Deep-Dish Sausage Patty Pizza

Evening Dolls!

You read right, we're going deep dish tonight!

Toss out those Jets and Pizza Hut menu's cause we're staying in tonight. This week was my pick and while digging around some on the Pillsbury website I came across this recipe for a deep dish pizza. It occurred to me I have never in my life made a deep dish pizza. Before your jaws drop may I remind you guys that I Dinah have burned boiling water. Yeah, just file me under the Jessica Simpson folder with the tab stated "Blonde burns boiling water" next to the "Chicken/Tuna" comment. I digress though this recipe seems simple enough when I found it and why not go with a pie tonight?

So what's in this? Follows me peeps!

Deep-Dish Sausage Patty Pizza

Prep Time: 35 Min
Total Time: 1 Hr 15 Min
Makes: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

Sauce
2 tablespoons Crisco® 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Pure Olive Oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1 can (28 oz) Muir Glen® whole peeled tomatoes, drained, 1/2 cup juice reserved and tomatoes coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon McCormick® Basil Leaves
1 McCormick® Bay Leaf
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 or 3 dashes McCormick® Black Pepper

Pizza
1 lb bulk sweet Italian pork sausage
2 tablespoons Crisco® 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Pure Olive Oil
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 can (13.8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated classic pizza crust
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (1 lb)
2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

1) Heat oven to 400°F. In 2-quart saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook about 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until onion is tender. Stir in tomatoes, basil, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in reserved tomato juice. (Sauce should be thick.) Remove and discard bay leaf.

2) Meanwhile, spray 12-inch skillet with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray. Spread sausage over bottom of skillet into large patty. Cook over medium-high heat 5 to 8 minutes on each side, turning once, until no longer pink in center. (If necessary, cut patty in half or into quarters to turn.)

3) Coat bottom and side of 12-inch cast-iron skillet or other ovenproof skillet with 1 tablespoon oil; sprinkle with cornmeal. Unroll pizza crust dough in skillet; press on bottom and at least halfway up side. Brush dough with remaining 1 tablespoon oil; prick bottom and sides of dough with fork. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over dough. Top with sausage patty, keeping patty in one piece.



4) Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until crust is light golden brown. Spread sauce over sausage. Bake 5 to 10 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.





So how did this one pan out? It was a miss for me and a hit for everyone else. I simply didn't like it. Aw, come on guys this is what this blog is all about. Trying new things and sometimes recipes we choose won't be our cup of tea and tonight wasn't my night for some herbal drink. I wasn't feeling it. I'm not a big fan of sausage of any kind. Even in a turkey suit. Also, my part of the crust was a bit on the overly cooked side. It wasn't my type of pizza. BUT...as always we encourage you guys to try it out. Everyone else really liked it.


Tid Bits:

*Pork sausage not your fave thing to eat? Try some turkey Italian sausage.

*Take your pizza dough out 20 minutes before you plan on rolling it out and using it.

*We used frozen chopped onions (crying in your pizza is um, not tasty) and minced garlic and it turned out good. So if that's what you have in your kitchen give it a whirl.

*Salads are always nice with something like this too.

*Try out your favorite veggies and pizza toppings with this dish. Load it up and make it your own.



Ma's Spot:
I liked this pizza a lot but there are some definite changes I would make. I wouldn't do the whole patty. My way would be to crumble it up and put it into the pizza rather than Frisbee style. I really like the idea of using the corn meal it made the crust crispy. I normally don't like deep dish but I enjoy this one. The only draw back was getting the pizza dough's sides up the pan easily. They wouldn't work with me since I didn't let the dough sit at room temperature long enough. I urge you to take the time to let it sit out. Like I always tell my daughter the first time you do a recipe follow it to the letter then you tweak it to the way you and your family like things. I enjoyed the sauce as well. I will take it from this recipe and use it for other recipes in the future.


Another Tuesday over but as always we'll be back in a week to fill your tummy's and recipe boxes. What's on the menu for next week? It's Ma's pick and we're going sweet & sour. What does that mean? Come back and we'll chat! Have a great week guys :D.


Spoons & Spatula's
~Dinah & Ma