Italian Sausage Deep Dish Pizza Recipe

By carolync

Ingredients

• 1 package (19 ounces) Johnsonville® Mild or Hot Italian Sausage Links, casings removed
• 1 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 can (2.25 ounces) sliced black olives, drained
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 teaspoons yellow cornmeal
• 2 tubes (13.2 ounces, each) refrigerated country Italian bread dough
• 6 slices provolone cheese
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 can (15 ounces) pizza sauce

Preparation

Step 1

Cook sausage links according to package directions; drain, cut into 1/4-inch slices and set aside.

In a skillet, sauté green pepper slices in 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat until lightly browned. Remove peppers and set aside.

In the same skillet, add remaining olive oil; sauté mushrooms over medium-high heat until lightly browned.

Position oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400°F.

Butter the bottom and sides of two 9-inch round baking pans. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of cornmeal in the interior of each pan.

Remove bread dough from tubes, unroll and press one tube of dough up sides and over the bottom of each prepared pan.

Arrange 3 slices of provolone over dough, followed by 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella and 1/4 cup of Parmesan into each pan. Spread 3/4 cup of pizza sauce over cheese layer. Top each pizza with half of the green peppers, mushrooms, olives and sausage slices.

Bake at 400°F for 30-35 minutes or until crusts are golden brown. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut into wedges. Serve.
Yield: 8 servings.