Sausage spinach & ricotta calzones

Do you ever have weeks where you have a little of this leftover & a little of that leftover?  Stuff that is perfectly good and that you don't want to throw away because groceries are so darn expensive and you don't want to be wasteful .. but you need to find a use for.  I had 1/2 a package of cooked sausage, 1/2 bag of unthawed frozen spinach (I used the rest in soup).  Then I have had a container of ricotta looking for something to do with.  So I was thinking pasta, then I was thinking pizza.  Then it hit me...calzones..  They are easy to make and easy to pick up and eat.

I used full fat ricotta, because I do not like the reduced fat kind. I used half a 15 oz container for this recipe..(which leaves me with more leftovers..lol) and after making these I had about 3/4 of a cup of the sausage/spinach filling leftover.. I am making Spinach, sausage lasagna with creamy bechemel (white) sauce tomorrow with the leftover ricotta, and sausage filling...yeah, 2 meals with leftovers..my kinda thing :)  

I used Grands biscuits that I rolled out, but you could use refrigerated pizza dough, or the pizza dough the kind in a tube (by the biscuits, just roll it out.  If you used something other than the biscuits you will probably not have any leftover sausage filling left and you will probably use an entire container of ricotta, just double the seasonings and cheese, in the ricotta filling mixture.  Speaking of cheese, I used an Italian blend, which has Mozzarella, Parmesan & provolone in it.  Use what ever cheese you like...

I also brushed these with butter mixed with a little garlic powder & dried parsley when they came out of the oven... Make these today.. Enjoy


Sausage spinach & ricotta calzones


1 package Grand biscuits
1/2 package cooked sausage, crumbled (I used Bob Evans)
1 cup of shredded Italian cheese blend
1 clove garlic,minced
1 onion, finely chopped
1 T butter & olive oil
1/2 package frozen spinach, unthawed and squeezed dry
1/2 t white wine
salt & pepper

In a skillet add butter & olive oil.  Add onion, salt & pepper,over medium heat stirring often until translucent and softened.  Add cooked sausage & the garlic clove stirring until sausage is hot.  Add the wine, and spinach stirring until all the filling is hot and the wine has evaporated. 

Ricotta filling (Mix together)

1/2 of a 15 oz package ricotta
1/4 cup shredded Italian blend cheese
1/4 tsp each garlic & onion powder
1/4 t Italian seasoning
salt & pepper

Garlic butter mixture (Mix together)
1/4 cup Butter,melted
Dried parsley and a dash of garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350.Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.
On a floured surface roll out the biscuits doing one at a time using a rolling pin until flattened.  Spoon a spoonful of the ricotta, a spoonful of the sausage/spinach mixture and a small sprinkling of cheese,  remembering not to fill them too full or they wont close.

 Lay them on the baking sheet and turn them over to close using a fork to seal the edges.  Continue till all the biscuits are used, making sure that they are not touching.

 Bake for 25-30 minutes (start checking them at 20 minutes) and every 5 minutes after that.  When they are golden remove from the oven, and brush with the garlic butter mixture.  Serve... enjoy