Not too many posts ago I confessed that despite living in Chicago, I haven’t been converted to deep dish pizza. And it’s still true. If I have any say, I’d rather have a thin chewy crust, heavy on the cheese and toppings. That was until I made a deep dish/pan/skillet (whatever you want to call it) pizza my own way. I ditched the dense butter crust (which after a little research I learned isn’t even made with butter, but rather vegetable oil) in favor of my favorite dough. It was this simple: my go-to pizza dough, baked it in a cast-iron skillet (12 inches so it fits), mozzarella layered on the bottom (as is traditional), then the toppings (roasted vegetables, spinach, Italian turkey sausage, and black olives) and the sauce, finished with freshly grated Parmesan. It takes a little longer to cook- but not that long. And it’s good. Not near as heavy or exhausting as a true Chicago pizza. But just a satisfying and delicious.

This recipe is highly adaptable. Stuff your pizza with whatever fillings you desire. Mix up the cheese: you could use smoked mozzarella on the bottom (I’ve made it this way and it was awesome) and/or Asiago or Romano in place of the Parmesan. My only advice is to be careful what you fill it with because you want to prevent too much liquid from accumulating. Squeeze any excess liquid out of the vegetables you’ll be adding. Raw vegetables might present a problem if they release a lot of liquid as they cook. And make sure to reduce the sauce or strain it before using. Letting the pizza sit for a bit before slicing helps it to set and reabsorb some of the liquid.

I should mention the sauce. I think it’s what made this pizza extra special. Don’t be lazy and use a jar. This sauce is worth your time. It’s not a lot of effort and simmers away while the dough is rising. I’ve tried a handful of Chicago pizza eateries and this sauce was pretty darn authentic if comparing. You won’t need all of the sauce for a single pizza so freeze what’s left over for a future sauce emergency.

And now for my first ever giveaway! I’m giving one lucky reader this 12-inch Lodge Cast Iron Skillet so they can make their very own deep dish pizza (and pancakes and pot pie and so many other wonderful things) with it. To be eligible, just leave a comment in the comments section. I would love to know what you plan on making if you win…

GIVEAWAY: LODGE 12-INCH CAST IRON SKILLET

TO ENTER: Simply leave a comment in the comments section. One entry per person. Giveaway will remain open until 12:00 A.M. CST on Monday February 3, 2014. ONE winner will be selected at random and announced and contacted later Monday morning. Make sure to provide your email address in the comment form so I can contact you (it will not be published). This giveaway is NOT being sponsored by any company. It’s a product that I have purchased myself and use and love. And now I am providing one for you!

** This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to BRITTANY ERICKSON, winner of the cast iron skillet. I’ll be in contact with you via e-mail. Thanks to everyone who entered!**

Deep Dish Skillet Pizza

INGREDIENTS

1 recipe pizza dough
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, for greasing the pan
cornmeal, for dusting the pan

sauce:*
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. fresh garlic, minced
2 tsp. fresh basil, chopped (or 3/4 tsp. dried)
1 tsp. fresh oregano, chopped (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
1/4 tsp. fennel seeds
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
pinch crushed red pepper flakes (more to taste)
28 oz. can plum tomatoes, coarsely crushed
1 Tbsp. dry red wine (I replaced it with 1 tsp. red wine vinegar)
1 tsp. sugar

*NOTE: This makes more sauce than you need for 1 pizza. I used about 1/2- 2/3 of the sauce and froze the rest for later.

filling:
roasted vegetables (I roasted red and green bell peppers, onion, and mushrooms- make sure to drain any excess liquid before adding to the pizza)
spinach, cooked and chopped (remember to squeeze out any liquid)
black olives, sliced
8 oz. Italian sausage, cooked and crumbled (I used mild Italian turkey sausage) and/or pepperoni
~8 oz. mozzarella, grated (or smoked mozzarella for even more flavor)
~3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan (and/or Pecorino Romano, Asiago, etc.)

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare pizza dough according to recipe directions.

2. To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the herbs, salt and peppers and cook, stirring, for another 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, wine (or vinegar), and sugar, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes, until thickened. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool completely before using. (The sauce can be made ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen until ready to use.)

3. Preheat oven to 450 F. Rub 1 Tbsp. olive oil over the bottom and sides of a 12-inch seasoned cast iron skillet. Dust the bottom and sides with cornmeal.

4. When the dough is ready, use your hands to stretch it into a large circle and place it in the bottom of the prepared cast iron skillet. Continue stretching it evenly and pressing it into the pan until the dough reaches the edges and up the sides of the pan coming to the top. Place the mozzarella cheese on top of the crust. Top with the sausage, vegetables, and olives. Ladle the sauce evenly over top (I use about 2/3 of the sauce) and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.

5. Bake pizza in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until the crust is puffed and browned, the cheese is melted and golden, and the sauce is bubbling. Remove from the oven and let sit 5 minutes before slicing.

Makes 1 12-inch round deep dish pizza.

(Adapted from Food Network and Minimalist Baker)