Easy Deep Dish Pizza

Welcome to my Food Blog!  I first want to introduce myself, I am Niko.  I have been a home cook for the past 5 years.  I love going to various kitchen and cooking stores and walking the aisles of amazing gadgets that will help me improve my cooking.  The Food Network is always on my DVR list, and it seems like I see the world through my stomach.  I would just stop if I saw a food show or saw a kitchen supply store while window shopping.  Just looking at food made my mouth water and my neurons fire with ideas for recipes.  I have traveled to Europe, Australia, and New Zealand in search of cuisine that is both delicious and unique.  I am from Ohio and Ohio is not exactly the center of the American culinary experience.  Nonetheless, Ohio does have an awesome Autumn and great harvests.  I hope to bring you my culinary experiences with this blog.

I am 100% slovenian.  If you don't know where that is, it borders Italy to the east, Austria to the south, Croatia to the north, and Hungary to the west.  It was the northernmost republic of the former Yugoslavia.  As in every ethnic family, I grew up enjoying the smell of homemade bread, fresh vegetables, sausages, succulent meats, and sweat desserts.  I remember every Christmas we would have potica on the table.  Potica is an authentic slovenian nut and raisin roll that could be served as a dessert or even breakfast coffee cake.  I learned how to appreciate different tastes and foods from my grandmother's and mother's cooking over the years.  I hope I can bring you back to the ethnic kitchen with my postings.

I never knew where my culinary curiosity would take me.  I simply thought that I would just make dinners for me and my girlfriend (who is amazing by the way).  Yet, I yearned for more.  I sincerely believed that my food experiences and creations were worthy of sharing with my friends and family.  So here I am today.  I hope to share some of my delicious recipes, restaurant reviews, travels, and general food discussion with you.  I want this to be an open blog, so please give me your feedback.

To capture your eyes for my first post, I want to talk about an easy way to make deep dish pizza.  I have been to Chicago several times and absolutely love the deep dish pizza at Pizzeria Due.  I remember going up to Chicago for Labor Day weekend one year.  I drove up with my friends from Columbus, OH and it took FOREVER. We got a hotel right in downtown close to the Michigan Mile and Pizzeria Uno.  I told my friend that I've never had REAL deep dish pizza and he knew right where to take me.  We waited for a good 40 mins before we got our pizza but it was well worth the wait.  When I got back to Ohio, I was OBSESSED with finding the perfect deep dish pizza receipe to replicate that Pizzeria Due experience.  Here is what I came up with:

I would say start with store bought pizza dough.  I know, I know....I would rather make dough from scratch, and believe me, it is a delicious experience to have your own dough.  But, if you are like me and you just want a hands off, quick deep dish pizza, that is the way to go.  My lovely girlfriend told me once "I don't want you to spend all weekend in the kitchen..."  I believe she had a good point and that point was the foundation of this recipe.  Keep in mind, everything about this recipe is about "feel."  Think Italian grandmother.  Every recipe is in her head and never written down.  Every seasoning is added based on feel and taste.  That is crucial because you are making this pizza to YOUR tastes.  Not mine, not anyone else's.  Make your pizza however you'd like.  If you like onions, add onions.  If you like garlic, go ahead with the garlic!

Here's my recipe:

1 package store bought dough
1 package shredded mozzarella cheese
1lb. ground italian sausage, browned
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 spanish/white onion diced
1 jar of favorite pasta sauce
salt, pepper
cornmeal for dusting


I started with a 10'' round non-stick cake pan with cornmeal sprinkled on the bottom.  Next. added enough store bought dough to make thin walls all the way around.  Next, add your shredded mozzarella cheese along the bottom. Again, to taste.  Add as much cheese as you like.  I usually go with 2/3 of 1 package of store bought shredded cheese.  Next, add your browned italian sausage.  Then pile on your diced pepper and onion.  Finally, pour over your favorite pasta sauce until the pan is filled.  It may not be the entire jar, so you can save some for later.  Then, pop it in a 425 degree oven for 40-50 minutes, until the crust and top of pizza starts to brown.  See picture below.  This is completely easy and for those 40 minutes you can spend doing other things, like watching the game or entertaining your significant other.

You can pair this pizza with any dry red wine, but I suggest sangiovese/chianti.  I LOVE that wine and it is a great addition to any pizza.  Very italian, very Tuscan. 

I hope you enjoyed my blog thus far.  There is much more to come, so please join me on this culinary journey of delicious foods and great experiences!  Until next time, boun appetito.