Chicago Seven Calzones are like a supreme pizza in a portable pocket form. This particular combination of ingredients was inspired by one of our favorite pizzas, “The Chicago 7” at the Old Chicago restaurant chain. They no longer have a restaurant in our area, so of course I had to figure out how to make it myself! Of course, like many recipes I make, these are customizable. Notice that some of the calzones have three slits in the top instead of two? Those have no green pepper, just for my husband 😉
Here is what you need… Italian sausage, pepperoni, red onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, sliced black olives, and cheese.
Cook the sausage first, then slice it thinly.
Make sure all of your other toppings are thinly sliced as well, that way they will cook in the time it takes the bread to bake.
Roll out a lemon-sized amount of dough into a circle that is about 8″ to 10″ in diameter. I recommend either a half-recipe of my basic dough, or a double recipe of pizza crust.
Fill half of the dough circle with sausage & pepperoni…
Onion and mushrooms…
Black olives and green bell pepper…
And cheese!
Fold the dough over and seal the edges. Cut a few small slits on the top to let steam escape. As I mentioned before, I use the slits to help distinguish different fillings, which is helpful!
Place the calzones onto a prepared baking sheet.
Beat an egg in a small bowl and brush the tops of each calzone. If you want, you can sprinkle the tops with a little cheese for extra flavor. Bake until golden brown, about 10 to 20 minutes.
If you want to freeze some, let the calzones cool completely before individually wrapping in plastic wrap, and then placing in a resealable plastic bag.
Chicago Seven Calzones
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian sausage links cooked and thinly sliced
- 30 to 40 pepperoni slices
- 1/2 green bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1/2 red onion thinly sliced
- 8 oz mushrooms thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup sliced black olives
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- pizza dough 1/2 recipe of basic dough or double recipe of pizza dough
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Sprinkle a large baking sheet with a small amount of cornmeal.
- Roll out a lemon-sized amount of dough into a circle 8" to 10" in diameter. Fill half with sausage, pepperoni, bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, black olives, and cheese. Fold dough over and seal edges. Cut a few small slits on the top to let steam escape. Place onto prepared baking sheet. Assemble remaining calzones.
- Beat the egg in a small bowl. Brush each calzone with beaten egg. Bake in preheated 400 degree F oven until golden brown, about 10 to 20 minutes.