So here we are on “I-need-a-shortcut” night. This was perfect for a quick dinner or for something on-the-go. Using ground chicken breast is also a leaner alternative to beef but feel free to use ground sirloin if you so desire! The biggest shortcuts here are that you are using prepared pizza sauce and dough. If you haven’t noticed already I am usually picky about what I eat (as in low calorie = usually means fresh ingredients) and so these already prepped products came from a store that uses only fresh ingredients. So, naturally, I would encourage the same.
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb ground chicken
3/4 c prepared pizza sauce
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 c chopped fresh basil
1 (13.8 oz) can refrigerated pizza crust dough
1/2 c shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Heat a large skillet over med-high heat and prep with spray. Add garlic and chicken to pan; saute for 5 mins or until chicken is no longer pink, stirring to crumble. Stir in pizza sauce and pepper. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 mins, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in basil. Let stand about 10 mins to thicken.
3. Unroll your dough onto a baking sheet coated with spray. Cut dough into quarters. Pat each portion into an 8 x 6 rectangle. Divide chicken mixture evenly among rectangles (place in center); top each serving 2 tbsp cheese. Working with one rectangle at a time, fold dough in half over filling (don’t worry about stretching it), pinching edges to seal.
4. Bake at 425 for 12 mins or until golden. Makes 4 servings.
These were delicious and filling! I would probably add more red pepper since I needed a bit more kick. And obviously the variations are endless here. Have fun!
Nutritional Information:
Calories: 459
Fat: 7.1 g
Protein: 39.1 g
Carbohydrate: 56.4 g
Fiber: 3 g
Cholesterol: 74 mg
Sodium: 919 mg
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#1 by Joanne - April 5th, 2010 at 12:10
I adore homemade calzones! This seems like a delicious filling.
#2 by Van Santos - April 5th, 2010 at 21:36
I’ve always wanted to make this; however, I had always feared the amount of time it would take to prep such a dish.
I saw the bake time was 12 mins – how long was the prep? Also, did you save any to freeze and bake at a later date?
#3 by Eileen Devlin - April 6th, 2010 at 09:58
@Van – The prep was pretty quick – 25 mins? And no I didn’t save any to freeze. I’m not a big proponent of freezing but I’m sure you could by just doubling the recipe.
#4 by Van Santos - April 6th, 2010 at 12:53
Why are you not a fan of freezing?
#5 by Eileen Devlin - April 7th, 2010 at 11:54
I usually like everything fresh. I don’t think freezing these would alter taste too much here (much like frozen pizza) – guess it’s just a preference.