Pop-Up Pizza

Think of this as pizza night without the fuss of rolling out dough. A saucy, seasoned ground beef filling goes into the pan first, then gets blanketed with cheese and a simple egg batter that puffs up golden and crisp in the oven.

The batter is the real trick. It rises around the filling like a savory popover, giving you that satisfying bread-meets-pizza texture without any yeast or proofing time.

Green bell pepper and a dash of hot sauce keep the filling from being one-note, while the spaghetti sauce mix builds a concentrated tomato backbone that tastes like it simmered way longer than it did.

Pro Tips

• Make sure the meat filling is hot when you pour the batter over it. The heat jump-starts the batter’s rise for a puffier crust.
• Beat the batter a full two minutes. Under-mixing means a flat, dense top instead of that light, popover-style puff.
• Don’t open the oven during the first 20 minutes or the batter may collapse.
• Let it rest 5 minutes after baking so the slices hold together when you cut them.

Variations

• Use Italian sausage instead of ground beef for a spicier, more herbaceous filling.
• Layer in sliced pepperoni or diced mushrooms with the cheese for a loaded pizza vibe.
• Swap Monterey Jack for a sharp provolone if you want a stronger cheese pull.