Homemade Calzone

The weekends seem to fly by so fast. One moment I'm relaxing and the next it's Monday morning. This past weekend was full of family time. Saturday brought a baby shower and dinner with my sister's family. Sunday was a day to relax and just hangout.

On Saturday I was looking for a quick, satisfying lunch before I went to the baby shower. The first thing that popped in my head was frozen pizza. I also wanted something low-cal because I knew there was going to be cake at the shower. But I really wanted pizza. My solution - Calzones! I know some of you maybe thinking that calzones are not low-cal, but these work out that way! I had everything in the fridge, it took less then 20 minutes, around 300 calories each, and I got my pizza fix. Win-win! Here's what I used:

Ingredients
refrigerated crescent roll dough
mozzarella cheese (string or shredded)
chopped onion
chopped peppers
bacon bits
pasta sauce (optional - either inside the calzone or as a dipping sauce)

*Filling Options: pepperoni, sausage, bacon, chicken, mushrooms, onion, green pepper, spinach, tomato, black olive


Basically you can fill your calzone with any topping you would put on a pizza!

Directions
1. Pre-heat the oven to 375-F. Separate the crescent roll dough into rectangles using two triangles. Place them on baking sheet and roll out flat.

2. On every rectangle spread on about 2-3 Tbsp. of pasta sauce, leaving the edges uncovered*. Place one stick of string cheese (or sprinkle with shredded cheese) in the middle of each dough rectangle. Sprinkle desired filling options evenly on top.

3. Fold the dough over (length-wise) and pinch the dough together. Bake calzones for 10-12 minutes or until golden-brown. Check to make sure the cheese is melted in the middle and ENJOY!

*Dipping sauce instead of in calzone: Place some pasta sauce in a bowl and warm up in the microwave.

Calzones are delicious and you have many options. Instead of making one calzone variety for the whole family, everyone can pick what they want inside. This recipe allows kids to get very involved. My nephews love to help in the kitchen. When making these, I let them fill their calzones with the toppings they choose, fold the dough, and pinch it close. These are not a lot of steps involved. Nor is it a complex recipe. Besides it's fun to have my nephews in the kitchen and getting them involved! It doesn't matter if you are cooking for family, with a group of friends, or just for yourself...this recipe is quick, easy, and delicious. Enjoy!