‘The Pioneer Woman’: Ree Drummond’s Homemade Calzones Are ‘Ridiculously Easy’
The Pioneer Woman star Ree Drummond has a solution to those same old take-out standbys. Make them yourself at home and play with the ingredients to create a new dinnertime family favorite. A true Drummond family dinner staple is the Food Network star’s Homemade Calzones. The Pioneer Woman star claims they are “ridiculously easy” and filled with any combination of ingredients to suit everyone’s tastes.
What is a calzone?
A calzone is a dough pocket filled with an assortment of meats, cheeses, and vegetables.
It’s an Italian dish featuring a circular piece of bread dough folded in half over a filling.
The stuffing can include but is not limited to ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, cured meats, vegetables, and herbs.
The ingredients of the calzone are sealed before baking until browned.
Ree Drummond talks about her love of calzones
Drummond wrote the following statements regarding the Italian-inspired meal on her Pioneer Woman website.
“We love calzones in our house! Always have, always will,” Drummond declared. “What’s the difference between a calzone and a pizza pocket? This is one of the mysteries of life I hope to one day know the answer to.”
“They’re easy to eat, and you can fill them with whatever ol’ pizza-friendly ingredients you like. You can serve them with marinara as a dipping sauce or pour marinara sauce over the calzones,” Drummond suggested.
The Food Network star suggested an even faster dinner shortcut regarding preparing this speedy and delicious Drummond staple.
“You can make them with your favorite homemade pizza crust, which I’m happy to do. Or, you can use frozen dinner rolls, which make a great substitute,” the Pioneer Woman star shared.
The ingredients and method for making ‘The Pioneer Woman’ calzones
The process for making this quick and delicious main dish couldn’t be more straightforward.
You’ll need frozen, unrisen dinner rolls for the dough part of the recipe.
Also needed are butter, onion, sausage, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and ricotta cheese.
Add Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses, eggs, salt, black pepper, parsley, and marinara sauce.
Allow frozen rolls to thaw and rise ahead of preparation.
To begin, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Then, melt butter in a large skillet, and to that, add onion and cook until softened. To that, add sausage, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes.
Separately, combine cheeses, eggs, salt, pepper, and parsley—mix sausage when the pork is completely cooled.
Roll out each dough ball until very thin. Then add filling to the dough circle and fold over into a half-moon shape. Press edges to seal shut.
Top with a beaten egg and bake until golden brown. Serve with Marinara sauce.
The complete recipe for Ree Drummond’s calzones can be found on The Pioneer Woman website.
The Pioneer Woman airs Saturdays at 10 a.m. EST on the Food Network.
