Slow Cooker Deep Dish Pizza (Chicago Style)
Unbelievable Slow Cooker Deep Dish Pizza. That’ right, Chicago style pizza made in the crockpot. BOOM!
I have a strange fondness of making out of the ordinary dishes in the crockpot. I secretly consider it a personal challenge.
Some of my favorites include…
Crockpot Thanksgiving Stuffing
Crockpot Bacon Wrapped Beef Tenderloin
A few weeks ago I was craving Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza in a major way, so I started rummaging through my cabinets to find the right sized pans to make it.
Suddenly I stopped in my tracks… Could Deep Dish Pizza be made in the crockpot?!?
Challenge accepted!
Instead of pulling out cake pans, I lifted my slow cookers onto the counter.
Since I had made bread in the crockpot before, I knew what wonderful things low heat could do to yeasty dough. This had to work.
As you can see in the photos, my efforts in making a Slow Cooker Deep Dish Pizza Recipe were a huge success.
You might be wondering, “Why would I make pizza in a slow cooker when I could just pop it in the oven?”
I’m so glad you asked…
Why You Should Make Slow Cooker Deep Dish Pizza
Slow cooker pizza is hard to burn. I mean, you really have to try to burn it. If you have an affinity for leaving things in the oven too long, this recipe is for you! Leave the house for a few hours without fear.
Crockpot cooking saves energy. It also keeps your house cool.
Perfect crust. Cooking the crust low and slow gives it a fabulous pillowy texture on the inside, yet it still crisps up on the outside.
It’s a great kids cooking project. Gone are your concerns of singed fingers. Set out toppings and let the kids go crazy! They’ll have fun stretching the dough and piling on the cheese, right in the crockpot.
Come home to a finished dinner. Like with most crockpot recipes, you can prep the pizza in the morning and come home to a tantalizing dinner, ready and waiting for you.
Plus, if you have several crockpots you can make multiple varieties at once. (You wouldn’t believe how many friends and readers tell me they have 3-4 crockpots at home.)
I am in love with this Chicago Style Slow Cooker Deep Dish Pizza. Head over heels.
However, you can make any sort of deep dish pizza you like in your crockpot.
Why not give it a try?
Slow Cooker Deep Dish Pizza (Chicago Style)
Ingredients
- 1 pound homemade pizza dough or frozen pizza dough, thawed
- 2 tablespoons cornmeal
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 shallot, peeled and diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes (1 can)
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian Seasoning
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups shredded italian blend cheese
- 1/2 pound Italian pork sausage, cooked
- Garnishes: Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley
Instructions
- This recipe works best in a large oval 6-8 quart slow cooker. Roll the pizza dough out onto a large piece of parchment paper. Make sure to roll and stretch to dough into an oval 2 inches longer and 2 inches wider than the crock of the slow cooker. Sprinkle with cornmeal and press into both sides of the crust. Then use the edges of the paper to lower the crust into the crock.
- Place the butter and onions in a saute pan. Saute for 1-2 minutes, then add the garlic and saute another 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, Italian Seasoning, sugar and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat.
- Meanwhile, cook the pork sausage in a separate skillet, breaking apart with a wooden spoon.
- Spread the cheese over the bottom of the pizza crust. Lift and stretch the sides of the dough so they stand up past the cheese. Sprinkle the crumbled sausage over the cheese. Then spread the tomato sauce over the sausage. Lift and stretch the sides of the crust again so it is above the edge of the sauce.
- Cover the slow cooker with a long piece of paper towel. Then place the lid over the paper towel and pull it tight. This helps catch excess moisture.
- Slow cook the pizza for 2-4 hours on high, or 4-6 hours on low. When you are ready to serve, lift the pizza out of the crock by the edges of the parchment paper and sprinkle the top with parmesan cheese and parsley. Cut into 4 pieces.
Do I put the parchment paper in the crockpot and let it cook with it?
Hi Sydney,
Yes, it keeps the pizza from sticking to the bottom and also helps you to lift it out of the crock.
Haven’t made this – yet – but born and raised in Chicago many many years ago and retired in AZ since ’03. Just one question. Where does the sodium (1450g) comes from?
I always cook with “no salt added” ingredient’s so WHERE does the Sodium originate??
Thanks.
Salt in the pizza dough, crushed tomatoes, additional salt in step 2, salt in both mozarella and parmesan cheeses. I’ll be using lower sodium pizza crust, no salt added crushed tomatoes and no additional salt in step 2.
Oh yeah, and the sausage…..
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This style of pizza is very testy and looking very beautiful
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Is it really necessary to use cornmeal n the dough? I wear dentures and cornmeal is like razors when I eat pizza with cornmeal. Could I just spray the parchment with Pam spray?
Hi Sharon,
Sure, you can omit the cornmeal! :)
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