I have always loved calzones, stuffed sandwiches, Hot Pockets, or whatever you wish to call them. There’s no telling how many Ham & Cheese pockets I’ve eaten over the years for lunch or for a snack! Hubby, on the other hand, isn’t much of fan. However, when I saw this recipe over at Tidy Mom, I just new it was one calzone that he would approve of.
I made a few changes to the recipe and gave it a try. At first my husband had a negative response when I told him I was trying a new recipe for calzones, but when I told him it was buffalo chicken calzones, he quickly changed his tune. And of course, he loved it. Now this recipe is a new favorite at our house!
Recipe for Buffalo Chicken Calzones:
Ingredients:
1 can of refrigerated pizza dough (Pillsbury works best. I used the Thin, Crispy type that comes in the long tube.)
1 can of chicken breast (or use one or two boneless chicken breasts, cooked and chopped)
Buffalo Sauce (I like Frank’s)
Ranch Dressing (alternatively you could use bleu cheese dressing)
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Directions: Drain the water off your chicken. Place in a small bowl. Add buffalo sauce and ranch dressing. I didn’t meausure; I just put a little of each end. The amount will depend on just how spicy you want the calzones to be. (Just keep in mind that you want the mixture to be of the same consistency of a tuna or chicken salad, not runny.) Next add your cheese. Again, I just threw some in. I’d say it was about 1/3 or 1/2 cup. Mix well.
Next roll out your pizza dough on to a baking sheet. I rolled it out on top of a piece of parchment paper to prevent sticking. Take a knife and cut your dough into fours as shown below. (Note: The first time I made this I used an off brand pizza crust, and I was only able to cut the dough into threes, otherwise they would have been too small. This also meant that I had a little bit of the chicken mixture left over. This is why I recommend the Pillsbury crust.)
Spoon your chicken mixture on to each piece. You need to place it on one side so that you can easily fold it over to make the calzone, but place it about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch away from the edge so the stuffing doesn’t fall out. Now take the side that isn’t covered in the chicken mixture and fold it over. Use a fork or your hands to seal the calzone on each side. Bake according to the directions on your pizza crust and serve!
