Deep-Dish Pizza with Sausage and Spinach

Course: Appetizer or Entree, Pizza

Cuisine: American / Italian

Keyword: easy pizza dough recipe, how to make deep dish pizza in a skillet

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 32

Preparing the Easy Pizza Dough: 1 15

Total Time: 2 2

Servings: people

Calories: 369kcal

Author: Kris Longwell

Deep-Dish Pizza with Sausage and Spinach is amazing in so many ways. The flavors here are bold and go together perfectly. We just love smoked cheddar, and it adds such a depth here that is really unique, but in such a good way! And the Easy Pizza Dough puts it over the top!

Print Recipe

Equipment

Cast-iron skillet, 10 or 12 inches in diamter

Ingredients

pizza dough enough for a 12-inch pizza
4 tsp olive oil divided
1 cup onion chopped
1 tbsp garlic minced
1 lb Italian sausage hot or sweet, casings removed
10 oz spinach chopped, frozen, thawed and liquid squeezed out
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil drained and chopped
2 tsp red wine vinegar
½ tsp crushed red pepper or more, to taste
½ tsp Kosher salt
1½ cups Cheddar cheese smoked, shredded, divided
2 tsp yellow corneal
1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450°F.
In a large cast-iron skillet, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium-high heat.
Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
Add the sausage and cook until browned and crumbly, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Turn off the heat and tilt the skillet and spoon out most of the rendered grease.
Turn the heat back to medium, and stir in the spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, red pepper flakes, and salt. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring to fully mix.
Remove from heat and then stir in ½ cup of the smoked cheddar. Transfer filling to a bowl and then wipe out the cast-iron skillet with a paper towel.
Brush bottom of the cast iron skillet with 2 teaspoons of olive oil and sprinkle with cornmeal.
On a lightly floured counter, roll the dough into a 12 to 13-inch circle (if using a 10-inch skillet. (Roll out to 13 - 15 inches if using a 12-inch skillet).
Fold the dough in half, and then fold over again to create a quarter circle. Transfer to the skillet and gently unfold, pressing the dough to the bottom and sides of the skillet.
Add sausage mixture over the dough and then sprinkle over the top the remaining 1 cup of cheddar and the mozzarella.
Bake until golden brown, approximately 17 minutes. Tent with foil after about 12 minutes if browning too much on top.
Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Video

Notes

We strongly recommend making the easy pizza dough if you have the time. If not, check with your local pizza joint, or Italian restaurant, they often will sell made-from-scratch pizza dough to you. Fresh dough from the supermarket is fine, too. We don't recommend packaged (canned) pizza dough.

If using a 10-inch skillet, you'll want to roll the dough out to about a 12 to 13-inch diameter. If using a 12-inch skillet, the dough should be about 14 to 15 inches wide.

The ratio of sausage to spinach for this recipe is about 50/50. If you prefer less spinach, just go with half the package and save the rest for another use. If you prefer less sausage, then just go with the meat from 2 to 3 links.

Be sure to squeeze excess liquid from the thawed spinach! If using fresh spinach, remove the stems from a couple of bunches and then blanch in boiling water until wilted, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and then chop.

The pizza is wonderful the next day (and the following). Simply reheat in an oven preheat to 350°F for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until heated through.

Nutrition