Amazingly Easy Turkey Sausage Calzone

It’s a week night that hubs and I shared in the kitchen.  Using some inspiration from a RFD outdoor cooking show we used what we had to “kind of” recreate what we saw.  [smiling] I bet they’d laugh at us trying to cook together!  We spent 15 minutes prep time and let it cook 15 minutes.  Dinner in 30.  It’s in the oven even as I type this and smells good.  I’ll let you know how it tastes before this comes to you.  Here’s how it went down: (click to continue)

I opened my new favorite product, Pillsbury’s Artisan Whole Grain Pizza Dough (they used French bread dough), and spread it onto an olive oiled cookie sheet and sprinkled some Cilantro over the dough.

Hubs cut up  half a white onion left from a previous meal and also also a left over 1/2 green bell pepper.
Meanwhile,I browned a 1 pound package of turkey sausage and drained it of the small amount of fat there was before spooning it down the center of the dough.
As soon as I moved away from the stove, hubs dumped the onion and pepper into a skillet with a little olive oil.  I added some minced garlic and cooked until the onion was translucent.  These items were layered over the meat.  We added a small diced Roma tomato and some slices of Provolone Cheese.

 

I cut slices along both sides of the dough not quite to the filling.  I tucked in the end and folded over the slices one by one alternating sides.  That makes a braided effect. 

 

Tuck in the top end about half way through and braid from the opposite end meeting in the middle.  Rub a little olive oil onto the dough and move the pan to the oven.  Bake 15-20 minutes at 400 F.   When you take it out, sprinkle some Parmesan Cheese over it.

We fixed a simple Iceberg lettuce salad and served it up with the Calzone.  Delish. 

We do like a bit of a kick to our food, so next time I’ll put the provolone cheese on the bottom and add several slices of pepper jack cheese on top before wrapping it up in the dough.  Yes, this was good and there WILL be a next time. Possibly for brunch…or lunch…or a midnight supper.

Recipe:

• 1 package Artisan Pizza Dough
• 2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 2-3 deli slices Provolone cheese
• 1 lb. turkey breakfast sausage, crumbled and browned
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 diced onion, caramelized
• 1/2 green bell pepper, sautéed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Roma tomato, finely chopped
• 3-4 deli slices pepper jack cheese
• Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven 350 F. Roll dough out onto cookie sheet.  Layer on cilantro and provolone cheese.  Brown & drain turkey sausage then spoon over provolone.  Cook onion, bell pepper, garlic in the olive oil until onion is translucent.  Layer over meat.  Layer on chopped tomato and pepper jack cheese.  Make cuts in the dough along the sides within about an inch of the meat.  Fold the ends on the dough over the meat then the slits, alternating sides to make a braided look.  It works best to braid half, then move to the opposite end and braid back to the middle.  Spray the top of the dough with olive oil or butter and place the pan in the oven.  Bake 350 F for 15-20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

P.S. I am not compensated by Pillsbury, I just like the product.