BBQ Chicken Calzones

I really enjoy making calzones.  Probably because I really enjoy eating them!  I love bread, bbq, cheese, and marinara sauce, so putting all those together in one lovely little package is just splendid!

Usually I make 7" calzones, but I made these miniature BBQ Chicken Calzones for a party.  Fun finger food!  And you just have to dip them in marinara sauce!

This is to show you about how big to roll the dough if you make the mini calzones.

A little dab of sauce, a tiny pile of freshly grated mozzarella, and a small mound of bbq chicken mixture. Mmm! I could go for one right now!

To seal them up, I at first tried my usual method, a rolled edge.  It was hard to do because they were so small, so I found just pressing dough with the tines of a fork worked perfect!

BBQ CHICKEN CALZONES

DOUGH:

1 pkg. active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp.)

1 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)

1 T. sugar

2 T. olive oil

1 tsp. salt

3 1/4 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water until foamy, about 10 minutes.  Stir in sugar, oil, salt, and 1 cup flour.  Beat until smooth. (I do this in my Kitchen Aid Mixer.)  Mix in remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.  Turn onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. (I let my Kitchen Aid do the kneading for me....same amount of time on speed 2).  Place in a greased bowl; turn greased side up.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until almost double, about 30 minutes.

BBQ CHICKEN MIXTURE:

Sauce:

1 cup ketchup

1/4 cup bbq sauce (I like Sweet Baby Ray's or Bull's Eye)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

Combine all ingredients with a whisk until smooth.

In a saucepan, combine sauce and:

About 1 lb. chicken cooked and sliced or shredded

(I like to grill or broil and I usually season it first with Emeril's Essence Seasoning)

chopped onions--however much your heart desires!

Simmer mixture on low-medium heat for 10-15 minutes to blend flavors.

MARINARA SAUCE:

--in a pinch I use a jar of spagetti sauce

If I have the time, I make this:

Basic Red Sauce:

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 chopped yellow onion

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

16 ounces whole peeled tomatoes, broken into pieces, and their juices

16 ounces tomato sauce

4 teaspoons tomato paste

2/3 cup water

1/2 teaspoon sugar

In a medium pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, salt, basil, oregano, and pepper, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, and sugar and stir well. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until thickened and fragrant, 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from the heat and keep warm until ready to use.

Yield: 3 cups

If you don't like the chunks, put in in your blender!

OTHER INGREDIENTS:

freshly grated mozzarella cheese

1 egg, beaten

CALZONE INSTRUCTIONS:

When the dough has finished rising, punch it down.  Divide into 6 equal parts. (If doing mini ones just tear off small balls of dough.)  Roll each part into a 7" circle on a lightly floured surface.  Spread one half with a little marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, bbq chicken mixture, and sometimes I top off with some more mozzarella.  Fold dough over filling and seal with fork or rolling/pinching method.  Place calzones on greased baking sheet.  Let rest for 15 minutes.  Brush calzones with beaten egg.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes, until golden brown. (Mini calzones bake for around 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.)

Serve calzones with extra marinara sauce for dipping!

Don't limit yourself to BBQ Chicken! Try any other combination that sounds good! :) Another personal favorite of mine is what I call The Hula! Seasoned ground beef, small deli ham pieces, pineapple, fresh tomato and mozzarella.  It's really tasty!