Easy Spinach, Cheese, and Sausage Calzone Recipe

This recipe for calzones with creamed spinach, cheese, and sausage is a very old Kraft recipe that my in-laws adapted. After my husband and I got married, we then further adapted (and perfected) it. It's one of our favorites. We hope that it will become a favorite of yours, too!

You can adjust the cheese and meat to fit your personal preferences. I have substituted Colby jack on a few occasions when we didn't have mozzarella or Parmesan, and it was delicious. If you prefer a spicier sausage, look for the hot Jimmy Dean's variety or try a hot Italian sausage. You may need to try a couple different grocery stores to find hot roll mix and frozen creamed spinach. Don't despair! They are out there and are well worth it for this recipe.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease 2 cookie sheets. If you are wearing any rings, please take them off before handling the dough. Prepare the hot roll mix, adding 1 1/4 cups hot water and 2 tablespoons olive oil to the flour and yeast mixture. (I microwave the water for 1 minute 10 seconds on high.) Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes or until it forms a solid mixture. I knead the dough with a wooden spoon for at least the first minute because it's hot.

If the dough is a little sticky, that's okay. You'll cover it with lots of flour during the final rolling out process which eliminates all stickiness. Cover your clean counter or a large wooden cutting board with flour. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Let it rise uncovered for 10 minutes.

While the dough is rising, cook the sausage in a large, non-stick frying pan. Drain the grease after you've cooked it.  Mix the cheese and spinach, then add the sausage when it's ready.

Use a rolling pin to roll each piece of dough into a 6 inch (approx) circle. Use as much flour as you need through the rolling process. Spoon 1/2 cup sausage/cheese/spinach mixture on each piece of dough. Then fold them over and lightly pinch the edges together. Place them on the greased cookie sheets.

Bake for 12-15 minutes.  I bake them for 13 minutes with one pan on the top shelf and one pan on the bottom shelf.  I rotate the pans halfway through.

Tip: If you let your dough rise on the counter, it's very easy to scrap off the dough with a plastic spatula. My mom taught me that trick the first time we made this recipe for my parents. Thanks Mom!

Enjoy! You can cut your calzone in half and pick it up and eat it or you can eat it with a fork.