Calzones don’t nearly get the attention that their cousins, the cheese pizza, receive. These delicious ‘pizza pockets’ are stuffed with an Italian blend cheese filling and then baked in a golden, brown buttery shell. It’s the easiest and fastest way to make delicious mini individual calzones with pre-made dough.

• One 16.3 oz package of Pillsbury Grands Southern Style Biscuits (6 count)

• 15 oz Ricotta cheese

• 8 oz Italian blend shredded cheese

• 2 TBSN Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 2 TBSN garlic powder

• 2 TBSN Italian seasonings

• Marinara pasta sauce (for dipping)

Baking sheet, mixing spoon, measuring spoons, aluminum foil, wooden rolling pin or pasta roller, measuring cups, fork.

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes in oven Ready: 30 minutes

Serves: 3 calzones

Before you handle any food, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. Clean your kitchen work area and pull back your hair or wear a cap. You want to avoid contaminating your meal with harmful bacteria that could cause food illness.

To make Easy Mini Cheese Calzones:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Mix Ricotta cheese and shredded Italian cheese in a bowl. Let sit aside in room temperature.

3. Combine two biscuit patties to form one large ball. One container of 6 biscuits would yield 3 calzones.

4. Using rolling pin or pasta roller, roll out each ball of dough to form a thin, flat oval. Drizzle Olive Oil as you are rolling our the dough on both sides.

5. Sprinkle garlic powder and Italian seasonings on top side of dough.

6. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the cheese mixture to the center of the oval. Sprinkle more shredded cheese on top.

7. Pull over half of the dough to blanket the top of the cheese and gently fold over the dough to meet the other end.

8. Using a fork, press down on the edges and seal the cheese inside of the calzone.

9. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes until golden brown.

10. Serve hot with a side of marinara pasta sauce for dipping.

3/4 cup serving: 200 calories, 2 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 330 mg cholesterol, 600 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrate (3 g sugars, 2 g fiber), 5 g protein.

One half cup serving of whole milk ricotta cheese has 14 g of protein. This is 28 percent of your daily value of protein, which will help to build muscle.Calcium is needed for strong bones, and is found in all dairy products. Ricotta cheese is no exception. A half cup serving has 257 mg of calcium, or 26 percent of your daily recommended value. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are known for helping to prevent heart disease and cancer, and are healthy for the body. Ricotta cheese has 139 mg of omega-3 fatty acids and 339 mg of omega-6 fatty acids per half cup serving.One half cup serving of ricotta is a great source of phosphorus (20%), zinc (10%) and selenium (26%). One serving of ricotta cheese is a good source of Vitamin A (11% daily value), Riboflavin (14%) and Vitamin B12 (7%).

Sauvignon Blanc. With both sweet and savory notes,

Italian Sausage & Beef Calzone

Follow recipe and replace Ricotta and shredded cheese with cooked ground Italian sausage, ground chuck, and diced onions

Veggie Calzone

Follow recipe and replace cheese with cooked blend of Portabello mushrooms, diced onions, minced garlic, sliced red and green peppers.