Pizza Pot Pie

Part deep-dish pizza, part lasagna, part pot pie. Four pounds of Italian sausage (half sweet, half hot) get browned and mixed with spicy tomato sauce, then layered twice with a ricotta-Parmesan-herb mixture and a generous blanket of mozzarella before the whole thing gets sealed under a rolled pizza dough crust.

The ricotta layer is more than just cheese. Mixed with Parmesan, fresh parsley, oregano, egg, and black pepper, it becomes a seasoned filling that acts like the creamy counterpoint to the meaty, spicy sausage below. Two full layers of this stacked with mozzarella create pockets of melted cheese throughout.

The pizza dough crust on top is the crown. Rolled to ⅓ inch thick and tucked around the edges, it bakes into a golden, bread-like lid that holds in all the steam and keeps everything underneath melty and molten. An egg wash gives it that bakery shine, and decorative dough cutouts on top make it look like you spent all day on this.

Chef Tips

• Drain the sausage thoroughly after browning; excess grease makes the bottom layer soggy
• Let the pot pie rest a full 30 minutes before cutting; the filling needs time to set or it runs everywhere
• Tuck the dough edges firmly against the inside of the pan so steam doesn’t escape and dry out the filling
• Use a 9×13 dish with at least 2-inch sides; the filling is generous and will overflow a shallow pan

Variations

• Pepperoni version: Replace the sausage with a thick layer of pepperoni slices and sliced mushrooms
• Veggie: Skip the sausage and layer with sauteed peppers, onions, mushrooms, and olives
• Calzone style: Divide into individual ramekins with dough circles on top for personal pot pies