Deep Dish Meatball Pizza

A pizza you can really sink your teeth into--this is filled with meatballs and vegetables sandwiched between two layers of cheese in a hearty deep dish pizza.

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Sometimes I just don't have much to say other than this:

"This pizza was good. You should try making one like it. Here's what I did."

So instead of waiting further to post until I have something worth reading, or something worth getting off my chest, I'm giving you the recipe and stepping aside. With some photos, because we eat with our eyes first and it was a really tasty pizza. Very forkable (it's kinda heavy to lift up to your face with your hand).

Note: I call for a range of dough in this recipe. I find 10 ounces fits best in my 10 inch cast iron skillet, but often I'm whacking a store bought pound of dough in half and calling it good.

Another Note: I'm using pre-cooked meatballs in this recipe. They came from a large bag I picked up at Costco. Those free samples really do work to drive sales. Tasting one made me so hungry I picked up a bag. My kids were thrilled. Meatballs ready in a snap. No need to thaw the ground beef and crush the fennel and . . . . well, there's still part of a cow in the freezer is all I'm saying.

I paused half way through topping with sauce and cheese to show what the bottom laters look like.

Deep Dish Meatball Pizza

Ingredients

• 8 to 10 ounces pizza dough 
• 1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella, fontina, or Italian style blend cheese, divided
• ⅓ to ½ pound prepared cooked meatballs, thawed if frozen
• ½ cup chopped green pepper
• ¼ cup chopped olives (your choice)
• ¼ cup chopped marinated artichoke hearts (could be optional, adds to the flavor)
• ½ cup prepared tomato sauce (your choice, whatever drib or drab you've got handy)
• 1 teaspoon Italian blend seasoning 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Swirl oil around a 10 inch cast iron skillet. 
2. Dump the dough into the skillet and press it across the bottom and up the sides. 
3. Scatter about half the cheese in an even layer across the dough. 
4. Cut the meatballs in half, and place cut side down on top of the cheese. You don't want one rolling off the skillet and onto the floor, that would be a tragedy*. Take away their mobility instead.
5. Top with the vegetables, tucking them in between the meatballs.
6. Dab tomato sauce on top, evenly, across the pizza. It will be ok if it's not wall to wall sauce. 
7. Top with remaining cheese, and sprinkle with seasoning. 
8. Place in preheated oven, reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until cheese is browned and sauce is bubbly.

For more pizza recipes, please see my Visual Pizza Recipe Index. This isn't my first meatball pizza, nor my first deep dish pizza, but it's different enough to warrant inclusion in that not-so-hallowed list.
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*The dogs would consider that a blessing from above.