Chicken and spinach calzones

Dietitian’s tip:

Instead of Italian sausage, this calzone is stuffed with boneless, skinless chicken breast. That cuts out much of the fat and sodium. For a vegetarian version, saute 1 pound of sliced mushrooms and 1/3 cup chopped onion in a teaspoon of olive oil. Use in place of the chicken.

Number of servings

Serves 6

Diabetes meal plan
Weight management
Healthy-carb

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
8 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
4 teaspoons Parmesan cheese
2 egg whites, divided
1 frozen whole-wheat bread dough loaf (16 ounces), thawed, not risen

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large, nonstick frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and saute, turning every now and then until golden brown — about 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside to cool. When cool to the touch, cut the chicken breasts into cubes. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the spinach, ricotta cheese, garlic, parsley, Parmesan cheese and 1 of the egg whites. Mix until well blended. Set aside.

In another bowl, use a wire whisk or fork to lightly beat the remaining egg white.

Cut the bread dough into 6 equal-sized pieces. On a floured surface, press each piece into a circle. Using a rolling pin, roll each dough piece into ovals 8 inches long and 6 inches wide. Brush the edges of the dough ovals with the lightly beaten egg white.

Place 1/6 of the chicken cubes in the center of each oval. Add 1/6 of the spinach mixture to each. Fold the dough over the filling, pressing the edges together. Crimp with a fork and place on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake until browned and crispy, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve right away.