Beef-and-Pepperoni Calzones

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 3 1/2 cups (14 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1 (6-ounce) can low-sodium tomato paste
• 1 (3.5-ounce) package pepperoni slices
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 2 (10-ounce) cans refrigerated pizza crust
• Olive oil
• Italian Tomato Sauce

Preparation

1. Cook ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until it crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain.
2. Combine beef, 2 1/2 cups cheese, and next 3 ingredients.
3. Unroll each pizza crust, and cut each crust into thirds. Roll each portion to a 5-inch circle. Spread 3/4 cup of meat mixture evenly over half of each circle. Moisten edges with water; fold dough over, pressing or crimping edges to seal. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet, and cut slits in tops to allow steam to escape. Brush with olive oil.
4. Bake at 375° for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden. Top with Italian Tomato Sauce; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Melt cheese under broiler, if desired.
5. Note: Freeze baked calzones up to 1 month, if desired. Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Wrap calzones in aluminm fil, and bake at 300° for 1 hour or until thoroughly heated.