Craving pizza but want something different? Try a calzone. It’s more than just a folded-up piece of pizza. It’s an irresistible Italian-inspired dish featuring all your favorite pizza toppings wrapped up in a warm, golden-brown crust. A mixture of mozzarella, cream cheese, asiago and parmesan creates a gooey, flavorful filling. But it’s the fresh roasted chicken breast and cheesy artichoke heart and sun-dried tomato filling bring this chicken calzone to life. This easy recipe will have you making the perfect Chicken Calzone With Spinach and Artichokes Hearts in no time.
Try my recipes for Pepperoni Pizza, Mushroom and Goat Cheese Pizza and Pan Pizza.
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Ingredients
- Chicken breast
- Paprika
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh spinach
- Artichoke hearts
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Mozzarella cheese
- Asiago cheese
- Cream cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Garlic powder
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Pizza dough - See one of these two recipes: Pizza Dough for a Conventional Oven and Pizza Dough for a Wood-Fired Oven.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
There is nothing quite like fresh rotisserie chicken. Lightly season a medium sized chicken with salt, pepper and some paprika and cook it on a rotisserie.
In about an hour and 15 minutes, you will have some tasty and juicy chicken just waiting to go into a calzone.
Dice the chicken. Then mix the rest of the filling ingredients in a medium bowl. The cream cheese will remain in clumps and that is OK, it will melt when the calzone is baked.
Stretch out a piece of dough to 12" in diameter. Add the chicken and some of the filling mixture. Load it up, the dough will stretch.
Fold over the dough and press it down firmly to seal. Be sure to leave no gaps for the filling to escape. For added flavor, brush the top of the calzone with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with some parmesan cheese and a pinch of sea salt.
Trim the edge with a pastry cutter. Make sure that at least ½" of dough is firmly sealed. Cut a few holes in the top to let steam escape, and you are ready to bake. If you don't cut a few vent holes, the calzone will blow apart in the oven and you will have a mess to cleanup.
Place the calzone on a pizza stone if using a conventional oven, or place it directly on the floor of a wood-fired oven if you have one.
Bake the calzone in a preheated oven at 450°F for 15-20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Check it often starting around 12 minutes as the cooking time can vary depending on the size of the calzone and your oven.
Variations
These homemade calzones can be customed with just about any filling you can think of. For example, if you like chicken parmesan, coat some ¼” slices of chicken breast in breadcrumbs, and add mozzarella cheese and pizza sauce to the filling. Also, experiment with different cheeses. Fresh water mozzarella is very good in a calzone.
Equipment
A pizza stone in a conventional oven set to 450°F works well to get a crispy, perfectly cooked crust. Alternatively, cook the calzones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Storage
Store leftover calzones in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Top Tip
Don't forget to cut a few holes in the top of the calzone to let steam escape.
Final Thoughts
Making delicious chicken calzones at home is easy to do. Whether you're making it for a weeknight dinner or a special family night, these pizza pockets are sure to become a family favorite. Enjoy!
Related
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this recipe.
📖 Recipe
Chicken Calzone With Spinach, Sun Dried Tomatoes and Artichoke Hearts Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup chicken breast diced freshly roasted, seasoned with salt, pepper and smoked paprika
- 1 cup spinach fresh, chopped
- ⅓ cup artichoke hearts drained and chopped
- ¼ cup sun dried tomatoes
- 1 cup Mozzarella cheese
- ⅓ cup Asiago cheese
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1 tbs Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 pizza dough see video
Instructions
- Mix all of the ingredients, except for the pizza dough and chicken, in a bowl.
- Add chopped chicken to one side of the pizza dough. Top with the spinach mixture and fold the dough over the chicken and spinach.
- Press down on the edges to seal and follow with the tines of fork to ensure that it is sealed. Cut and remove any extra dough around the edges. Cut three or four vents in the top crust.
- Bake the calzone in a 450° F oven, preferably on a pizza stone, for about ten minutes or until golden brown. Top with freshly grated Parmesan and serve.
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