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Mini Pizza Calzones

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Ingredients
  

FILLING:

  • 1 lb. ground pork
  • 6 strips of smoked bacon, chopped into pieces
  • 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
  • 1 red onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbsp EACH chopped fresh parsley and basil
  • 1 cup pizza sauce
  • 1 – 650g store-bought pizza dough, thawed
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions
 

MAKE FILLING:

  • Add bacon to a large pan and cook over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes until cooked, but not brown. Remove and set aside. Drain the pan leaving just 1 Tbsp of bacon fat.
  • Add bell pepper and onion, cook, stirring 5 minutes.
  • Add ground pork. Break up with back of spoon and continue to cook, stirring occasionally for 8-10 minutes.
  • Add bacon back along with herbs and pizza sauce. Stir to heat through 2-3 minutes. At this point you can continue to make the calzones, or place filling in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

MAKE CALZONES:

  • Remove pizza dough from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature, about 20-30 minutes.
  • Cut dough into 8 pieces. Flour work surface well. Make each dough piece into a disk shape. Roll, or use gravity to stretch dough out to 12” circle.
  • Fill half of the circle with 2 Tbsp of filling and 2 Tbsp of cheese. Fold over circle and crimp edges around to seal. Cut 3 slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
  • Bake at 400ºF on lower rack for 8 minutes, turn baking tray and bake another 4-8 minutes until golden.