Cheesy, spicy, carb filled bliss.

When I was in college buffalo chicken calzones were all the rage. There was this pizza shop close to where I went (hey Babson College!) that had the very best buffalo chicken calzones. People still reference how yummy they were 10 years later. Obviously, I'm not about to eat chicken so I wanted to recreate that delicious meal vegetarian style. I couldn't be happier with the results! It's is so incredibly satisfying.

The chicken has been replaced with breaded, oven-crisped cauliflower florets tossed in a homemade buffalo sauce. Do you see how delicious they look up above? I could sit down and just eat a bowl of this cauliflower. It's THAT good. That saucy cauliflower gets stuffed in pizza dough with loads of ricotta and mozzarella. I sprinkle additional breadcrumbs and parmesan on top (because why not?) and it all gets baked to perfection.

Buffalo Cauliflower Calzones

Calzones with cauliflower florets in a homemade buffalo sauce

Yield: Makes 4 large calzones

Ingredients:

24 ounces pizza dough
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into bite size florets
3 eggs (2 beaten together, 1 beaten separately)
1 cup + 2 tablespoons Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1 cup + 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups ricotta cheese (I used part skim)
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup hot sauce (I enjoyed both Red's and Cholula)
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt and pepper, for seasoning
Flour, for the dough

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
Combine the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Set aside 1/4 cup of the mixture
In another medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese and 2 cups of mozzarella cheese. Season with salt and pepper
Season with cauliflower with salt and pepper
Dip each piece of cauliflower in egg, letting the excess drip off, and toss in the breadcrumb mixture until coated. Place on the prepared baking sheet
Roast the cauliflower for 15 - 20 minutes until lightly browned and tender. When done, add to a large bowl
While the cauliflower is roasting, add the butter, hot sauce, vinegar, garlic powder and smoked paprika to a small pot over medium-high heat. Whisk to combine. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat
Pour the hot sauce over the cauliflower and carefully stir to combine
Separate the dough into four equal pieces and roll each out into an 1/8 inch thick circle on a floured work area
On half of each circle, spread 1/2 cup of the ricotta mixture, 1/4 of the cauliflower and 1/4 cup of mozarella cheese
Fold the plain half of the circle over the filling and seal by pressing the dough together with a fork
Brush the beaten egg over the top and sides of the calzones and sprinkle the set aside breadcrumbs on top. Cut a 1 inch slit onto of each calzone
Bake for 25 minutes until the dough is cooked through