Stuffed BBQ Chicken Calzones

This is one of our favorite dinners. We like to have these about once a month. They are just SO good!! Usually I use pre-packaged pizza dough in a can. But tonight I had extra time so I decided to make may own dough. I used the bread machine and the dough cycle took about an hour and 40 minutes. The dough was very tasty. Next time I think I will only use all-purpose flour if it is for this calzone though. The wheat taste was pretty strong. But as always, we cleaned our plates. The following recipe makes 2 big calzones. We split one and take the left over one for lunch.

Overstuffed BBQ Chicken Calzones

Ingredients:
Pizza dough - 1 can prepackaged or enough for 2 calzones
1/2 a medium onion chopped
3 slices of bacon (I use center cut, 40% less fat)
5 chicken tenders (2 small breasts)
3/4 cup BBQ sauce
Handful of cilantro chopped (Kroger didn't have any so tonight we didn't use any)
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used colby jack and cheddar)

In a family size skillet prepare the bacon until crispy then set aside. From the same skillet drain most of the bacon grease (I leave just a tiny bit for flavor). To the skillet add the chopped onion, then the chicken, then half of the BBQ sauce. When the chicken is done use a fork to shred. I like to keep some chicken broth on hand just incase the chicken starts to stick, then you can just add a splash of the broth. Add remaining BBQ sauce, cilantro and crispy bacon (crumbled). Lay out the pizza dough and cut in 2. Spread the shredded chicken mixture over half of one of the dough pieces. Top with shredded cheese then fold the other half of dough over. Use a fork to seal edges. Repeat for second calzone. Bake at 400 for about 15 minutes.

I cut the dough recipe in half since I was only making two calzones. Next time I will just make the whole batch and freeze the left over dough.

Bread Machine Pizza Dough With Whole Wheat Flour

From The Bread Machine Cookbook by Donna Rathwell German.

1 1/3 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoons yeast

Add ingredients in the order given into the bread machine pan.
Start dough cycle.
Once the dough is done remove it from the pan onto a floured work surface.
Roll dough to fit the shape of your pan. This recipe makes 2 14 inch round pizzas.
Brush lightly with olive oil and add toppings. You can hold this dough, with just the olive oil, for a couple of hours in the fridge covered in plastic wrap.
Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.
This recipe is the large sized recipe. It also comes in small and medium.