Mushroom, Turkey & Swiss Cheese Pizza

This is the anti-sauce pizza, and it works. Instead of the usual tomato-and-mozzarella routine, a ready-made pizza shell gets layered with deli turkey, quick-seared mushrooms, juicy tomato slices, and melty Swiss cheese. The flavor reads more like a hot turkey sandwich than a classic pie, in the best possible way.

Giving the mushrooms a fast blast in the skillet before they go on the pizza is a small move that pays off big. Raw mushrooms would weep water and leave you with a soggy middle, but two minutes on high heat drives off the moisture and develops some browning.

Chef Tips

• Shake the mushroom skillet constantly for those two minutes on high heat. Moving mushrooms brown; stationary ones steam.
• Pat the tomato slices dry with a paper towel before laying them on. Tomatoes are mostly water and will flood the pizza if you skip this.
• Use thinly sliced deli turkey, not thick-cut. Thick slices roll up as they warm and push the toppings around.
• Watch the cheese, not the clock. Swiss melts fast and can go from golden to burned in a minute at 450°F (230°C).

Variations

• Swap Swiss for provolone or gruyère if you want more nutty depth.
• Add a thin smear of pesto or Dijon mustard under the turkey for an extra flavor layer.
• Use leftover roast turkey instead of deli slices for a post-holiday cleanup pizza.