Peppy Pizza Pie

This flips the whole pizza concept inside out. Instead of dough on the bottom and meat on top, the “crust” is a seasoned mixture of ground beef and chopped pepperoni pressed into a pie pan like a meatloaf shell. The pizza toppings go inside.

The meat crust gets mixed with breadcrumbs, egg, oregano, salt, and half the tomato sauce before being pressed evenly across the bottom and up the sides of the pan. The chopped pepperoni gives the meat a red-flecked look and adds that spicy, cured-pork flavor throughout.

Mushrooms and sliced black olives fill the center, topped with the remaining tomato sauce and baked for 25 minutes. Mozzarella goes on in the last 5 minutes so it melts and bubbles without burning.

Five minutes of resting after baking lets the meat crust firm up enough to slice into clean wedges.

Chef Tips

• Press the meat mixture firmly and evenly, especially up the sides of the pan. Thin spots will shrink and crack during baking
• Use lean ground beef. Higher-fat beef releases too much grease and the pie ends up sitting in a puddle
• Drain the canned mushrooms well before adding them, or the excess liquid will make the filling soggy
• This is great for kids who love pizza flavors but you want to skip the carb-heavy dough

Variations

• Add diced green peppers or sliced jalapenos to the filling for more vegetable variety
• Use Italian sausage mixed with the beef for an even more pizza-forward flavor
• Swap mozzarella for a blend of provolone and Parmesan