This deep dish skillet calzone is loaded with Italian sausage, bell peppers and melted cheese. It’s a hearty, crowd-pleasing meal!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
As much as I love pizza, I think I love calzones even more. I’m sure it’s the extra crust you get with a calzone that makes them so delicious! But making them for my whole family can be a bit tedious, which I why I love this Skillet Sausage and Pepper Calzone.
I can make one big calzone for everyone and it’s so much quicker and easier. It’s kind of like an amazing deep dish pizza with a top crust–and everyone knows the crust is the best part!
We’ve tried several variations on the skillet calzone, and this sausage and pepper version is our favorite.
To make things easy, I use refrigerated pizza crusts, but you could certainly go all-out and make your crust from scratch.
After making this a few times, I’ve developed a few tricks to ensure it comes out great every time. I put the sauce on top of the meat (rather than right on the crust) because that keep the bottom crust from getting too soggy.
Putting a layer of cheese in the bottom of the crust also helps with that. We love the sausage and pepper combination in this calzone, but mushrooms are another great addition. Just be sure to let this stand for 5-10 minutes before digging in!
We have a local pizza restaurant that serves deep dish pies with big, crusty edges. They always bring honey to your table to slather over your crust when you’ve eaten through all the toppings.
We love to do that with this calzone too. It’s a wonderful, sweet way to end the meal!
Be sure to save this recipe to your favorite Pinterest board for later.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 13.8 oz. refrigerated pizza crusts
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup marinara sauce
- 1 cup chopped red or yellow sweet peppers
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
- Warm marinara sauce for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet over medium heat cook sausage, onions and garlic until sausage is done. Stir in Italian seasoning. Drain off fat and set meat mixture aside.
- Shape one dough portion to a 12-inch circle. Press dough into the bottom and up the sides of a 10-inch skillet.
- Sprinkle half of the cheese over the bottom crust. Top with the meat mixture. Spread the 1/2 cup marinara sauce over the meat and sprinkle the peppers over the sauce. Top with the remaining cheese.
- Roll the remaining dough portion into another 12-inch circle. Place the dough over the filling. Pinch and roll the edges of bottom crust and top crust together to seal. Brush the top crust with olive oil, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and garlic salt. Using the tip of a sharp knife, cut 3-4 slits in the top crust.
- Bake for about 25 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with warm marinara sauce for dipping.
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12 comments
CAROL a KELLER
Hi, I LOVE this but I’m only one person. Can I freeze? thanks
Mary
I used to make sausage and pepper calzones with homemade crust, but they are time consuming. Your skillet calzone is an easier alternative and can be made on a work day. Only thing I would change is to add more cheese next time. I will definitely make it again.
MaryAnn Barnett
Could you use Pizza Crust rather than pie crust. Have you ever tried that?
Laura
This is delicious! My husband Zane I really enjoyed. For the frozen dough that was available at pit grocery we could have used a 12 inch skillet, but it was so gif we canโt decide if we want to experiment or not!
Rachel Ricker
My family enjoyed this the first time I made it! I just clicked on the pin I saved a while ago so we could have it again, and it leads to a “404 not found” error. I searched google for your recipe and found it without a problem, but each time I pin it, the link doesn’t work.
Danelle
That’s weird! I’m not sure why the pin isn’t working, but like you said, the recipe is here on the site. I’ll have to investigate. Thanks!
Janet Diaz
This sounds amazing! I love calzones but they tend to be a lot of work when making them yourself. I am definitely going to make this for the family this weekend ๐ Thanks for posting! ๐
Kandy
Do you put any of the marinara inside the pie? Options for other fillings if you don’t like peppers?
Danelle
Yes! I updated the directions to correct that! You could just leave out the peppers, or try other veggies, like mushrooms.
Wanda Lopez
What a great recipe to make this weekend! Can’t wait to give it a try. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Hofterzielbeek
A perfect summer treat recipe. Easy to make preparation and it looks so delicious.
MegUnprocessed
Looks great! Great for summer party or picnics.