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Cheesy chicken and broccoli calzones are gooey bites of pizza-like goodness that are easy to make and enjoy!
Were you ever a fan of Hot Pockets? They’re like these fun little handheld pizza rolls filled with the most incredible toppings. These cheesy chicken and broccoli calzones are basically like Hot Pockets’ grown-up big sister. Pair them with something fresh and delicious like Cucumber and Tomato Salad or Apple Salad and you’ll have everything you could want and more in an easy meal.
If you’re a pizza lover, you’ve got to give them a try. They’re made with pizza dough and filled generously with broccoli, cheddar cheese, shredded chicken, and some savory seasonings. The result? A melty, gooey, crusty bite of delicious ingredients that brings the fun back into dinner time. Score!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Comfort Food: There’s just something so comforting about things wrapped up in bread, especially if it’s homemade.
- Customizable: These are so easy to customize – just change up the fillings and the cheese to suit your tastes or please a picky eater.
- Freezer Friendly: These freeze so well. You can make a double batch and have some for another dinner in the future.
Ingredients
- Cooked, Shredded Chicken or Turkey
- Broccoli
- Shredded Cheese: such as sharp cheddar
- Onion
- Salt & Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Homemade Pizza Dough OR 2 pounds Store-Bought Pizza Dough
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities
Popular Substitutions and Variations
What kinds of things do you like on pizza? – that’s a great place to start for variations:
- Chicken, Bacon, & Ranch
- Sausage, Artichoke Hearts
- Ricotta & Spinach
- Buffalo Chicken, Ranch or Bleu Cheese Dressing, & Mozzarella
- etc!
How to Make Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Calzones
Step #1. Mix the chicken, cheese, broccoli, onion, and spices together in a bowl.
Step #3. Place about a half cup of the filling mixture just to one side of center of each circle. Using your finger, wet half the circle’s edge, then fold it over and press it closed with a fork.
Step #2. Divide the dough into six parts and roll each part into an thin circle about 8-9 inches wide.
Step #4. Place the closed calzones on a prepared baking sheet or baking stone then bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Pretty much! For this recipe, it is. In fact, most pizza dough is just bread dough that’s flattened and topped with other goodies. You can either make a batch of homemade pizza dough or get two pounds of prepped dough from the store to use.
You can put whatever you like on pizza inside a calzone. Fill these guys with all the sauce, cheese, meats, and veggies that you love! You can also have fun with “dessert” calzones and pack in some brown sugar, marshmallow fluff, nuts, and chocolate.
I like to get the dough nice and thin, but still thick enough that it doesn’t break when you fill it up. Generally, 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch thick is perfect.
This is totally up to personal preference! These guys can be big and sloppy, depending on how stuffed you make them, but the crust should hold them together fairly well. However you eat it, you’ll love it either way!
Calzone actually comes from the Italian term “calza,” which means stocking. It’s sort of like a stuffed Christmas stocking filled with food! Yum!
Expert Tips
- Don’t overfill your dough. It’s super tempting to do but then they are harder to close and keep closed while moving and baking.
- Cut a couple little slits in the top to allow steam to escape. It helps them bake evenly and the crust to be baked instead of steamed from the inside.
- An egg wash (an egg beat with a little water ) brushed over the top will make the top of the calzone shiny and extra brown.
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Calzones
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 cups cooked chicken or turkey, shredded
- 2 cups broccoli, steamed and roughly chopped
- 2 cup shredded cheese, such as sharp cheddar
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 batch homemade pizza dough or 2 pounds store-bought pizza dough
Instructions
- Mix the chicken, broccoli, cheese, onions, and spices together in a bowl.
- Divide dough into 6 equal parts. Roll each part into a 8- to 9-inch circle.
- Put about a 1/2-cup of filling in the middle of each circle, favoring one side.
- Dip your finger in water, and wet the edge of the dough on half of the circle. Fold the dough over, covering all the guts.
- Use a fork to press the two dough halves together.
- Place on a greased baking sheet or on a baking stone. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 25 to 30 minutes, until tops are golden-brown.
- Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- If you want the crust extra pretty, whisk together 1 egg yolk and 1 tablespoon water, and brush it on the top of the dough before baking.
- This recipe is very flexible — feel free to add more or less of something.
- You can also use this recipe as the base and fill it up with your favorite pizza topping combos!
- Don’t forget to cut a slit or two in the top of each calzone to let the steam escape while baking.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in 2010 and has been updated and rephotographed in July 2019.
Hi! The chopped onion isn’t in the directions!
All fixed, thank you! They go in with the broccoli, cheese, etc!