October’s National Pizza Month may be almost over, but November 1 is National Calzone Day, giving you one more day to celebrate (as if you need a reason).
Calzones exist because pizzas are so cheesy and delicious. A calzone is an oven-baked folded pizza that originated in Naples, Italy, in the 18th century, popularized as a meal easy to eat while standing or walking. In fact, the word “calzone” comes from the Italian word for “pants” or “stockings” even though it more closely resembles a half-moon.
A typical calzone is made from salted bread dough that is stuffed with meat, vegetables, cheeses like mozzarella, ricotta, and Parmesan and washed in egg before being baked. And while it gives you more food per bite, a calzone is essentially a modified pizza, which is good news for everyone who makes pizza at home. This National Calzone Day, simply make your favorite pizza toppings into a calzone stuffing.
If you need a guide, we have some dairy delicious calzones.
This Three Cheese Veggie and Beef Calzone combines roast beef with roasted red peppers, red onion, mushrooms, and spinach. Tucked into a pizza crust dough, this twist on the calzone can be customized to your preferred level of spice with ease, perfect for a quick dinner.
For a lighter meal, this Easy Cheesy Calzone mixes Mozzarella with broccoli with a light amount of pizza sauce. Add shredded grilled chicken or pair with a side salad as you recover from your Halloween sugar rush.
Or make these pizza combinations—the Cheesy Supreme Crustless Pizza, the Monterey Jack Pita Pizza with pineapples, or the Three-Cheese Tomato-Basil Pizza—remembering to fold the dough over and add an egg wash before placing in the oven.
As we begin November, try your calzone-making skills. The results will be tasty.