Good Living 123

Celebrate National Deep-Dish Pizza Day with a decadent slice of Chicago-style scrumptiousness.

Super Simple Deep-Dish Pizza
This is always best with a home-made crust and sauce, but this Super Simple twist on Chicago-style pizza is yummy!!!

Butter, for greasing pan
1½–2 lbs prepared pizza dough balls, thawed, if frozen
½ c yellow cornmeal
1 lb sweet or hot Italian sausage, removed from casings if in links
24 Pepperoni Chips (see below)
14-oz favorite bottled pizza sauce
14-oz can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
1 tsp mixed Italian seasoning
¼ tsp oregano
½ tsp sugar
12-oz low-moisture (NOT fresh) Mozzarella cheese, shredded
½ c freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Generously butter bottom and sides of a 12” cast iron skillet. Roll pizza dough in cornmeal, pressing down and kneading to mix in the cornmeal. Transfer dough to prepared pan, pressing evenly across the bottom and 2” up the sides. Cover and let rest 10 minutes before filling. Meanwhile, cook, crumble, and drain the sausage in another skillet; set aside.

Make Pepperoni Chips by placing 24 pre-sliced pieces of pepperoni in a single layer on a triple thickness of paper toweling. Top with a single layer of paper toweling and microwave for 45 – 60 seconds. (This is to remove most of the grease, rather than make the crispy chips to serve independently.) Then prepare sauce in a bowl by combining pizza sauce, tomatoes, seasonings, and sugar.

Fill pizza by sprinkling Mozzarella cheese evenly in the crust. Then sprinkle the cooked sausage over the cheese. Spoon the sauce over the top, using the back of a spoon to press it to the edges. Top with a layer of Pepperoni Chips and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Place in oven that has been preheated to 425°F for 30 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing with a sharp knife and serving with a spatula.

KISS Tips: Check pizza after 15-20 minutes to be sure crust is not browning too quickly. If it is, tent loosely with foil. You can individually wrap and freeze slices and then reheat for 10-12 minutes at 375°F (never in a microwave).

For National Oysters on the Half Shell Day, go ahead and slurp down a few raw ones, if that’s your thing. If not, roast them, make a stew, or try my Super Simple Oysters Rockefeller recipe.

Super Simple Oysters Rockefeller
Keep this Super Simple by having the seafood department of your grocery store shuck the oysters for you, keeping half the shells, of course. You can now serve a fancy-looking appetizer without the fuss.

1/3 c butter, divided
1 shallot, peeled & finely minced
¼ tsp finely minced garlic
2 T dry white vermouth or pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc
2 c baby spinach leaves (stems removed), coarsely chopped
Ground black pepper (to suit your taste)
4 T heavy (whipping) cream
¼ c grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
3-4 sliced cooked & crumbled bacon (optional)
½ c panko breadcrumbs
24 raw oysters, shucked (and 12 half shells)
Lemon wedges, for serving
Rock salt, for baking/serving (optional)

Melt ¼ c butter over med heat in skillet; sauté shallots for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and let cook 1 minute; stir in the Vermouth and let cook 1 min before stirring in the spinach and seasoning with pepper. Stir in the cream and cheese, along with half the bacon. Remove from heat. Melt remaining butter and stir in the panko. Lay 1 oyster in each of the half shells in rock salt (if desired) or in baking pan, top with a couple T of spinach mixture, sprinkle with buttery crumbs and remaining bacon. Place in preheated 375-400° F oven for 7-8 minutes. Serve hot with lemon wedges. Makes 24.

KISS Tips: For cheese fans, add 6 oz Gruyère cheese, shredded along with the grated Romano. If needed, when not using rock salt, you can also support oysters on bits of crumbled foil on your baking pan. If preparing ahead, simply cover the tray of unbaked, stuffed oysters with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate till just before needed; add 1-22 minutes to baking time. Make this a meal by adding some warmed, crusty French bread and a green salad.