Good Morning and Happy Hump Day, everyone!
Being a Bostonian- it should surprise no one that I’m emotionally invested (like, unhealthily so) in our sports teams- as many people around here tend to be. But, as much as I enjoy the Bruins and the Celtics- my love and loyalty rests firmly with the Patriots, and- above all else- the Red Sox.
Opening Day for the Sox 2018 regular season is right around the corner, and to celebrate- we’re having a little impromptu party at the office with food and beverages (I’m sure we’ll be drinking harder stuff after we close for the day, though..) Not wanting to leave my co-workers hanging with limited options for snacks- I came across this mini calzone recipe that can feed 12 and requires minimum prep and a short amount of baking/cooking time- making it easy, quick and convenient to work into your schedule!
And, like most of my recipes- this one is also pretty versatile if you want to add/remove certain ingredients and fillings!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
- 1 pound frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed very well
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 pounds pizza dough, equally divided into 12 pieces
- 1½ cups ricotta cheese
- ¾ cup grated mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
READY? HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the spinach and garlic; season with salt and pepper.
- Use your hands to stretch each piece of dough into a 4-inch circle. If the dough is too sticky, lightly oil your hands to make it easier to handle. Transfer the circles to the baking sheet.
- Spoon about 2 tablespoons ricotta into the center of each piece of dough. Top with a heaping spoonful of the spinach mixture, then sprinkle with 1 tablespoon mozzarella cheese.
- To close the calzones, fold the dough in half over the filling and press firmly around the edge to seal. You may have to stretch the dough slightly as you pull it over to make sure the filling is fully encased. Use a paring knife to cut small vents into the top of each calzone.
- Brush each calzone with olive oil and bake until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Anything with heaping amounts of ricotta is an automatic win for me- and these calzones were no exception! They were warm, crunchy, gooey from the cheese- and surprisingly pretty filling despite being a considerably smaller size than a regular calzone!
I’m thinking the next time I whip up a batch of these, I’ll be incorporating pepperoni, sausage, and maybe some mushrooms or green peppers to mix them up a bit. I’m a sucker for mini-foods, after all!
xx
– Ashley –
Blondie Birdie 