recipe_4688

Spinach & Sausage Calzones Recipe

Prep Time:
20 minutes, plus 40 minutes chilling time

Cook Time:
25 minutes

Servings:
8 Calzones

Prep Time:
20 minutes, plus 40 minutes chilling time

Cook Time:
25 minutes

Servings:
8 Calzones

Spinach & Sausage Calzones Recipe

INGREDIENTS

Spinach & Sausage Calzones

  • Crust
  • 1 1/3 C. (325 mL) all-purpose flour
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp. (5 mL) dried basil or Italian Seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp. (2 mL) salt
  • 1/2 C. (125 mL) Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening, well-chilled
  • 3-6 Tbsp. (45 to 80 mL) ice cold water
  • Filling
  • 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) Crisco® Pure Vegetable Oil or Crisco® Pure Canola Oil
  • 4 oz (125 g) ground Italian sausage
  • 1 C. (250 mL) tightly packed baby spinach
  • 1/4 C. (50 mL) grated mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 C. (50 mL) grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 C. (50 mL) prepared tomato sauce
  • 1 egg, beaten

DIRECTIONS

  1. Blend flour, garlic, herbs and salt in medium mixing bowl.
  2. Cut chilled shortening into 1/2” (1 cm) cubes. Cut chilled shortening cubes into flour mixture, using a pastry blender, in an up and down chopping motion, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some small pea-sized pieces remaining.
  3. Sprinkle half the maximum recommended amount of ice cold water over the flour mixture. Using a fork, stir and draw flour from bottom of bowl to the top, distributing moisture evenly into flour. Press chunks down to bottom of bowl with fork. Add more water by the tablespoon, until dough is moist enough to hold together when pressed together. Shape dough into a ball. Flatten ball into 1/2-inch (1 cm) thick round disk.
  4. Wrap dough in plastic wrap. Chill for 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
  5. Preheat oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  6. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the sausage and cook until crumbled and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Let cool for about 10 minutes. Add the cheeses. Reserve.
  7. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface into a circle, about 1/4” (5 mm) thick. Cut out 4” (10 cm) circles. You should get 8 circles. You may have to gather up and roll out the dough. Place 1 tsp. (5 mL) of tomato sauce on one side of circle. Top with 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) of cooled sausage mixture. Brush edges with beaten egg. Fold the dough over the filling. Use a fork to seal and crimp the edges.
  8. Place on prepared baking sheet. Brush tops with beaten egg and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.