Homemade Deep-Dish Pizza

I’m a huge fan of Italian food. It gives me such comfort.

I consider pasta one of my dearest friends and I could spend a little time with a Papa John’s pizza at least once per week, if you know what I mean. But, with summer approaching our budget tends to get a little tighter so I figured it was high time that I give making pizza at home a go.

And no worries, friends, we’re not making our own dough (although you could). But to save time I picked up dough at the grocery store for $1.99. And it’s not bad, not bad at all…it’s actually quite good! Buying the dough will help you get this on the table in about an hour! But don’t skimp on grating your Parmesan cheese fresh from the triangle block. Just get your guy to do it, like I did ;)!

Homemade Deep-Dish Pizza

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 25-35 minutes in preheated oven

Adapted from {Allrecipes}

Ingredients

1 lb pizza dough
1 lb mild Italian sausage
2 cups shredded mozzarella
2 tsp olive oil
4 oz fresh, sliced mushrooms
1 small onion, chopped
2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, well drained
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Press the pizza dough into the bottom and up the sides of a greased 9×13 inch baking dish.
Crumble the sausage into a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Cook and stir until evenly browned.
Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon, and sprinkle over the dough crust.
Sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly over the sausage.
Add mushrooms and onion to the skillet; cook and stir until the onion is tender.
Stir in the tomatoes, oregano, salt, and garlic powder.
Spoon over the mozzarella cheese.
Grate fresh Parmesan cheese over the top.
Bake for 25 to 35 minutes in preheated oven, or until crust is golden brown.

Note: It’s helpful to cook the dough first for about 10-15 minutes, while you’re preparing the sausage and other items, to ensure that the center is cooked through/well. Also, be sure to drain your tomatoes extremely well to prevent sogginess.