Mini Buffalo Chicken Calzones, an easy appetizer recipe with chicken, hot sauce, and premade pizza dough.
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Mini Buffalo Chicken Calzones are the perfect holiday party appetizer! A quick and easy party recipe with the NEW Dean’s Dip Buffalo Ranch dip!
Dean’s Dip recently contacted me about developing a recipe for their new Buffalo Ranch dip and I couldn’t wait to give it a try! You all know how much I love BUFFALO and I know you all do too since my buffalo recipes have been some of my highest viewed recipes. When the box arrived with the dip, I’m not sure who was more excited, me or my kids. I was declared the BEST mom ever that day.
Did I mention my kids love buffalo anything and everything too? Guess the apples didn’t fall far from this tree. Next thing I knew they were opening a container and dipping pea pods, carrots, and tomatoes in the dip. Yeah, they were just going through the fridge dipping all sorts of stuff in it! Two big thumbs up for the Buffalo Ranch from each kid!
I couldn’t wait to get started developing a recipe with the dip. It’s definitely good just as it is as a dip for chips and veggies. It would also be a great dip for chicken or chicken fingers, a topping for burgers, a sauce for a buffalo inspired pizza, and I could go on and on with ideas. But for today, let’s just concentrate on these Mini Buffalo Chicken Calzone appetizers.
Only 10 ingredients in this Mini Buffalo Chicken Calzone recipe and no unusual or hard to find ingredients. Start by chopping up your chicken and veggies. A rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken is great in this appetizer.
You could even substitute precooked shrimp for the chicken. If you don’t like any of the vegetables or the blue cheese, just substitute more of one of the others. You can easily change the filling to your personal preferences. Then mix in some of the Buffalo Ranch Dip to the chicken and veggies.
For the dough, I used a frozen pizza dough that I defrosted. You could also use a homemade pizza dough or refrigerated pizza dough from you grocery store. Start by lightly flouring your work surface and divide the dough into 16 equal pieces about 1 ounce each. I used a scale but you can just wing it if you’d like.
I like to roll out dough on a silicone sheet but you can use your counter, wax paper, cutting board, or whatever you have. Roll out the dough (or use your fingers to spread) to about a 4-inch wide circle then spoon some of the filling on one side of the dough. Fold the dough over the filling and pinch the dough to seal and then roll the sides up if you’d like for a decorative edge.
Place the Mini Buffalo Chicken Calzones on parchment paper lined baking sheets or baking sheets that have been sprayed with nonstick spray or oil. Lightly brush the top of each calzone with an egg wash. The egg wash is optional, but it gives the dough a nice golden shiny appearance when baked.
Bake the calzones about 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned around edges and on the bottom. Serve the calzones warm with more Buffalo Ranch Dip and watch them disappear in no time!
You could make the calzones ahead of time and freeze them. Then just pop them in the oven before serving. A great appetizer or snack to make ahead of time!
Not only would these Mini Buffalo Chicken Calzones make a great addition to holiday parties, this is a great recipe for Super Bowl and football parties! College bowl games are coming up soon too!
Give the dip a try, and let me know what you think. Hope you enjoy the Mini Buffalo Chicken Calzones!
Hope you enjoy!
Be sure to also check out Dean’s Dip website for more recipes and also check them out on Facebook and Twitter!
Mini Buffalo Chicken Calzones
Ingredients
- 1 cup finely chopped precooked chicken (or shredded chicken)
- 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
- 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
- 1/4 cup finely chopped carrot
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
- 1 (16 oz.) container Dean's Buffalo Ranch Dip divided
- 1 (16 oz.) package frozen pizza dough defrosted & risen
- Flour for dusting
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with nonstick spray.
- In a medium bowl, mix together chicken, blue cheese, celery, carrot, and red onion until combined. Stir in 1/3 cup dip until well combined.
- Divide dough into 16 (1 oz.) pieces. Flatten dough on lightly floured surface into circles with fingers or rolling pin to form a circle about 4-inch in diameter. Spoon filling (about 1 slightly heaping tablespoon) to one side of each dough round. Fold dough over filling; pinch dough to seal. Place calzones on prepared baking sheet.
- In small mixing bowl, whisk together egg and water. Brush on tops of calzones.
- Bake calzones at 425 degrees F for about 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve with remaining Buffalo Ranch dip for dipping.
Notes
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. Compensation and products were provided by Dean’s Dip. All opinions are my own.
Susan J says
These would be great for Super Bowl Sunday!