Turkey Pepperoni Calzone

True pizza lovers, such as myself, will definitely love this Turkey Pepperoni Calzone recipe. Stuffed with mozzarella, ricotta, parmesan cheese, and of course, turkey pepperoni, this calzone is giving you a different way to enjoy pizza — turnover style!

Whole Turkey Pepperoni Calzone

While traditional pepperoni is the norm, with turkey pepperoni you won’t miss it at all — especially when you pair that with tons of cheese and a soft buttery crust! This is a great option for your next pizza night or anytime when you enjoy pizza as much as I do.

This is not your average folded pizza recipe.

What is a calzone?

Unlike your traditional flat pizza, a calzone is simply folded. You’re basically taking your circle-formed pizza dough, stuffing one side of the circle, folding the dough over the ingredients to form a crescent shape, then baking it in the oven.

Calzones always have cheese inside, but the fun part is being able to make it your own. Start with tangy tomato sauce, and the rest is up to you. I went super simple with this recipe so you can do just that — add exactly what you like!

In addition to the sauce and your cheese of choice, you could add:

  • Various meats like chicken, ground beef, chicken/beef sausage
  • Mushrooms
  • Bell Peppers
  • Spinach or kale
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Artichoke hearts
  • Scallions
  • Raw or caramelized yellow onions or red onions
  • Fresh garlic
  • Smoked salmon
  • Roasted butternut squash
  • Roasted eggplant
  • Black olives
  • Pesto or other herbs and spices

How is the calzone different from Stromboli?

Although similar, a calzone is more like a turnover, where Stromboli is more like a huge sandwich. Instead of folding the dough over and creating that crescent shape, Stromboli is “rolled” resulting in those beautiful layers of meat and cheese.

Some also say the key distinction between the calzone and Stromboli is the sauce is on the inside of Stromboli versus being served on the side for calzone. I guess I’m breaking all the rules today because my calzone certainly has sauce. 🙂

If you like Stromboli, you should check out my Italian Beef and Pepperoni Stromboli or Ground Chicken Three-Cheese Stromboli.

Overhead shot of Turkey Pepperoni Calzone cut open

How to Make a Turkey Pepperoni Calzone:

Let’s walk though how to to make this calzone recipe with pre-made (store bought) pizza dough.

Using fresh pizza dough seems to make a world of difference with this recipe. You can find fresh dough at your local grocer. It is easy to work with and the taste will be worth the few extra dollars. Purchase a pound of fresh dough and cut it in half. This will make two large calzones.

Of course, you could always make your own.

Forming the dough for the calzone pizza

For your filling, you’ll need Parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese, shredded mozzarella cheese, red pepper flakes, basil flakes, black pepper, and your turkey pepperoni. Once this is mixed together, add the cheese mixture onto one half of the pizza dough. Top off the mixture with thick slices of the fresh mozzarella cheese.

Making calzone mixture using various cheeses and turkey pepperoni

Be sure to place all ingredients in the middle of the dough. It makes the folding process a lot easier.

Make sure to leave enough room on the edge of the calzone. This will allow you to twist the edges into a pattern that will make sure your calzone looks as good as it tastes!

Folding the fresh dough over the stuffed ingredients

I’m certain you will enjoy this calzone. It is a simple recipe to make and only requires 16 minutes in the oven. That is what I call dinner in no time!

You can serve your calzone with marinara sauce for added flavor.

Now let’s take a look inside…

Turkey Pepperoni Calzone cut open

Love calzones? You may also like my Buffalo Chicken Calzone!

Print
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Whole Turkey Pepperoni Calzone

Turkey Pepperoni Calzone


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5 from 1 review

  • Author: Eric Jones
  • Total Time: 28 minutes
  • Yield: 5 1x

Description

True pizza lovers will love this Turkey Pepperoni Calzone recipe. The soft pizza dough is stuffed to the brim with three cheeses and tons of pepperoni!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 lb. Fresh Pizza Dough
  • 4 oz. Turkey Pepperoni Slices
  • 8 oz. Fresh Moist Mozzarella
  • 1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
  • 1 cup Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
  • 1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 1 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1/4 tsp. Basil Flakes
  • 1/4 tsp. Black Pepper
  • 1 Large Organic Egg
  • 3 tsp. Water
  • 1/3 cup Pastry Flour
  • 1 tsp. Oregano
  • 1 cup Marinara Sauce (For Dipping)


Instructions

  1. Spread pastry flour over the kitchen countertop. Place fresh dough onto flour and shape dough into a circle using hands. Finish shaping and flattening with a roller. Set to the side.
  2. Chop the turkey pepperoni into small pieces.In a bowl, add parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese, turkey pepperoni, shredded mozzarella cheese, red pepper flakes, basil flakes, black pepper, and mix together.
  3. Add the filling onto one half of the pizza dough. Slice the fresh mozzarella into thick slices and add to the top of the filling. Pull the other half of the dough over the filling leaving a one-inch edge on the bottom dough. Twist edges of the dough until it’s sealed.
  4. In a small bowl, mix your egg, water, and oregano. Brush the egg mixture over the top of the calzone. Cut small slits in the top of the dough.
  5. Spray a non-stick baking sheet (paid link) with olive oil or non-stick spray. Place the calzone on the sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 16 minutes.
  6. Remove from the oven and serve with marinara sauce.
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 16 minutes
  • Category: Pizza
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Italian

Nutrition

  • Calories: 520
  • Sugar: 0.4g
  • Sodium: 887mg
  • Fat: 31.6g
  • Carbohydrates: 40.2g
  • Fiber: 3g
  • Protein: 19.1g
  • Cholesterol: 70mg

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3 Comments

  1. Another hit recipe from this website. I tried this on Saturday with my hubby. It came out so well and it was easy to make.
    I like to use fresh ricotta from farmer’s markets but couldn’t get my hands on any so I used half store-bought ricotta and half garlic and herb goat cheese instead of using 8 ounces of just ricotta.

    Thank you!






    1. Eric Jones says:

      Nice substitution, Nathaly! And thank you for trying another recipe. We do appreciate the feedback. 🙂