Quick & Easy Rotisserie Chicken Parmesan Calzones: Your Weeknight Family Favorite
Do you often find yourself staring at those perfectly cooked, golden-brown rotisserie chickens at the grocery store, mesmerized by their delicious aroma? You’re not alone! These ready-to-eat marvels are a lifesaver for busy weeknights, offering a convenient and budget-friendly solution for dinner. For just a few dollars, you get a complete meal, often with enough leftovers for lunch the next day, and even bones to simmer into a rich chicken stock. But sometimes, you want to elevate that simple rotisserie chicken beyond just eating it plain. That’s where creative, family-friendly recipes like these incredible Chicken Parmesan Calzones come in!
Imagine all the classic, comforting flavors of chicken Parmesan – tender chicken, savory marinara, and gooey melted cheese – all wrapped up in a delightful, portable pizza dough pocket. These homemade calzones are not only incredibly satisfying but also surprisingly simple to make, requiring just five main ingredients. They transform a humble rotisserie chicken into an exciting and engaging meal that everyone at the dinner table will love. Perfect for a busy school night or a casual weekend gathering, these calzones bring Italian-inspired goodness right to your fingertips.
The Secret to Effortless Dinners: Rotisserie Chicken
Rotisserie chickens are a true unsung hero in the kitchen for anyone seeking easy weeknight meals. They eliminate the need for cooking raw chicken from scratch, saving precious time and effort, especially on those hectic days when you’re short on time. Beyond their sheer convenience, they offer incredible value. A single, inexpensive rotisserie chicken can stretch across multiple meals, from quick sandwiches and wraps to more elaborate, flavorful dishes. Once the succulent meat is carved, the remaining carcass is perfect for making homemade chicken stock, adding another layer of savings and robust flavor to your culinary repertoire. It’s a smart, economical choice for any home cook looking to maximize efficiency without compromising on taste or quality.
Unlocking Culinary Creativity with “100 Creative Ways to Use Rotisserie Chicken”
My inspiration for these amazing Chicken Parmesan Calzones actually came from an invaluable resource: the cookbook 100 Creative Ways to Use Rotisserie Chicken in Every Day Meals by Trish from Mom on Timeout. This comprehensive book is an absolute game-changer for anyone who frequently relies on or wants to get more out of their store-bought rotisserie chickens. With a hundred different, easy-to-follow recipes all centered around this versatile ingredient, it’s truly a dream come true for parents and busy individuals constantly seeking fresh and exciting dinner ideas. I’m always on the lookout for innovative and delicious ways to prepare chicken for my family, and this book delivers in spades with its inventive approach to chicken dishes.
These Chicken Parmesan Calzones were an immediate hit, offering a delightful and fun twist on our usual chicken dinners. The genius of this recipe, and many others found within the book’s pages, lies in its sheer simplicity. By utilizing readily available ingredients like pre-made, store-bought pizza dough, you can whip up a fantastic, flavorful meal in record time. It makes weeknight cooking not just manageable, but genuinely enjoyable, proving that delicious home-cooked meals don’t have to be complicated or time-consuming.
The cookbook truly caters to all tastes and preferences, covering a vast array of categories from hearty casseroles and crispy flautas to zesty tacos, comforting soups, satisfying pasta dishes, and even easy sandwiches. Plus, it includes a variety of slow cooker recipes, perfect for hands-off cooking that fits into any busy schedule. My 10-year-old, a budding food critic, loves to browse cookbooks and magazines, meticulously picking out recipes he wants me to try. He practically earmarked half the recipes in this book, a testament to its broad appeal! And my husband? He can’t stop asking when I’m going to make the slow cooker chicken chile verde. It’s safe to say that this incredible cookbook will be getting extensive use in our kitchen, far beyond just these delicious Chicken Parmesan Calzones, becoming a staple for family dinner ideas.
Crafting Your Own Chicken Parmesan Calzones: A Simple Guide
Making these homemade Chicken Parmesan calzones is a straightforward process that yields incredibly satisfying results. The key to their weeknight appeal is the minimal ingredient list and the smart use of pre-made pizza dough, which cuts down significantly on prep time. You’ll start by combining shredded rotisserie chicken with savory marinara sauce, creating a rich and flavorful filling that’s sure to please. Then, you’ll add generous amounts of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, ensuring every bite is cheesy, gooey, and utterly delightful.
Tips for Perfect Homemade Calzones:
- Dough Prep is Key: If you’re using refrigerated pizza dough, always allow it to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before you begin working with it. This simple step makes the dough much more pliable and significantly easier to roll out without it snapping back.
- Avoid Overfilling: While it’s tempting to stuff your calzones with as much delicious filling as possible, remember that too much can make them difficult to seal properly and prone to bursting during baking. Stick to the recommended amounts for the best results and a perfectly cooked calzone.
- Seal Them Tight: A good, secure seal is absolutely crucial to keep all that delicious chicken and cheesy filling safely inside. Use your fingers to firmly pinch the edges of the dough together, then for an extra secure crimp and a nice decorative touch, press down along the sealed edges with the tines of a fork.
- Venting for Success: Don’t forget to cut a couple of small vents or slits across the top of each calzone before baking. This essential step allows steam to escape during cooking, preventing the calzones from becoming soggy on the inside or, worse, exploding in the oven.
- Achieve a Golden Finish: For a beautiful golden crust and added depth of flavor, brush the tops of your calzones with a little olive oil (or an egg wash for an extra glossy finish) and sprinkle them with the remaining Parmesan cheese just before they go into the oven.
These hearty calzones are fantastic on their own, making for a satisfying meal. However, serving them with an extra side of warm marinara sauce for dipping takes them to the next level, adding moisture and enhancing the Italian flavors. They’re a complete meal in a convenient pocket, offering a wonderful blend of textures – a slightly crisp crust, tender chicken, and gooey melted cheese – all infused with the classic Italian flavors you love. Enjoy these easy Chicken Parmesan Calzones as a new family favorite!
Chicken Parmesan Calzones
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Ingredients
- 3/4 cup marinara sauce, plus more for dipping
- 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1 pound pizza dough
- 8 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 4 oz Parmesan cheese, shredded
- olive oil to brush the calzones
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 425 degree.
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In a bowl combine marinara sauce and the chicken. Mix until everything is well combined.
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Divide the dough into 6 equal sized balls. Roll each in to a 6 inch circle.
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Divide the chicken mixture evenly onto the 6 circles of dough. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese and about 1/2 of the Parmesan cheese over the chicken. Make sure to leave about 1/2 inch border around the circle.
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Fold the dough over the filling, and pinch the edges to seal. You can use a fork to press the edges together.
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Slice 2 vents across the top of the calzones. Brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
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Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
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Serve with additional marinara sauce for dipping, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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**I was sent this cookbook for review. I was not required to write a post about it. I was not compensated for my time. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.
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