Sweet Potato Pockets with Kale, Sausage & Lentils

A perfect fall twist on the beloved hot pocket. 

I first saw this recipe on Natalie’s blog and really like the idea of putting sweet potatoes and lentils with kale in a calzone.  But, Frog Prince and I aren’t a big fan of some of the spices in the original recipe. 

So, I set to work and decided to put one of our favorite fillings inside the pockets – the filling from our sweet potato risotto.  Oh. My. Goodness.

These were a huge hit!

Sweet Potato Pockets with Kale, Sausage & Lentils – Inspired by The Sweets Life

Ingredients

• 1 recipe whole wheat pizza crust
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1/2-inch pieces
• 4-6oz baby bella mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 1 T minced onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 C frozen chopped kale
• 1/2 C lentils, soaked
• 1/2 lb. Italian sausage
• Parmesan cheese

Directions

Begin by making the pizza crust dough, and when finished, set aside, covered. 

Next, boil your lentils.  To do so, first drain the water they have been soaking in.  Then, place the lentils in a saucepan, cover them with water and season with salt.  Turn the burner on to high and heat to boiling.  Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.  Drain. 

Meanwhile, brown the ground Italian sausage.  Drain excess grease when the meat is cooked, and remove the sausage from the pan into a large bowl.

In the same skillet, add the cubed sweet potato, sliced mushrooms, garlic, onion and salt and pepper.  Sauté about 10 minutes until the sweet potatoes are slightly soft and the mushrooms have released all their liquids. 

Add in 1 C frozen chopped kale and heat until wilted.

Then, mix in the cooked and drained lentils. 

Remove the mixture and add it to the large bowl with the Italian sausage.  Stir until the mixture is combined. 

Divide the bread dough into 6-8 pieces, and roll each out into a small (4-6 inches across) circle. 

Place a scoop (about 1 C) of the sausage lentil filling onto one half of the dough.  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top. 

Grab a small cup and put an inch or so of water in it.  Dip your fingers in the water and then dab them along the edge of the dough.  Bring the top half over to cover the filling.  Press tightly along the wet edges to seal.  Crimp with a fork, if desired.  Note – it works best to do this right on the greased/lined cookie sheet you are planning to bake these pockets on. 

Repeat until all pockets are filled. 

Using a knife, slice a little slit in the top of each pocket.  

Place into a pre-heated oven set to 425 degrees.  Bake for 15 minutes until lightly browned and puffy. 

Enjoy!