White pizza with fresh tomatoes, basil, and feta cheese (p. 191) and Calzone (p. 193)

Mom drove me back from Iowa to Colorado and stayed for a week. We had a 1:1 dog to people ratio which was about perfect for mom and I but a little high for Josh. I decided that a pizza night would be fun.

I made myself a pepperoni pizza, which I have previously blogged about. Mom chose a White pizza with fresh tomatoes, basil, and feta cheese (p. 191). The pizza was made similarly to the pizzas in the post I linked to in the previous sentence. It had no sauce because it was a white pizza, instead smeared with olive oil, thinly sliced tomatoes, and basil (this picture was taken pre-basil application):

It baked for about ten minutes and was done:

Homemade pizza takes almost no time at all, especially if you buy the dough at Whole Foods like I do. I like their dough, so there seems to be minimal point in making it myself. The pizza was very tasty! In fact, my mom makes a dish that includes sliced tomatoes topped with basil, pepper, and feta cheese, and then drenched with Balsamic vinegar and olive oil. We typically eat it on crusty bread, which is exactly what this pizza reminded me of. I recommend it if you like feta cheese!

Josh wasn't very interested in any of the pizza choices so I decided to make a Calzone (p. 193). I don't typically like calzones. In fact, Josh has to go with his friends to the calzone shop because I'm that bored with calzones. They tend to be way too big, soggy, and greasy.

I spread the pizza dough exactly like I do when I make a pizza. I cooked Italian sausage, drained it, and added it to the dough. I layered some mushrooms and cheese on top:

I closed the calzone and crimped the edges closed:

It was baked for about 25 minutes. I could actually knock on it when it was done:

Josh was surprised by the lack of sauce in the calzone:

Fortunately we had a big pot of mom's sauce for dipping:

AMAZING! This calzone would have the potential to convert me. Because the meat was cooked before being put in the calzone, it wasn't greasy. Because there was no sauce on the inside, it was not soggy. It was delicious pizza crust with great filling. Apparently, that's what a calzone should taste like.

Josh ate the calzone with a smile on his face--I'm not kidding, that's how great it was. He begs for calzones now, which is fine, because they are really easy to make. They are also huge--they could be halved easily and served for a casual movie or game night (plus they are self-contained and less messy than pizza).

I feel like I could now start my own calzone stand. Of course, I would need about a half hour for each calzone :) They are totally customizable because they can be filled with just about anything. What do you like calzones filled with?