Meatball Calzones

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My family can’t get enough of this savory entree. We have to have it at least once a month, or everyone goes through withdrawal. Leftovers freeze well for a quick meal later. —Cori Cooper Flagstaff, Arizona

MY NOTES: Use my own homemade dough (French bread or Italian bread dough maybe?) and make just one calzone with 1 lb dough or make smaller individual calzones for Jack and me. Roll the dough thinly so the breading isn't too thick, as some reviewers mentioned.

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Ingredients

  • 3 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 3 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 3 loaves (1 pound each) frozen bread dough, thawed
  • 3 cups (12 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
  • 1 egg white, lightly beaten
  • Additional Italian seasoning
  • 1 jar (14 ounces) spaghetti sauce, warmed

Preparation

Step 1

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-in. balls.

Place meatballs on a rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 10-15 minutes or until no longer pink. Drain on paper towels. Reduce heat to 350°.

On a floured surface, roll each portion of dough into an 18-in. x 12-in. rectangle. Spoon a third of the meatballs and mozzarella cheese down the center of each rectangle. Fold dough over filling; press edges firmly to seal.

Place seam side down on greased baking sheets. Brush tops with egg white; sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Let stand for 15-30 minutes. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with spaghetti sauce. Yield: 3 calzones (4 servings each).
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REVIEWS:

My daughter has asked me to make this for her special birthday dinner. They're very good but a little tricky to seal without ripping the dough. Perhaps I'll get better with practice.

Great for a family dinner, but too much bread for our liking. I will make this again and replace the bread with pizza dough.

Love this - I often just make 1 or 2 loaves depending on how many people are eating and freeze any leftover meatballs to use as sub sandwiches or with pasta!

This Calzone was the best I've made and I will certainly make it again.






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