Everything But The Kitchen Sink: Spicy Sausage and Apple Calzones

My sister and her husband are out of the country for a month and I am house/dog-sitting. While I myself do not have the means to travel out of the country, or anywhere outside Ventura county for that matter, I can at least pretend that I'm somewhere else... oh, let's say somewhere along the Italian countryside. I can sit out on the partially sunned porch, look at the view of the horses and mountains, sip an ice cold Peroni, and smell the sweet and spicy calzones cooking away inside.

This recipe makes 2 calzones for a main course, or you can make 4 small calzones for a side or appetizer. They are warm, crispy, sweet, cheesy, spicy... what more can you ask for? Molto Bene!

Start by rough chopping 2 sausages, whatever flavor you might have. I used a spicy chicken sausage to counterbalance the sweet and tart apple. Heat up a medium sized skillet and cook the sausages for 2 minutes. No need for any oil, there is already some fat in the sausages.

Next, small dice 2 granny smith apples and add to the sausage on the stove.

Cook on medium-low heat for 5 minutes or until the apples are soft, but still have some bite to them. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cut fresh Mozzarella into large chunks, you should have about a cup total. If you don't have fresh, shredded is fine. I just love biting into a gooey chunk of fresh Mozzarella!

You can also use Brie, Camembert, Gruyere, any sort of soft, melty cheese would be just fabulous.

Fresh Mozzarella comes packed in water. If I have it in the fridge longer than a week, I change out the water to keep it fresher, longer.

I love using frozen pie crust! It can be such a lifesaver. I use it in this recipe mainly because I had it, and I think it supports this hearty filling wonderfully. If you prefer to make your own crust, feel free!

After one store-bought pie crust has thawed out, divide it into 2 equal pieces, roll them into a ball, and roll out into a circle, about 8" in diameter.

To the cooled off filling mixture, add one egg and 1/4 cup bread crumbs and gently combine. Now fold in the cheese and the filling is ready.

Take one of the rounds of dough and put the filling on one side of the circle, leaving a 1" perimeter.

In a small bowl, beat one egg. With a pastry brush or your clean fingers, coat the perimeter of the dough so the two sides will stick together when baked.

Fold over the other side of the dough and press down gently with your fingertips. Then, with a fork, gently press down all along the edges of the rounded side of the calzone.

Egg wash the top of the calzone. With a toothpick, poke 3 small holes in the top of each calzone to let any steam out.

If you have a pizza stone, go ahead and lightly flour the bottom and place the calzones directly on the stone. If you don't have a pizza stone, spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray and place the calzones on the sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, until the top is crispy and a nice golden brown.