By Super Bowl week. I don't have a team in it this year — I'm not much of a football fan beyond Clay's games, which is ironic for a man whose son lives and breathes the sport. But Super Bowl Sunday is a cooking occasion, and I'll take any excuse to cook for people.
Travis came over. Jolene came. Clay invited Tyler and another buddy named Marcus. Connie's sister Jackie came without Ron, which was a gift from God. Seven people in the living room watching a game none of us cared deeply about, eating food all of us cared deeply about. That's the Super Bowl in the Hensley house: food first, football second.
I made wings. I've been working on smoked wings and I think I'm there. You start with whole chicken wings — not pre-cut, whole — and you toss them in a dry rub: paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, brown sugar, salt, pepper. Let them sit for at least an hour. Then smoke them at 275 for about an hour until the skin renders and gets crispy. The trick with smoked wings is that most people smoke them too low and the skin stays rubbery. You need 275, not 225. The higher heat renders the fat and crisps the skin while the smoke still has time to penetrate.
For the sauce, I made two: a classic buffalo (melted butter, Frank's hot sauce, a splash of vinegar, garlic powder) and a bourbon honey glaze (bourbon, honey, soy sauce, garlic, a touch of cayenne, simmered until thick). The buffalo is for the purists. The bourbon honey is for me. I tossed half the wings in each and put them on a platter and watched them disappear in about fifteen minutes.
Travis ate approximately one-third of all the wings. Tyler, Clay's friend, told me they were the best wings he'd ever had, which I accept with the appropriate humility of a man who's been working on this recipe for six months. Clay ate wings with his left hand and checked his phone with his right, which is the natural posture of a teenage boy at any gathering.
The other thing I made: jalapeño poppers. Halve the jalapeños, scoop out the seeds (leave some if you want heat), fill them with a mixture of cream cheese and shredded cheddar, wrap each one in half a slice of bacon, and smoke them alongside the wings for about forty-five minutes until the bacon is crispy and the cheese is bubbling. They're addictive. Jackie ate six and said they were "too spicy" while reaching for a seventh. The body wants what it wants.
After the game, the house was quiet. Dishes in the sink, wing bones in the trash, the lingering smell of smoke and hot sauce. Connie and I cleaned up together. She washed, I dried. We didn't talk much. We didn't need to. The house had been full and now it was empty and both states were fine. That's marriage at twenty-five years: the comfort of fullness and the comfort of quiet, and knowing which one you need at any given moment without having to ask.
The wings and jalapeño poppers were the stars of the night, but if I’m being honest, the reason a party like this works is that you have enough food to keep people planted and happy for three hours straight — and grilled chicken calzones have become a regular part of that rotation. They’re the kind of handheld, pull-apart food that fits right alongside a platter of wings, and they disappear just as fast. If you’re building a spread for a room full of people who care more about the food than the score, this is the recipe to have in your back pocket.
Grilled Chicken Calzones
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 lb store-bought or homemade pizza dough, divided into 4 portions
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb total)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
- 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
- Marinara sauce, warmed, for serving
Instructions
- Season the chicken. Brush chicken breasts with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season on both sides with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Grill the chicken. Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Grill chicken for 6—7 minutes per side, until cooked through and internal temperature reaches 165°F. Let rest 5 minutes, then dice into 1/2-inch pieces.
- Make the filling. In a bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, roasted red peppers, and basil. Fold in the diced grilled chicken until evenly distributed.
- Shape the calzones. On a lightly floured surface, roll each dough portion into an 8-inch round. Spoon one-quarter of the filling onto one half of each round, leaving a 3/4-inch border. Fold the dough over the filling to form a half-moon shape and press the edges firmly to seal. Crimp with a fork.
- Brush and vent. Brush the tops with beaten egg wash. Cut two small slits in the top of each calzone to allow steam to escape.
- Cook. Place calzones on a lightly oiled grill grate or grill pan over medium heat. Grill 4—5 minutes per side, covered if possible, until the crust is golden and slightly charred. Alternatively, bake on a parchment-lined sheet at 425°F for 18—20 minutes until deep golden brown.
- Rest and serve. Let calzones rest 3—4 minutes before cutting. Serve with warm marinara sauce for dipping.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 610 | Protein: 42g | Fat: 22g | Carbs: 58g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 980mg