These vegetarian calzones are filled with fresh veggies like kale, onions, mushrooms and bell peppers plus ooey gooey cheese. Don’t forget the tasty pizza sauce for dipping!

Vegetarian Calzones sliced in half and stacked on top of each other. Pin

We have deemed nearly every Friday in our house to be “Pizza Friday”! It’s a fun way to get the family to spend some time together in the kitchen, and everyone has a blast getting to build their own pie. Lately we’ve been switching it up a bit from our normal rotation of Deep Dish Cast Iron Pizza, Green Machine Pizza and Sheet Pan Pizza with No Yeast Crust and making these Vegetarian Calzones instead. They’re super tasty and a fun new way to enjoy pizza!

What is a Calzone?

A calzone is an Italian oven baked folded pizza. Essentially, a homemade pizza pocket! And who didn’t love a good pizza pocket growing up? You can add anything you want to a calzone the same way you would a slice of pizza. Just fold the pizza dough over your favorite toppings and cheese, seal it up, and bake. Then, dip it in a delicious pizza sauce. Get ready to say “yum” after your first bite!

Vegetarian Calzones on a plate with pizza sauce in a bowl on the side. Pin
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How to Make Vegetarian Calzones

  • First, decide which chopped vegetables you want to include in your calzone and sauté them all together with some minced garlic and Italian herbs.
  • Add mozzarella and parmesan cheese to your cooked vegetable mixture and allow to cool slightly. This step is a great one for kids to get involved! Let them add the cheese and mix it all up.
  • Divide the 2 pounds of dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll them out to 6 inch rounds, scoop the mixture on top of the individual pizza rounds.
  • Fold over the dough and form into half moons by crimping the edges. This is another step that is really fun for kids! It’s like edible art.
  • Lastly, bake until golden and then dip in your favorite pizza sauce.

The Best Fillings for Vegetarian Calzones

The best part of a vegetarian calzone is that there’s no wrong way to fill them up. Any vegetables you love or have on hand will do. It’s a great way to use up those vegetables in your refrigerator that are on their last leg! Feel free to experiment and see what you like best.

For this version we used:

  • Yellow Onion
  • Red Bell Pepper
  • Mushrooms
  • Kale

Some other filling ideas for your calzone:

  • Black Olives
  • Baby Spinach
  • Broccoli Florets
  • Artichoke Hearts

Storage Tips

Storage: Allow to cool to room temperature, then store in an airtight container for up to 7 days in the refrigerator.

Freezing: I love freezing calzones to have on hand for a quick weeknight dinner when you’re low on time. You can freeze calzones before you bake them or after you baked them. To freeze them unbaked, flash freeze them on the baking sheet for an hour or so until they become more solid, then transfer to freezer bags.

Reheating: No need to thaw or bring to room temperature. Just add about 5 minutes to the suggested cooking time and enjoy!

I love having leftovers of this recipe because they’re so good to have on hand for a quick weeknight dinner, and you can bake them straight out of the freezer!

Hand holding Vegetarian Calzone showing vegetable fillings inside.Pin

Recipes To Serve with Calzones

While these vegetarian calzones are filled with veggies, I sometimes like to add a salad or something extra on the side to go along with them. Here are some recipes I think go great with calzones!

Stacked calzones on a plate.Pin

Next time you’re looking for a quick and easy recipe the whole family will enjoy, try out these calzones. Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below or tagging me on Instagram if you make them!

Pin

Vegetarian Calzones

Perfect for the vegetarians in your life, these calzones are filled with healthy veggies but don't skimp on flavor! Meat eaters will love them too!
5 from 3 votes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 8
Author: Catherine McCord
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients  

  • 1 teaspoon oil
  • 1/2 small yellow onion, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 cup mushrooms, diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon Italian herbs
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup chopped kale, stems removed (about 1 large leaf)
  • 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups pizza sauce (for dipping)
  • 2 pounds pizza dough, room temperature

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
  • Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, bell pepper, mushrooms, Italian herbs and salt. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until veggies are soft.
  • Add kale and sauté for an additional minute.
  • Place the veggie mixture in a mixing bowl, add the cheese and stir to combine. Allow to cool slightly.
  • Meanwhile, divide the pizza dough into 8 equal pieces (4 pieces per pound). Roll out each piece to a 6 inch circle.
  • Place about a 1/4 cup of filling onto center of the dough circles, fold them over to form half moons, and crimp the edges to seal.
  • Place the calzones on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 16-18 minutes, until golden brown.
  • Serve with pizza sauce on the side for dipping.
Did you make this recipe?Mention @Weelicious or tag #weelicious!

About the Author

Catherine is a mama of three. A Kentucky girl living in California. Here’s what I know: all kids can be great eaters and mealtime must be easy. I create simple, healthy recipes the whole family will love.

Comments

  1. I love to make these for my husband and myself. Since we only have kiddos with fur, I freeze the extras and have easy future meals to rely on when time is crunching! Yes, they do bake off beautifully from the uncooked frozen state.
    Usually I opt to do mine without any tomato sauce…just veggies and lots of gooey cheese. When I serve them, I have a nice steamy bowl of sauce to dip them in. This lets the dough stay super crunchy on the outside and still fluffy inside! Our favorite is broccoli rabe, caramelized onions, roasted garlic with creamy ricotta and mozzarella. To live for!

  2. They will keep in the fridge for about 1 week, and can be frozen up to 3 months! I like to freeze before baking them, then just add about 5 minutes to the cooking time when cooking from frozen.

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