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Easy Leftover Turkey Calzone is the perfect way to make your belly happy while using up the leftovers in your fridge. It’s like having a turkey pizza and a calzone recipe in one handy dandy little dish. The kids call them turkey pockets!

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Easy Leftover Turkey Calzone

I’m all about finding ways to use food that I have in the fridge in new and delicious ways. I HATE throwing out food because I think that there’s always a way to freshen things up. 

This simple calzone recipe proves me and my tastebuds right! I love that it’s like a pizza in terms of the ingredients, but the turkey stands out on its own as well. 

Friday nights in your house might have been pizza night, but I have a feeling that calzones are about to be your new favorite dish. 

This turkey calzone recipe is fast, simple, and made with delicious ingredients. Just gather up the simple needs below to get started! 

Ingredients Needed

Pizza dough: Choose which type of dough works best: store bought or my homemade pizza dough.

Ricotta cheese: This can be optional if you don’t have it or don’t want it. 

Garlic: Don’t skimp on the garlic. It’s delicious. 

Italian seasoning: The perfect pizza seasoning. 

Ground black pepper: Freshly ground black pepper is best. 

Shredded parmesan cheese: The more parmesan, the better. 

Pizza sauce: Buy it at the store or make your own. You can also use marinara sauce. 

Shredded mozzarella cheese: You can also use any type of shredded cheese that you’d like.  I recommend shredding it yourself for ultimate meltiness!

Cooked turkey or chicken: Make sure that it’s shredded or cut up really tiny. I love using leftover roasted turkey or my shredded chicken leftovers.

Olive oil: I also will use avocado oil or coconut oil as well. 

How to make a Turkey Calzone

  • Stir: Mix together the garlic, spices, parmesan cheese, and ricotta.
  • Unroll the dough: Spread out the pizza dough in a rectangle shape on a lightly floured surface. It should be about 10X15 inches in size.  Spread garlic mixture over the longer portion of the dough.
  • Top with pizza sauce.
  • Add mozzarella.
  • Add turkey meat. Prevent over filling. 
  • Fold the dough: Fold the top half of the dough over the filling and then make sure to seal the edges. This will help prevent it from spilling out. 
  • Add the rest of the garlic with oil and brush on top of the dough. Make a few slits on top to vent. 
  • Bake: Put in the oven to bake for 18-23 minutes. Serve hot. 

Variations 

  • Shake things up a bit with this calzone recipe. You can easily make a simple chicken calzone by swapping out the leftover turkey for chicken. (I’ve also used leftover rotisserie chicken for this!) 
  • One of my other favorite varieties is to add pepperoni and veggies. Since it already resembles a pizza, add more pizza toppings! 
  • Lastly, if you have a preferred homemade pizza dough recipe, use it! Homemade is always best. Always! 

Storing and Freezing Instructions

How to store calzones: Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Make Ahead: You can assemble the calzone up 12 hours ahead of time.

Freezing: Freeze prepped calzones or leftovers, tightly sealed.

Reheating calzones: My favorite way to reheat pizza or calzones is in the air fryer!

FAQs

How do you keep calzones from getting soggy?

The key to keeping a crisp crust is to make sure that you not only preheat the oven but you preheat the cooking sheet as well.  When you add on the calzone to bake, the nice hot surface will keep it from getting soggy. 

Can I omit the ricotta cheese?

Yes, you can. You can leave it out and fill that void with shredded cheese or nothing at all. It’s up to you.  I would suggest making it with the ricotta cheese the first time and then changing up the recipe after that. That way, you know how to edit it so that you get what you want.

How long do you bake calzones?

Perfectly baked calzones should be baked for 18-23 minutes. Once the dough starts to turn golden brown, it’s a good sign that it’s done cooking and ready to be taken out of the oven.  Be sure to let the calzone cool down once you take it out of the oven. It’s going to be piping hot! 

Other Favorite Pizzas

Have You Made This Recipe?

Leave a rating by clicking the stars below!

Turkey Calzone

5 from 6 votes
The turkey calzone is a great savory dish with turkey, cheese and and a yummy pastry around it!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Yield 6 servings
Serving Size 1 serving

Ingredients
 

  • 1 can pizza dough or one homemade recipe
  • cup (74g) ricotta cheese
  • 1 tablespoon garlic divided
  • ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup (10g) shredded parmesan cheese
  • cup (92g) pizza sauce
  • 4 ounces (115g) shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 cup (138g) cooked turkey or chicken (shredded or diced small)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
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Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  • Unroll pizza dough and spread out into a rectangle approximately 10×15-inches in size.
  • Stir together ricotta, 2 teaspoons garlic, spices and parmesan. Spread over the long half of the pizza dough.
  • Top the ricotta with pizza sauce, mozzarella and turkey.
  • Fold the top half of the dough over the filling and crimp/roll the edges to seal.
  • Stir together remaining teaspoon of garlic with oil and brush over the top of the dough. Cut a few slits in the top to vent.
  • Bake 18-23 minutes or until dough is golden brown and cooked through. Serve hot.
  • Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

  • Use freshly shredded cheese for best melting results.
  • Use chicken or turkey (rotisserie or leftover).
  • Use whole or part skim rictotta.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 326kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 671mg | Potassium: 178mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 335IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 251mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Main Course
Cuisine American

Turn leftovers into a Turkey Calzone! This is an easy pizza recipe for a quick weeknight meal – 30 minutes! Use rotisserie chicken too!

 



Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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