Deep-Dish Pizza
Deep-Dish Pizza
Who says you have to be in Chicago to enjoy deep-dish? This casserole recipe solves the riddle of the thick pizza and makes it an easy meal for you to make at home.
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Servings
6
servings
Ingredients
- 3 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pound hot italian pork sausage, casings removed
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- one 8-ounce package freshly sliced button mushrooms
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- two 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
- one 10-ounce can refrigerated pizza crust dough
- cooking spray
- one 8-ounce package mozzarella cheese, sliced
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. To prepare the topping, heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, onion, green bell peppers, and red pepper flakes to the pan and cook for 5 minutes or until the sausage is browned, breaking up the lumps with the back of a spoon. Drain the sausage mixture, and set aside. Return the pan to medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes or until the moisture evaporates, stirring frequently. Transfer the mushrooms to a small bowl and set aside. Set the saucepan over medium heat and add the remaining teaspoon of olive oil. Add the garlic and cook until lightly browned, stirring constantly. Add the tomato paste and cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in the tomato sauce, oregano, and fennel. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes or until the sauce is slightly thickened. Unroll the pizza crust dough and press it into the bottom and halfway up the sides of a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish lightly greased with cooking spray. Spoon the sausage mixture evenly over the dough in the bottom of the casserole dish, and then spoon the mushrooms over the sausage. Place a single layer of the mozzarella slices over the mushroom mixture (approximately 6 slices). Pour the sauce over the casserole and top with the shredded mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.