The Ultimate Macaroni Cheese Calzones

Inspired by friends of ours, my other half decided that making these would be the best possible use of my day off and I have to admit, he was right. These calzones are bursting with macaroni cheese and whatever else you fancy piling into them: we had pulled pork for the omnis and a spinach and mushroom mix for the veggies. I made the pizza dough from scratch which was surprisingly easy but you could easily buy it from the your local shop if you're short on time. I made this into 6 calzones with macaroni cheese to spare but the calzones were mutantly huge so I would suggest making them into 12 (they can be frozen). I made the base of these dairy free then added dairy to the ones for those who can eat it. This dish is a bit of a labour of love but entirely worth all the effort.

The spinach, mushroom and macaroni cheese calzone 

Ingredients 

For the Pizza dough
1kg strong white bread flour
1 tsp salt
2 x 7g packets of fast action yeast
1 tbsp caster sugar
4 tbsp olive oil
650ml lukewarm water

The pulled pork and macaroni cheese calzone 

For the Macaroni Cheese

3 packets Tesco Free From cheese sauce mix (see picture)
600ml soy milk
salt and pepper to taste
1kg macaroni
Approx 1/2 each of bags of pre-grated mozzerella and cheddar or 2 blocks of free from cheese if non-dairy

The perfect dairy-free cheese sauce 

For the filling
1 box mushrooms
1 medium bag fresh spinach
salt and pepper
butter (dairy free)
1 frozen pulled pork packet (unless you can make your own)
2 tbsp BBQ sauce

For the Sauce
2 boxes of passata
5 tbsp BBQ sauce
3 tsp mixed herbs
salt and pepper

Method

Combine the salt and flour in a bowl and set to one side. In a jug add the olive oil, sugar and yeast to the warm water and leave to stand for a few minutes. It should start to look like something out of an alien movie. Add the water mix to the flour mix and slowly bring together to create a soft dough. Tip this onto a floured surface and kneed until the dough is stretchy, smooth and pings back when compressed. Place in a bowl with a damp tea towel over the top in warm place for an hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

The pizza dough before going to prove 

Whilst the dough is resting, cook the pasta to the instructions on the packet. In a separate pan, add the soy milk and cheese mix packets and simmer over a low heat until thickened then add salt and pepper to taste. Mix this with the cooked and drained pasta before adding the cheese and stirring over a low heat to melt everything together. I separated out some of the macaroni and sauce before adding the cheese so I could do part dairy free and part with 'real' cheese. Leave to cool.

Finely chop the mushrooms into bitesized pieces and saute in butter, salt and pepper until soft then add the spinach and saute both together until the spinach has wilted and the mushrooms have caramelized slightly.

Cook the pulled pork to the instructions on the packet and add the extra BBQ sauce alongside the sauce from the packet.

Once all the fillings have cooled, take the pizza dough and kneed again to knock some of the air out of it on a floured surface. Section it off into 12 pieces then taking a piece at a time, carefully form a ball of dough then use your knuckles to push it out into a rough circle. Pick the dough up and use its own weight to stretch it to double the size you would like your calzones to be. Carefully place a thick layer of macaroni cheese on the dough then place another layer of your chosen filling on top. Fold the dough over and press around the edges to seal the calzone. Place on a lightly floured baking tray and repeat the process until you have all your calzones.

Filling the calzones 

Bake for around 30 minutes at 160c until the calzones are lightly golden brown and hot through.

While the calzones are baking combine the passata and BBQ sauce in a pan with the mixed herbs and salt and pepper to taste and bring to a gentle simmer.

Tomato sauce 

We just had the calzones on their own topped with the tomato sauce and extra cheese but a side of green vegetables would help to lift the dish if your not feeling like a total carb coma after.

Mammoth calzone ft the OH's wonderful photography skills! 

Please make this recipe, I KNOW you will love it. When you do, take a picture and tag me using #diaryofadefectivehousewife.

Enjoy!