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!

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.

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