Spinach and Cheese Calzone with Chicken

Look at that cheese! There are three different cheeses at play here: sharp cheddar, gooey mozzarella and nutty parmesan. But that's not all. Inside that glorious dough lies garlicky sautéed spinach and shredded roasted chicken. Each bite delivers so much flavor, it'll blow your mind.

I'm serious here... This is one addictive calzone. First of all, I could eat just the spinach - tender leaves, perfectly seasoned and sautéed in olive oil. The spinach layer is reminiscent of a healthy creamed spinach. Imagine that with moist chicken and three different types of cheese... Oh yeah, and the bread - chewy on the inside, toasted and crisp on the outside. Show stopping on every level.

About the chicken: This is a great recipe for using up leftover chicken. You need about 2 cups of shredded or cubed chicken - so that's about 1 large (or 2 small) chicken breast halves. Rotisserie chicken works great too. I didn't have any leftover chicken, so I quickly roasted a large chicken breast half. If you're in the same boat, place the chicken on a baking sheet, season it with salt and pepper and roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, cube it or shred it with 2 forks (or your fingers).

About the bread dough: I used Rhodes frozen bread dough and each loaf is about 1 pound. You can use fresh or frozen dough - and it can be from your favorite grocery store or pizza shop. If you're starting with frozen, make sure you allow time for thawing.

About the cheese: As I said above, I used three different types of cheese. Two inside the calzone - cheddar and mozzarella, and parmesan on the outside. I like cheddar for its sharpness, mozzarella for its gooeyness and parmesan for its nuttiness. Each cheese adds a different flavor note, and it works.

Spinach and Cheese Calzone with Chicken

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
6 ounces frozen chopped spinach, or fresh spinach, chopped (no need to thaw frozen spinach)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 loaf frozen bread dough (about 1 pound), thawed according to the package directions
2 cups shredded or cubed cooked chicken
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach (fresh or frozen) and cook until tender and the liquid is absorbed. Add the onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper and stir to coat. Remove the pan from the heat.
Roll the dough out into a large circle, about 15 inches in diameter. Spread the spinach on one half of the dough, to within 1/2-inch of edges. Top the spinach with the chicken, cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese. Pull the untopped side of the dough up and over the filling and press the edges together to seal. Transfer the calzone to the prepared pan.
Brush the remaining tablespoon of oil all over the calzone (I use my hands to get the olive oil all over the calzone). Sprinkle the parmesan cheese over top.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the calzone is puffed up and golden brown.

Serves 4