Chicago Style Pizza Pot Pie – Take 3

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This is my third time try at this recipe.  It’s not that I didn’t like the first two tries.  Quite the opposite, actually.  We like it so much that it’s worth making over and over.  This time I decided to try one great big pie, instead of the individuals that use ramekins.  Not everyone has 6 ramekins or wants to go to the trouble to make them individually.

I’m happy to report that this is my favorite version and it’s also the easiest.  It has an easy homemade crust, but I used store-bought pizza sauce.  Italian sausage and mozzarella make it as meaty and cheesy as you would expect from a Chicago style pizza.

Here’s what you’ll need:

For the crust:

• 1 pkg. yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp.)
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 2 Tbs. vegetable oil
• 2 1/2 cups bread flour (you can use all-purpose, but bread flour makes a fluffier crust)

For the filling:

• 1 lb. Italian sausage
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced or crushed
• 2-3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 jar pizza sauce

For top of crust:

• 2 Tbs. melted butter
• dried oregano and basil

Make the dough first.  Dissolve the yeast in the water.  Mix in the other ingredients until they are well blended.  I use a stand mixer with a dough hook, but you can also do this by hand.  Let the dough rest while you cook the sausage.

Brown the sausage with the onion and garlic.  Drain and rinse under hot water to remove the extra fat.

Heavily grease a 9×13 casserole dish.  Layer the mozzarella and then the sausage over the top.  Pour the sauce over the sausage, using a spoon the spread it out.

On a floured surface, roll out the pizza dough with a rolling pin.  It should be about the shape and size of the casserole dish.  Carefully lift the dough and place it on the casserole dish.  Trim any dough that is hanging over the sides.  Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with oregano and basil, if desired.  Bake at 425 degrees for about 25 minutes.

I flipped the pieces upside down to serve them, which is how the original individual pies get served.  The cheese ends up on top.  It’s not pretty, but it’s oh-so-good!