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    Home » Recipes » Halloween

    Lung Calzones

    Published: Aug 30, '10 · Modified: Aug 26, '23 · By: Beth Klosterboer · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Looking for scary Halloween food? These Lung Calzones are sure to creep out your Halloween party guests. The look gross but taste amazing!

    lung calzones on a piece of bloody gauze fabric next to a bloody meat clever.

    I had so much fun creating creepy food for my Dead Man's Diner Party including these lung-shaped calzones.

    I am very squeamish but I find creating gross Halloween food to be an exciting challenge. I love seeing how my Halloween party guests react to the delicious-tasting yet gross-looking food.

    Our Halloween party guests have had the pleasure (or painful experience) of eating Hand-Burgers (hand-shaped hamburgers), Open Face Sandwiches (mashed potato faces), Cake Ball Brains oozing with Blood (brain-shaped cake balls with raspberry sauce), Stuffed Pizza Skulls, and these Lung Calzone.

    Are you ready to make some creepy calzones? Let me show you how.

    crescent dough sheet tube

    Ingredients

    Pillsbury Recipe Creations Crescent Seamless Dough Sheet or pizza dough

    filling - I used mushrooms, pancetta, shallots, garlic, roasted red peppers, Madeira Wine, beef broth, and balsamic vinegar. You could use a traditional calzone filling made using ricotta cheese, eggs, Parmesan, and mozzarella.

    Supplies

    skillet - To cook the mushroom filling.

    parchment paper-lined baking sheet or pizza pan

    Instructions

    cleaning mushrooms using a damp paper towel.

    Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Remove stems from Shiitaki mushrooms. Slice and set aside.

    cooking diced Pancetta in a skillet.

    Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Chop Pancetta into small pieces and sprinkle into the hot pan. 

    Cook, stirring often, until crisp.

    You could use bacon if you prefer.

    crispy diced Pancetta.

    Use a slotted spoon to remove the crispy Pancetta from the skillet.  Drain it on a piece of paper towel.  Set aside.

    In the same hot skillet add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan. As soon as it melts add 4 ounces of sliced mushrooms (¼ of your total.)

    cooking Shiitake mushrooms in a 12-inch skillet.

    Don't crowd the pan and you will get beautifully caramelized mushrooms. Once mushrooms are brown, remove from pan.

    Add 1-3 tsp. olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter to the pan.

    Add 4 ounces of mushrooms. Brown. Repeat until all mushrooms are browned.

    cooking Madeira mushrooms in a skillet.

    Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in the pan. Add shallot and saute until translucent.  Add garlic and heat for 30 seconds. Add roasted red peppers and browned mushrooms. Stir, then add Madeira wine, beef broth, and balsamic vinegar.

    Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer until all of the liquid evaporates. Remove from pan and let cool slightly.

    mushroom filling arranged into a lung-shaped over a Crescent Roll Dough Sheet.

    Unroll Pillsbury (R) Recipe Creations (R) Crescent Seamless Dough Sheet onto a lightly floured work surface.

    Spread ½ of the mushroom mixture onto the dough in the shape of a lung. (I cut out a piece of parchment paper in the shape of a lung to use as a guide.)

    brushing butter over the dough.

    Fold the dough up and over the filling and press to seal the edges, removing any excess dough. 

    Lightly beat egg with about a teaspoon of water. 

    Use a pastry brush to brush egg wash over the seams.  Let egg wash dry.

    making the opposite side of the lung calzone.

    Repeat the process, ensuring you reverse the shape, so you have a left and right lung.

    This is where the parchment paper lung shape really helps to make sure you have similar-sized lungs.

    un-baked lung calzones on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

    Turn a baking sheet upside down and place a piece of parchment paper on top.  Use the excess dough to create a long tube. 

    Lay the lungs on the pan leaving room in between for the dough to expand. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

    Place a baking sheet turned upside down in your oven. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  You can also use a baking stone. The hot pan will create a nice crisp crust on the underside of your calzones.

    Use the parchment paper to help you carefully slide your lungs off of one baking sheet onto the one in the oven. 

    Bake for 6-8 minutes until golden brown.

    scary Halloween food Lung Calzones served with a bloody knife.

    Serve immediately.

    RSVP oven spatula.

    Once baked, carefully slide parchment paper from the hot baking sheet in the oven to a cool one.  I use the R.S.V.P Endurance Oven and Pizza Spatula to remove my lungs from the parchment-lined baking sheet.  You can also use two large spatulas to lift the lungs to transfer them to a serving platter. 

    You can make your lung-shaped calzones before your party. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Bake just before your party guests arrive.

    Variations

    Stuffed Pizza Brain served with bloody marinara sauce on a blood stained white platter and a blood dripping knife.

    You can make a Stuffed Pizza Brain to go along with the Lung Calzones. Save

    Be sure to check out all the Halloween recipes here on Hungry Happenings.

    gross Halloween food including hand-burgers, stubbed toe subs, bloody skin, grilled feet, bone calzones, and skull bread.

    You can find more gross Halloween food ideas in my Hungry Halloween cookbook. You'll find recipes for Stubbed Toe Subs, Grilled Feet, Skull Soup Bowls, and more.

    Recipe

    lung calzones on a piece of bloody gauze fabric next to a bloody meat clever.
    Print
    Lung Calzones
    Prep Time
    30 mins
    Cook Time
    25 mins
     

    Lung-shaped calzones filled with a delicious Madeira mushroom filling.

    Course: Appetizer, Entree
    Cuisine: American, Italian
    Keyword: calzone, gross halloween food
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 232 kcal
    Author: Beth Klosterboer
    Ingredients
    • 8 ounces Cremini mushrooms
    • 8 ounces Shiitake mushrooms
    • 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
    • 2 ounces Pancetta
    • 4 tablespoons butter, divided
    • 1 shallot diced
    • 1 clove garlic minced
    • 2 roasted red peppers diced
    • ¾ cup Madeira Wine
    • ¼ cup beef broth
    • ½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
    • 2 tubes Pillsbury Recipe Creations Crescent Seamless Dough Sheet
    • dusting of flour
    • 1 egg
    Instructions
    1. Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a damp paper towel. Remove the stems from Shiitaki mushrooms. Slice and set aside.

    2. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Chop the Pancetta into small pieces and sprinkle into the hot pan.  Cook, stirring often, until crisp.

    3. Use a slotted spoon to remove the crispy Pancetta from the skillet.  Drain it on a piece of paper towel.  Set aside.
    4. In the same hot skillet add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan. As soon as it melts add 4 ounces of sliced mushrooms (¼ of your total.)
    5. Don't crowd the pan and you will get beautifully caramelized mushrooms. Once mushrooms are brown, remove from pan.
    6. Add 1-3 tsp. olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter to the pan.
    7. Add 4 ounces of mushrooms. Brown. Repeat until all mushrooms are browned.
    8. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in the pan. Add the chopped shallot and saute until translucent.  Add the minced garlic and heat for 30 seconds.

    9. Add the roasted red peppers and browned mushrooms. Stir, then add Madeira wine, beef broth, and balsamic vinegar.

    10. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer until all of the liquid evaporates. Remove from pan and let cool slightly.
    11. Unroll Pillsbury (R) Recipe Creations (R) Crescent Seamless Dough Sheet onto a lightly floured work surface.
    12. Spread ½ of the mushroom mixture onto the dough in the shape of a lung. (I cut out a piece of parchment paper in the shape of a lung to use as a guide.)
    13. Fold the dough up and over the filling and press to seal the edges, removing any excess dough.  Lightly beat egg with about a teaspoon of water.  Use a pastry brush to brush egg wash over the seams.  Let egg wash dry.
    14. Now repeat the process making sure you reverse the shape, so you have a left and right lung. This is where the parchment paper lung shape really helps to make sure you have similar-sized lungs.
    15. Turn a baking sheet upside down and place a piece of parchment paper on top.  Use the excess dough to create a long tube.  Lay lungs on pan leaving room in between for dough to expand. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
    16. Place a baking sheet turned upside down in your oven. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  You can also use a baking stone. The hot pan will create a nice crisp crust on the underside of your calzones.
    17. Use the parchment paper to help you carefully slide your lungs off of one baking sheet onto the one in the oven.  Bake for 6-8 minutes un
    Recipe Notes

    This is best served hot immediately after it is made but can be reheated if needed. Store leftovers in the refrigerator. 

    • Author
    • Recent Posts
    Beth Klosterboer
    Beth Klosterboer
    Hi, I'm Beth Jackson Klosterboer, a professional chocolatier & baker, cookbook author, and event planner. I love sharing recipes for happy occasions here on Hungry Happenings. I also create easy fudge recipes to share at HowToMakeEasyFudge.com, rice krispie treat recipes at HowToMakeCerealTreats.com, and easy cookie recipes at HowToMakeEasyCookies.com
    Beth Klosterboer
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    1. Pete S.

      August 30, 2010 at 3:59 pm

      The cleaver in the picture is a hoot! How about stuffing them with trout and calling them Lungfish? There really is such an animal -- almost as unusual-looking as your edible lungs. Question: for this particular recipe when you open the madeira do you have to let it breathe?

      Reply

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    Beth Jackson Klosterboer

    Welcome to Hungry Happenings!

    I'm Beth. I've been a professional chocolatier & baker for over 30 years, have written 5 cookbooks, and love creating fun food for holidays and special occasions.

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    Buy my cookbooks

    Beth Jackson Klosterboer

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    I'm Beth. I've been a professional chocolatier & baker for over 30 years, have written 5 cookbooks, and love creating fun food for holidays and special occasions.

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