Create these easy southwest chicken calzones for lunch or dinner tonight. Loaded with shredded chicken, beans, lots of cheese, and flavor. Whip these up and freeze for a freezer meal or serve up for dinner.
If you have leftover chicken on hand this makes for a great way to use it up. I wanted a Southwest hot pocket to serve up the kids, and they loved it.
Why These Calzones Are So Popular
- Great way to use leftover chicken
- Refrigerated pizza crust for easy prep
- Add in all your favorite flavors to create custom calzones
- Great leftover
- Freezer friendly
- Kid-friendly
How to Make Southwest Calzones
If you don’t have pre-cooked chicken you will start out by cooking your chicken in the oven.
Shred the chicken and then set aside. In a bowl add your cream cheese, salsa, and cheese. Then stir in the chicken and black beans.
Unroll the pizza crust and then shape into calzones. Stuff with the meaty filling and fold it over and use a fork to press the edges to seal.
Brush with the butter herb topping. Then bake in the oven as directed.
Full directions and measurements are in the recipe card below.
Storing Leftovers
If you have leftover calzones, go right ahead and store them in the fridge for 3 days. Then you will want to reheat in the microwave, or even in the oven. Heat until the calzones are fully warmed.
Now, if you want to freeze the calzones, let the hot pockets cool and then place in the freezer container or bag and freeze for up to three months.
You can reheat from frozen or thaw in the fridge overnight and then quick reheat. These chicken hot pockets are so easy to make, and taste great leftover.
Variations To Hot Pockets
Filling | Consider adding any of your favorite fillings. A great base is a sauce, meat, and cheese. Make it pepperoni pizza, chicken and broccoli, etc.
Crust | Now you can easily use a homemade pizza crust, biscuits, or even homemade bread dough. Just bake until the dough you picked is fully golden brown and baked through.
Topping | Add a butter and herb topping, simple parmesan cheese, or leave them plain. Essentially you can change it up however it sounds good for what you have in the filling.
More Dinner Creations
Southwest Chicken Calzones
Southwest Chicken Calzones are loaded with Beans, Cheese, Chicken, and more! These pizza pockets are a crowd pleaser + you can personalize each Calzone depending on your personal preferences.
Ingredients
- 1 Lb. Chicken Breast, Cooked & Shredded
- 2 Rolls of Refrigerated Pizza Crust
- 8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
- 1/2 Cup Salsa
- 8 oz. Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 1/2 Cup Black Beans
- 1/4 cup Butter, Melted
- 2 Tbsp. Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
Instructions
- Pre-Cook Chicken Breast in the oven for 45 minutes at 350 degrees if using uncooked chicken breast, or use Rotisserie Chicken.
- In a bowl combine the Cream Cheese, Salsa, and Cheddar Cheese.
- Slowly stir in Chicken and Black Beans until well mixed.
- Unroll Pizza Crust and Cut in each crust in half to make 4 pieces.
- Fill one side of each piece of pizza crust with 1/4 of the Chicken Mixture.
- Fold over the top of the pizza crust and cut into a semi-circle with a pizza cutter (Optional).
- Press the edges of the crust together with a fork.
- In a small bowl combine the Butter, Parmesan Cheese and Garlic Powder.
- Brush the top of each Calzone with the Parmesan butter mixture.
- Bake in the oven at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes until the crust starts to turn golden brown.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1/2 of a CalzoneAmount Per Serving: Calories: 529Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 107mgSodium: 789mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 3gSugar: 2gProtein: 32g
