Pan Pizza Pie

All righty, after all the lead up, it's here.

The Pan Pizza Pie

I don't make this sucker often, but I'm considering changing that stance because it's easier than I remember (when I do it in the right order) and it's REALLY good.

So, we take 3 pizza crust pouches (this time I went with Chef Boyardee). I put 2 together for the bottom crust and 1 for the top. Start the oven preheating to 450. I make them according to the instructions, except I add a good dose of oregano / Italian seasoning and some garlic powder. Mix those up, cover their respective bowls so they can rise up a bit, and then I work on the toppings / filling.

For today's, I went with sausage and pepperoni. I belive it was some Jimmy Dean sage sausage, use whichever brand / flavor floats your boat. I didn't toss any pepperoni (Hormel in the resealable pouch) in with it like I did last time (no reason, just laziness more than anything). I also tossed a bit of the oregano / Italian seasoning on the sausage as it cooked. Once it was done, drained it, then tossed it back in the skillet and put a little of the sauce I was using (Prego Meat Sauce) in there to flavor it a little more.

At this point, I roll out the bottom dough until it will fit in the cast iron skillet (not the same one I used for the sausage) with some of it coming out of the top. Once it's in there, I poke some holes in it with a fork (to avoid bubbles) and then dust the bottom with some Parmesan  and mozzarella cheeses. Next is a layer of sauce (amount to taste). Next is a layer of pepperoni. Next is the saucy sausage.

I forgot to get pics before this stage, shows you how out of practice I am. Then I added some more sauce (this thing is a TON of bread, so you will want to add more sauce than you would normally add for a pizza). Next is a good layer of mozzarella and little bit of Parmesan cheeses.

Again, this part can vary by taste. I probably should've gone a bit more cheese, but I'm still relearning this recipe. After you've cheesed it, then you get the top crust, roll it to where it'll fit on top, but not over hang too much. And then you roll the edges together.

I then brushed it with some olive oil, instead of doing an egg wash as you would for a normal pie.

BUT, since it is more pie than traditional pizza, I usually cut some vents into the top crust.

A smiley face for all the readers.

Next we go into the oven. I let it go at 450 for about 10 minutes, then knock it down to 375 for another 30 minutes or so. This is what it looks like when it's ready...

I brushed a little more olive oil around the edges. If you're really into cheese, you could toss some on top of it at this point, then throw it back in the oven for a few more minutes (knocking it back up to the 450ish range) to brown it to your liking. I'd recommend letting it sit for a little bit when you take it out of the oven, gives the insides time to solidify a bit. If you try to cut it as soon as it comes out, it'll ooze everywhere. To each their own. I took this one to work today, and after the 45 minute trip (had it in a Pyrex stay warm pouch), here's what 2 slices look like:

The crust has a good Italian herb-y flavor, the cheese was a bit understated, but tasted good. The sauce was very prevalent and tasty. A great cold rainy day treat.