Pesto Chicken Calzone
calzones
Amazingly delicious pesto chicken calzones that are crispy and golden brown on the outside and stuffed with melty cheese, juicy chicken and tasty pesto.
Equipment
- baking sheet lined with parchment paper
- Rolling Pin
- spoon or spatula
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.
- Serve with an Italian salad and marinara dipping sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 956kcal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 57g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 212mg | Sodium: 2519mg | Potassium: 279mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1455IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 659mg | Iron: 6mg