Get dinner on the table in under 30 minutes with this Quick and Easy Pepperoni Calzone recipe. It’s loaded with cheese, pizza sauce, and pepperoni, all folded into a convenient refrigerated pizza crust. Serve it with warm sauce on the side for dipping and see smiles all around the table!
It’s been a long week. Friday is finally here, and you’re home in your favorite PJs. But you still have to get dinner on the table. Sound familiar?
Sometimes it seems like just too much effort to cook a meal, doesn’t it? Just one more thing in a long, long list of things to do. What if I said you could have dinner ready and on the table in about 20 minutes? Sound good?
If your family is crazy about pizza (and, really, who isn’t?), then they’ll love this really fast, easy to assemble Pepperoni Calzone. It’s so easy to throw together using a refrigerated pizza crust and purchased pizza sauce. Your folks are going to love this recipe!
Now, let me just make it clear that I am certainly not Italian. Not even one little smidgen. But I do love Italian food. So when I started to write this recipe, I began to wonder…is this a calzone or is this a stromboli?
Well, I read all kinds of things on the internet, and I’m still not sure. So, to all you Italian food aficionados, if I’m calling this calzone and it’s really stromboli, I apologize. It may be neither one for all I know. I really wanted to just call it a “folded pizza,” but that didn’t seem right either :-)
— This post was originally published on December 18, 2012. It has been updated with new photos and additional information.
Recipe Snapshot
Cuisine: American
Cooking Method: Oven
Total Time: 20 Minutes
Servings: 8
Primary Ingredient(s): Pizza dough, pizza sauce, cheese, pepperoni
Skill Level: Easy
Ingredient Notes
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- Refrigerated Pizza Crust — I like the Pillsbury brand, but use your own favorite.
- Pizza Sauce — Use what you like. My favorite brand of purchased pizza sauce is Ragu.
- Mozzarella Cheese — For this recipe, of course, you’ll use the grated, bagged cheese. This is fast, not elegant.
- Black Olives — I use the canned, sliced type for this recipe. Kalamatas would be great as well.
- Pepperoni — Again, we’re going for convenience and speed here, so the sliced, packaged type is perfect.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Pepperoni Calzone
Preheat the Oven
- Start by preheating the oven to 400° if you’re using a dark or non-stick pan (425° for all other pans).
Prep the Pizza Crust
- Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Unroll the pizza crust onto the pan and spread it out to the desired size and shape.
Pro Tip
If the pizza crust doesn’t want to spread out and springs back when you place it in the pan, just let it rest there for a few minutes. Giving it a little time to relax makes it much easier to spread it out.
Add the Fillings
- Spread the pizza sauce to within 1” of the edges of the crust.
- Top with shredded mozzarella.
- Evenly sprinkle over the black olives.
- Arrange the pepperoni slices on one half of the long edge of the crust.
- Fold the opposite side of the dough over the filling and press the edges to seal. Spray the top of the crust lightly with cooking spray.
Bake and Serve
- Bake for 15-17 minutes or until the crust is a dark golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.
- Slice and serve with warm pizza sauce for dipping.
Recipe Variations
- The recipe amounts are just guidelines. Use more or less of any of the ingredients if you like. Want more pepperoni? Load it up! More olives, maybe some mushrooms? Make it your own.
- Add some Parmesan cheese to the filling.
- Substitute cooked Italian sausage for the pepperoni (or add it in addition!)
- Make it a vegetarian calzone by leaving out the pepperoni and adding loads of peppers, mushrooms, or any other veggies you like.
- Sprinkle the filling with Italian seasonings such as basil, oregano, and garlic powder.
- Don’t like the refrigerated pizza dough? Make your own homemade pizza dough recipe or basic white bread recipe for the crust.
- Make individually sized calzones by cutting the dough into four pieces, filling, and baking them.
- Brush the outside of the calzone with olive oil instead of using the cooking spray.
More Pizza-ish Recipes
Homemade Pepperoni Pizza
Easy Pepperoni Pizza Crescent Rolls
BLT Pizza
White Pizza
If you like this recipe, then you’ll also want to check out these:
Questions About Pepperoni Calzone
I usually serve a simple green salad with calzone. A nice balsamic dressing goes great, too.
Store any leftover calzone in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days. To freeze, I’d recommend baking the calzone first, let it cool completely. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze for up to three months.
The calzone is best reheated in a 325 oven until warmed through.
Have a question or thought to share?
If you have a question about the recipe or if you’ve made it and want to share how it turned out, I would truly enjoy hearing from you. Just scroll down to leave a comment or add your star rating.
Thank you for stopping by. It means a lot to have you here.
Recipe
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Quick and Easy Pepperoni Calzone
Ingredients
- 1 refrigerated pizza crust
- 1 cup pizza sauce
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- ¼ cup sliced black olives
- 5 ounces pepperoni thinly sliced
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° for dark or non-stick pans (425° for all other pans).
- Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Unroll the pizza crust onto the pan and spread it out to the desired size and shape.1 refrigerated pizza crust
- Spread the pizza sauce to within 1” of the edges of the crust.1 cup pizza sauce
- Top with shredded mozzarella.2 cups shredded mozzarella
- Sprinkle evenly with the black olives.¼ cup sliced black olives
- Arrange the pepperoni on one half of the long edge of the crust.5 ounces pepperoni
- Fold opposite side over and gently press edges to seal. Spray the top of the crust lightly with cooking spray.Cooking spray
- Bake for 15-17 minutes or until a dark golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.
- Slice and serve.
Notes
- Store any leftover calzone in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days. To freeze, I’d recommend baking the calzone first, let it cool completely. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze for up to three months.
- Reheat in a 325°F oven until warmed through.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
— This post was originally sponsored by General Mills.
I’m Lana Stuart, an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, and lifelong cook raised deep in Southwest Georgia. I started Lana’s Cooking in 2009 to share the tried-and-true recipes I grew up with. Around here, the food is full of flavor, the traditions run deep, and there’s always room at the table.
Cold and rainy here. That would really hit the spot!
Miss P
Same here. And we were out in it all day. Yuck.