheets with a lightweight clean kitchen towel. Then TURN OFF the oven and place the baking sheets into the warm oven. Let the dough rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Knots will be puffy and doubled in size. After the knots have risen, remove baking sheets from the oven and preheat it to 400°F.

Step 6: In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, parsley, and parmesan cheese. Add a pinch of oregano if you like.

Step 7: Brush butter mixture over each knot. Reserve ½ of the butter mixture to brush on the knots after they’ve finished baking. Bake knots for 18-20 minutes until they’re golden brown and cooked through.

Step 8: Finally, brush reserved butter mixture over the hot bread knots and serve easy garlic knots immediately.

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love serving garlic bread knots along Italian meals then you’ll love them with our Easy Lasagna. This simple lasagna recipe uses jarred sauce and is the perfect dish when you’re craving comfort food.

Stef says….

Garlic bread is not only an amazing side dish but also makes a great appetizer or party snack. My Pull Apart Garlic Bread is always a big hit at parties and family gatherings.

Why You Should Let Your Dough Rise

Homemade dough as well as pre-made pizza dough is made with yeast. The kneaded dough has to have some rise time. In case you bought your dough it has probably already had a first rise. Allowing a second rise before baking the garlic knots will help the yeast ferment the sugar and the dough to become more elastic. Rising will improve the flavor and texture of the knots.

Let yeast breads rise in a warm place. The oven is the ideal place for putting your garlic knots while the dough is rising. For an electric oven or a gas oven with the electronic ignition, heat the oven at the lowest setting for one or two minutes, then turn it off. It will retain enough heat to help the dough rise.

Andrea says….

We love using my homemade Pizza Dough recipe to make this garlic knots recipe. Simply follow the recipe through the first rise then begin making your garlic knots.

Recipe Tips

Follow these tips to make the best pizza dough garlic knots.

Tip: For best results use homemade pizza dough. However, store bought works well too.
Tip: If possible, don’t skip the rising time. It makes your garlic rolls light, fluffy and irresistible.
Tip: Don’t be shy with the butter. The flavorful butter garlic mixture adds all the flavor to your rolls.

Serving Suggestions

We love to eat soft pizza knots with delicious garlic butter all by themselves or dipped in marinara or pizza sauce. But sometimes you need to serve it as a meal. Try one of these delicious recipes:

Main Dish: Serve fluffy pizza dough garlic knots with Italian Meatballs, Easy Dump And Bake Meatball Casserole , Baked Ravioli, or Easy Basil Pesto Pasta with Meatballs. Or consider this Baked Penne or Chicken Cacciatore.

Salad: Pair buttery garlic knots with a fresh salad. A green salad like our amazing Italian Salad or Antipasto Salad. Or even a Caprese Salad with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil.

Dessert: Finish an Italian themed dinner with our amazing No Bake Chocolate Lasagna, creamy Cannoli Dip or Limoncello Cake Loaf with Limoncello Glaze.

More Italian Inspired Recipes

In case you are planning to host an Italian themed dinner party, take a look at our other delicious and easy to make Italian inspired recipes:

How To Store

Room Temperature: Store garlic knot leftovers in an airtight container, ziploc bag or tightly covered in plastic wrap or aluminum foil for 1-2 days after they are cooked.

Freeze: Let your leftover garlic knots cool completely before freezing. Then transfer them to a freezer-safe container or freezer bag (to avoid freezer burn) and freeze for up to 2 months.

Defrosting: Thaw pizza dough knots on the counter for a couple of hours.

How To Reheat

You can reheat these soft garlic bread knots in the microwave for a couple of seconds or in the air fryer.

Common Questions

Can you skip the rise when making garlic knots?

Yes, you can skip the rise! Easy pizza dough garlic knots will still taste good but be more dense. In case you’re running low on time try them without the rise.

What are other recipes with pizza dough?

In case you have extra pizza dough you can make cheese bread, pizza dough cinnamon rolls, a Stromboli sandwich, calzones, or pizza rolls, for example!

Garlic Knots Recipe Made With Pizza Dough

Delicious homemade garlic knots made with pizza dough. Easy garlic knots recipe is a one of many recipes with pizza dough. This mixture of herbs and oils makes a delicious dinner bread. We like to dip bread in our marinara sauce. Yum!

Course Bread, Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Keyword pizza dough garlic knots

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Rise Time 1

Total Time 1 40

Servings garlic knots

Calories 150kcal

Author Andrea + Stef

Ingredients

22 oz. pizza dough
½ cup salted butter melted
3-4 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon dried parsley
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese grated
olive oil for working with the dough

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 150°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Shape the dough into a log shape. Divide the loaf into four sections (with a knife or scissors) and then cut each section into four more pieces for a total of 16 evenly sized pieces.
Use olive oil to grease your fingers and roll each piece of dough into a 6-inch rope. Loop the rope into a knot.
Place knots on prepared baking sheets, spaced 2 inches apart. Repeat for the remaining pieces of dough.
Cover the baking sheets with a lightweight towel. TURN OFF the oven and place the baking sheets in the warm oven. Allow the knots to rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour or until they are puffy and doubled in size.
After the knots have risen, remove baking sheets from the oven and preheat it to 400°F.
Whisk together melted butter, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, parsley, and parmesan cheese.
Brush butter mixture over each knot, reserving ½ of the butter mixture to brush on the knots after they've finished baking.
Bake knots for 18-20 minutes until golden brown.
Brush reserved butter mixture over the hot bread knots and serve immediately.

Notes

Store in an airtight container or plastic zip bag for 1-2 days.

Nutrition

The post Easy Homemade Garlic Knots Recipe appeared first on Family Dinners.