This irresistible Pizza Pot Pie will transform your family pizza night! It's like a deep-dish pizza turned upside down, with gooey cheese on top and all your favorite toppings sealed inside a golden crust. Perfect for a fun weeknight dinner with everyone rushing to the table.
The personal-sized portions and flippable serving style make this pizza pot pie recipe totally unique. Each serving is customizable, so it's perfect for families with different topping preferences. And since it's made in Chicago-style with the cheese on top, you'll get that Instagram-worthy cheese pull with every bite!
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🗝️ Recipe's key points
- Pizza pot pie combines the best of stuffed crust and deep dish pizza in a personal-sized portion
- It's quick and easy, cooking in just 12-15 minutes at 400°F
- Perfect for customizing individual servings with favorite toppings
- Creates a fun, interactive dining experience when flipped onto the plate
If you think regular pizza is good, this pizza pot pie will blow your mind. One bite of the golden crust revealing the melty cheese and savory fillings will have you hooked. Plus, the presentation is guaranteed to impress!
🛒 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
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- Pizza dough - store-bought or fresh-made
- Mozzarella cheese - creates the melty top layer
- Pizza sauce - use your favorite brand or make it homemade!
- Italian sausage - adds protein. Feel free to swap out for your favorite meat or leave it out altogether.
- Mushrooms - provide earthy flavor. Leave them out if you're not a fan.
- Garlic and Italian seasoning - used to jazz up the storebought pizza sauce.
- Oil or butter - for greasing the ramekins
- Additional toppings - customize to your preference with any toppings you love!
🗒 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Preheat oven to 400°F and thoroughly grease four 5-inch ramekins.
- Line ramekins with mozzarella cheese slices.
- Add sausage and mushrooms on top of the cheese.
- Add the remaining pizza toppings you've chosen for your pizza pot pie.
- Mix seasoning into pizza sauce.
- Add the seasoned pizza sauce to each of the ramekins.
- Divide dough into four portions and roll into 6-inch circles.
- Cover each ramekin with pizza dough and seal the edges.
- Transfer the pizza pot pies to a baking sheet.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Flip onto plates for serving.
- Garnish with fresh basil and enjoy!
🥫 Storage
Store leftover pizza pot pie in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 350°F for best results.
📚 Variations
- Veggie Lovers: Skip the meat and load up with mushrooms, peppers, and spinach
- Meat Lovers: Add pepperoni, Canadian bacon, and extra Italian sausage
- Classic Margherita: Keep it simple with fresh mozzarella, basil, and pizza sauce
- BBQ Chicken: Swap pizza sauce for BBQ sauce and use chicken instead of sausage
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- Grease the ramekins thoroughly, including the rim and at least 1 inch down the outside. This prevents sticking and ensures easy removal after baking.
- The cheese layer is crucial - use enough slices to completely cover the bottom and sides of the ramekin. This creates the signature melty top layer when flipped.
- When sealing the edges, press firmly against the outer rim of the ramekin to create an airtight seal.
- Flip the pot pies immediately after removing from the oven. The cheese needs to be hot and melty for the perfect reveal. If you wait too long, the cheese may start to solidify and stick to the ramekin.
- For even cooking, place all ramekins on a single baking sheet. This also makes it easier to move them in and out of the oven.
- If using fresh pizza dough, let it come to room temperature before rolling. This makes it easier to work with and helps achieve the perfect thickness.
🤔 FAQs
The pizza pot pie was popularized in Chicago, specifically by Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Co. in the 1970s. It was made as a special take on deep-dish pizza. It mixes pot pie cooking methods with pizza toppings.
The key is layering - placing the cheese first creates a barrier between the sauce and crust. Also, ensure your oven is fully preheated to 400°F before baking, as this helps create a crispy crust quickly.
Yes, pizza dough works perfectly for this recipe. Traditional pie dough is flakier. However, pizza dough gives a chewy texture and strong structure for pizza pot pies.
Early Italian immigrants in New York called their pizzas "tomato pies." They named them this because of their round shape and sliced pieces, which looked like fruit pies. The term stuck and became part of New York pizza culture.
Yes, "pizza pie" is a correct and traditional term, especially in parts of the United States. It goes back to the early days of pizza in America. This was when people first learned about this Italian dish.
While Chicagoans might occasionally use "pie" when referring to deep-dish pizza, they typically just say "pizza." The term "pie" is more common in New York pizza culture.
📗 Related Recipes
Love Pizza? You'll get a kick out of these recipes:
- Three Cheese Gourmet White Pizza
- Chicken Mexican Pizza
- Pizza Bites Appetizer and Snack
- Pizza Tater Tot Casserole
- Focaccia Pizza
- Bruschetta Pizza Appetizer
- BBQ Chicken Pizza
- Crostata-Style Brie Pizza – this one is a twist on the traditional pizza. Think of this pizza as the love child of a tart and a flatbread. So good!
🍽 What to serve with Pizza Pot Pie
These individual pizza pot pies are a meal in themselves, but they pair beautifully with classic Italian sides. Try serving them with a garden salad dressed in balsamic vinaigrette or a Caesar salad with homemade croutons.
For a heartier spread, add some garlic cheesy bread. A light antipasto platter with marinated vegetables and olives makes an excellent starter while your pot pies are baking.
🔪 All Our Way recommends the following
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You’ll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- 5-inch ramekins or similar oven-safe dishes
- Rolling pin for the dough
- Baking sheet -- rimmed
- Spatula for flipping
- Cutting board and knife for prep
📞 Chiacchierata (chat)
So, if you're a pizza lover looking for something nuovo (new), you're in for a treat with this recipe. This Pizza Pot Pie has everything you love about pizza. It features melty cheese, tasty toppings, and a great crust. Plus, it comes with a fun, surprising twist.
This Individual pizza pot pie is the most fun you and your family will have with dinner all week! Who doesn't love the drama of flipping that ramekin and unveiling a perfect, golden crust? It's like your own little pizza regalo (present). Plus, the customization possibilities are endless -- add pepperoni, go veggie-loaded, or try a barbecue chicken twist.
Let everyone build their own for a crowd-pleaser that doubles as an activity! Whether for family pizza night, date night or just because, this recipe is guaranteed to bring smiles to the table. Buon appetito!🍕
Tutti a tavolo, è pronto!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
What's new? Check out my All Our Way Store on Amazon. We'll be adding more items we love and use or wish we had to make cooking fun and easy.
📖 Recipe
Upside-Down Delicious: Individual Pizza Pot Pies
Equipment Needed
Ingredients
- 2 Store-bought pizza crusts. You can use Pillsbury or fresh-made.
- 3 tablespoons oil or butter
- 1 ½ cups pizza sauce
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning divided
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage browned
- 1 cup mushrooms thinly sliced
- 10 slices pepperoni chopped
- Fresh basil
- Fresh spinach
- Fresh mozzarella slices optional
- 1 lb. mozzarella cheese sliced
- Additional pizza toppings as desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease four large (5-inch) ramekins or cake pans with oil or butter, making sure to grease the rim and at least 1 inch down the outside.
- Divide dough into four equal-sized portions. Roll each into a circle about 6 inches wide. Set aside.
- Cover the inside of the ramekins with mozzarella cheese—make sure to use enough! Next, add browned Italian sausage, sliced mushrooms, and Canadian bacon. Here, you can individualize the pizza with your preferred ingredients.
- Stir together the pizza sauce, garlic, and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Pour the sauce over the other fillings in the ramekins. Cover each ramekin with pizza dough, stretching it to fit over the entire top, and press to seal the edges to the outer rims.
- Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake in an oven for 12-15 minutes until the crusts are golden brown. Once fully cooked, remove the pot pies from the oven and immediately turn them over onto plates for serving. Remove the ramekins, garnish with the remaining Italian seasoning and fresh basil, and serve.
Notes
- Grease the ramekins thoroughly, including the rim, and at least 1 inch down the outside. This prevents sticking and ensures easy removal after baking.
- The cheese layer is crucial - use enough slices to cover the bottom and sides of the ramekin completely. This creates the signature melty top layer when flipped.
- When sealing the edges, press firmly against the outer rim of the ramekin to create an airtight seal.
- Flip the pot pies immediately after removing from the oven. The cheese needs to be hot and melty for the perfect reveal. If you wait too long, the cheese may solidify and stick to the ramekin.
- For even cooking, place all ramekins on a single baking sheet. This also makes moving them in and out of the oven easier.
- If using fresh pizza dough, let it come to room temperature before rolling. This makes it easier to work with and helps achieve the perfect thickness.
Nutrition
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Marisa Franca
What a great idea! Individual portions so everyone can get exactly what they want. The comfort of a pot pie and the deliciousness of a deep-dish pizza. This will be a regular on our menu.