Spinach And Feta Calzone Recipes

UNBELIEVABLE SPINACH CALZONES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, eggs, Italian seasoning, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and spinach. Set aside.
• Divide the bread dough into 8 pieces and roll each piece out to about an 8 inch circle. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the ricotta filling onto each circle, fold over and seal the edges. Place onto a greased cookie sheet.
• Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until nicely browned on the tops and bottoms.

SPINACH AND FETA CALZONE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450.
• Heat olive oil in a large pan over med-high heat. Add onions and garlic, saute 2 minutes.
• Add 1/2 the spinach and cook down until well wilted. Add the other half and cook down. Remove pan from heat and stir in remaining ingredients.
• Roll out crust on a sprayed baking sheet. Using a SLOTTED SPOON (very important!) transfer spinach mixture to bottom half of crust.
• Pull the top of crust over filling and pinch closed all the way around. Using a sharp knife cut a few slits in the top of the crust for steam.
• Bake 15 minutes.

SPINACH AND THREE CHEESE CALZONE

Steps:

• For Dough: In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook, bloom the yeast by combining it with warm water and sugar. Stir gently to dissolve, then let stand 5 minutes until foam appears. Turn mixer on low and slowly add the flour, 1 cup at a time. Pour in 1/4 cup olive oil and add salt. When the dough starts to come together, increase the speed to medium. Stop the machine periodically to scrape the dough off the hook. Mix until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 10 minutes.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and fold over itself a few times. Form dough into a round and place in an oiled bowl, turn to coat the entire ball with oil so it doesn't form a skin. Cover with plastic wrap or damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Test the dough by pressing 2 fingers into it. If indents remain, the dough is adequately risen. When ready, knead the dough gently and divide in 4 balls. Sprinkle the rounds lightly with flour, cover, and let rest for 15 minutes. This will relax the dough, making it easier to stretch. In the meantime prepare filling.
• For Calzones: Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. If you don't have a stone, simply grease a baking pan. Roll or spread the dough discs into 10-inch circles, leave the dough slightly thick so that the filling will not ooze out. Spoon a quarter of the filling onto 1 side of the dough round and brush the outer edge with egg wash to help form a seal. Fold dough over to enclose the filling and form a large turnover. Roll up the edges with your fingers to close tightly and prevent leaking. Cut a few slashes in the top to allow steam to escape during baking and brush with egg wash. Repeat with remaining rounds. Sprinkle a pizza peel (or prepared baking pan) with cornmeal and carefully transfer the calzones. Bake directly on pizza stone for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown. Let the calzones rest 10 minutes before cutting to allow the cheese to set. Serve with basic tomato sauce if desired.
• For Filling: In a saute pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes until lightly browned. Add the spinach, season, and continue to cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a colander and squeeze out the excess liquid. If necessary, drain the ricotta in a sieve to remove excess moisture also. Calzone filling should be fairly dry, because it may leak out or make the dough mushy. Combine spinach, cheeses, egg, and pepper in a large bowl.

MINI SPINACH-FETA CALZONE POCKETS (NO PHYLLO!)

Steps:

• Run the spinach through a food chopper/processor until it has about the same consistency as tabouleh, then put into a mixing bowl.
• Finely grate the feta cheese with a grater or food chopper then mix with the spinach.
• Add all the other ingredients on the list except the dough to the bowl and mix thoroughly-- except the olive oil, make sure just 1 tablespoon of oil goes in the mix.
• Roll the pizza dough onto a floured surface and make cutouts, about 10-12.
• Spoon about 3-4 tablespoons of spinach mixture (approx, I just used a serving spoon) into the center of each cutout. Place each cutout on a cookie sheet greased with cooking spray.
• Fold the cutouts over so they resemble little calzones. Make sure that there are no pointy edges or tops because they'll burn easily.
• With the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, brush the tops of the calzones. About 1 tablespoon should be enough to lightly brush them all.
• Bake at 375F for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top.