I am really excited to introduce you to Kate, one of EaH’s new contributing writers. I think you are going to love reading her posts and her recipes too. Kate blogs at Kate’s Recipe Box. I can’t wait to try these Mini Deep Dish Pizzas. In fact, I may make up a batch and put them in the freezer for quick snacks and lunches.
Here in the suburbs of New York City, there is – quite literally – a pizza parlor on every corner. Getting a deep dish pizza is incredibly tricky, though. Everyone is fiercely loyal to New York-style pizza.
I first tried deep dish (aka, Chicago style) when I was in college. I loved the buttery crust and the chunky tomato sauce but quickly realized that if it was something I wanted on a regular basis, I’d have to make it myself.
I like making these mini-versions because they’re easy to adjust for different tastes. You can add any of your favorite pizza toppings in place of the green peppers. I usually make several different flavors in one pan, using whatever we have in the refrigerator – pepperoni and ham with pineapple are other favorites!
Here’s what you’ll need (olive oil, too, which didn’t make the picture):
Mini Deep Dish Pizzas
Ingredients
- 6 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Olive oil divided
- 1/3 cup onion chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 can 14.5 oz. petite diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 ball approx. 16 oz. pizza dough
- 1/2 green pepper finely diced
- 8 oz. mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large frying pan, until shimmering. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until translucent.
- Stir in minced garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
- Stir in diced tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Cook until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Add 1 teaspoon olive oil to each well of a cupcake tin.
- Roll out pizza dough until about 1/4 inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter slightly larger than the opening of your cupcake pan, cut out rounds of dough and push them into the cupcake pans. (If you don’t have a biscuit cutter, a large cup or small bowl would work too!)
- Add a heaping tablespoon of the tomato sauce to each pizza dough cup. Top with chopped peppers and shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and dough is lightly browned on top.
- Remove from oven and let cool for two minutes before removing to a serving tray.
Kate is a home cook living and working in New Jersey. In addition to sharing recipes with Eat at Home readers, she blogs her cooking adventures at Kate’s Recipe Box. When she’s not in the kitchen, you can find her reading or tending to her garden.
This looks so good! Can’t wait to give it a try!
So glad to see these since I missed the first post. They look awesome – looking forward to more great recipes from Kate! =)
How do you think pizza sauce would work instead of petite diced tomatoes? Just wondering since that is what I have on hand.
I think using pizza sauce would make them too runny. Once you reduce the tomatoes the sauce is chunky and almost paste-like, which helps keep the pizzas together after you take a bite. I think if you just used sauce, everything inside would leak out after the first bite.
Thank you! I was afraid it would be a bad substitute. I appreciate your quick response. You saved me a lot of disappointment.
My family would love these. They are definitely freezer friendly.
I made two batches of these and they are fantastic!! Very easy and delicious. I made 24 with my pizza dough recipe.
hi love this site & cooking lots of foods together to freeze. if I make these & cooked them & froze them, do I thaw first before cooking ? and how long do I cook ? or is it best to get everything together & then freeze in the muffin tin raw & then bag until ready to cook them ? only asking because my grown Sons would luv these when they visit. and my Mom & I could eat them when we feel like Pizza. thanks
I baked mine before freezing. Then they can either heat in the oven from frozen or in the microwave from frozen. Oven probably tastes better, but microwave is faster.
Thank you, Tiffany. will definitely try these then. will bake them as the only use the microwave gets is for Coffee; warming food; or an occasional potato. almost all my food is done in the Oven.