Chicago style pizza recipe

[Maverick2272]

This is Lumalnati's style Chicago Deep dish pizza. We make it similar to the way they make it, in a 12" cast iron skillet, about 2 1/4" deep. Also, I buy the pizza kits from ALDI as I am not good at making dough, so substitute your own as you wish.

Lightly grease the cast iron skillet, do not flour.
The mix packet comes with two dough pouches, combine both together and mix according to directions, I do let it sit for 5 minutes next to the pre-heated oven before using.
Place into iron skillet and spread dough even along bottom and sides, going all the way up the side of the skillet to the rim.
Take one pound of raw ground sausage (yes raw), and roll out into a saucer shape roughly the size of the bottom of the skillet (12") Preferred thickness is around 1/8 but no thicker than 1/4 or it may not fully cook. Place this into the bottom of the skillet, don't worry if it breaks just reform it.
Use about a pound of your favorite shredded cheese (I use a combo of mozzarella and Monterrey jack) and sprinkle over the sausage.
Pour contents of pizza sauce over the top of the cheese. I think the equivalent is 8oz.
I know this sounds like a lot, but you are filling the iron skillet, and the pizza will be around 2" thick when done if you use the right amounts. And you can vary amounts to taste (more ingredients less sauce, etc just have in mind how much of each you want and fill accordingly before putting on the sauce).
Arrange tomato slices on top of the sauce, then sprinkle liberally with grated Parmesan/Romano cheese.
Bake in oven at 400 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes, I use the middle rack.
As it cooks the ingredients will pull away from the sides of the dough, you can use this space to stick a fork down and gently pull them back to check on the progress of the sausage. Once it is fully cooked you can remove it from the oven. Oven times vary so I start checking around 35 minutes.

Variations:
I like sliced mushrooms with my sausage, so I mix them in with the cheese then sprinkle onto the pizza, then sauce, then tomatoes, then grated cheese.
Any toppings you would like to add you would do the same with.
A favorite here in Chicago is still the spinach and cheese pizza. Just omit the sausage patty, mix raw spinach with the cheese, sprinkle onto the pizza then sauce then tomatoes then grated cheeses.

Hope you enjoy!

[amber]

So many styles of pizza, and yours sounds delicious. My personal preference is a thin crust and I think next to the crust, the most important part is the sauce. I love pizza with spinach,and also fresh tomatoes, and eggplant, but the list goes on for toppings that I love.

[Maverick2272]

Thanks! I have always had a thing for the big foldable slices served in NYC, love thin crust too!

[BreezyCooking]

Gosh - we recently got an "ALDI" here in Culpeper, VA, & it has to be the saddest example of food purveyance on the planet.

Just piles & piles of what looks like government surplus food leftovers & cheap processed food packaged to look like their pricier brand-name counterparts. Oh, & I wouldn't want to leave out the 5-pound packages of bologna or the unrefrigerated produce with fruit flies hovering about.

Husband & I went in there ONCE, when they first opened this past fall. We've never been back.

[Toots]

I am curious to try this. How long do you let it cool after you remove it from the oven? It seems to me the sausage would put off alot of grease/liquid while it cooked and be a big sloppy mess to cut into to.
Speaking of serving it, is it difficult to slice and remove from the skillet without losing all of the cheese and toppings?

I am tempted to try this (our favorite is Giordanos but the closest store is a 5 hour car ride away).

[QSis]

I've made this pizza (with storebought pizza dough) and it's fabulous! Just like Uno's Chicago style pizza!

Thanks for the reminder, Maverick! I think you may have decided me on what to make for Superbowl!

Lee

[Maverick2272]

Originally Posted by BreezyCooking

Gosh - we recently got an "ALDI" here in Culpeper, VA, & it has to be the saddest example of food purveyance on the planet.

Just piles & piles of what looks like government surplus food leftovers & cheap processed food packaged to look like their pricier brand-name counterparts. Oh, & I wouldn't want to leave out the 5-pound packages of bologna or the unrefrigerated produce with fruit flies hovering about.

Husband & I went in there ONCE, when they first opened this past fall. We've never been back.

Geez, I am sorry to hear that. The ones around here are fabulous, and they have a double money back guarantee so if you are disappointed you get twice your money. I have as yet to have occasion to use it so far, but if I am ever in your neck of the woods I will keep that in mind!

[Maverick2272]

Originally Posted by Toots

I am curious to try this. How long do you let it cool after you remove it from the oven? It seems to me the sausage would put off alot of grease/liquid while it cooked and be a big sloppy mess to cut into to.
Speaking of serving it, is it difficult to slice and remove from the skillet without losing all of the cheese and toppings?

I am tempted to try this (our favorite is Giordanos but the closest store is a 5 hour car ride away).

I let it cool about 5 to 10min. The grease is dependent on the sausage you use, but most is absorbed so not it is not as greasy as you would think it would be. And I have never had a problem cutting it up and serving it, I do have a pie spatula I use, so no I don't think it is too difficult, about the same as serving up a double layer cake I would say.

[Maverick2272]

Thanks Qsis, glad I could help, and I love Uno's pizza as well!

[Katie E]

Originally Posted by BreezyCooking

Gosh - we recently got an "ALDI" here in Culpeper, VA, & it has to be the saddest example of food purveyance on the planet.

Just piles & piles of what looks like government surplus food leftovers & cheap processed food packaged to look like their pricier brand-name counterparts. Oh, & I wouldn't want to leave out the 5-pound packages of bologna or the unrefrigerated produce with fruit flies hovering about.

Husband & I went in there ONCE, when they first opened this past fall. We've never been back.

Gosh, Breezy. I'm sorry you had a bad Aldi experience. All the Aldis I've been to have been pristine. As a matter of fact, I shop at one regularly (every two weeks). You can eat off the floor there and the produce and everything else is top notch.

P.S Maverick, your pizza sounds yummy.