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Chicken and spinach calzones

November 1, 2024
Recipe

This cheesy dish is stuffed with chicken breast, which is lower in salt and fat than Italian sausage.

Serves 6

Instead of Italian sausage, this calzone is stuffed with boneless, skinless chicken breast. That cuts out much of the fat and sodium. For a vegetarian version, saute 1 pound of sliced mushrooms and 1/3 cup chopped onion in a teaspoon of olive oil. Use in place of the chicken.


Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large, nonstick frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and saute, turning every now and then until golden brown — about 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside to cool. When cool to the touch, cut the chicken breasts into cubes. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the spinach, ricotta cheese, garlic, parsley, Parmesan cheese and 1 of the egg whites. Mix until well blended. Set aside.

In another bowl, use a wire whisk or fork to lightly beat the remaining egg white.

Cut the bread dough into 6 equal-sized pieces. On a floured surface, press each piece into a circle. Using a rolling pin, roll each dough piece into ovals 8 inches long and 6 inches wide. Brush the edges of the dough ovals with the lightly beaten egg white.

Place 1/6 of the chicken cubes in the center of each oval. Add 1/6 of the spinach mixture to each. Fold the dough over the filling, pressing the edges together. Crimp with a fork and place on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake until browned and crispy, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve right away.


  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
  • 8 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • 4 teaspoons Parmesan cheese
  • 2 egg whites, divided
  • 1 frozen whole-wheat bread dough loaf (16 ounces), thawed, not risen

DASH Eating Plan Servings

1 Dairy foods (low-fat or fat-free) Fats and oils Fruits 2 Grains and grain products 1 Meats, poultry and fish Nuts, seeds and dry beans Sweets 1 Vegetables

Diabetes Meal Plan Choices

Fats Dairy foods (low-fat or fat-free) Fruits Meat and meat substitutes Milk and milk products Nonstarchy vegetables Starches Sweets, desserts and other carbohydrates

Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid Servings

2 Carbohydrates Fats Fruits 2 Protein and dairy Sweets 1 Vegetables

Nutritional analysis per serving

Calcium 372 Calories 40 g Total carbohydrate 71 mg Cholesterol 4 g Dietary fiber 2.5 g Monounsaturated fat Potassium 32 g Protein 2.5 g Saturated fat 1 calzone Serving size 618 mg Sodium 9.5 g Total fat