I love pizza, and I love lasagna, so I decided to make the best of both worlds. A lasagna pizza! Ever since I purchased my cast iron skillet I've been looking for as many opportunities as possible to use it. I really wasn't sure how this cast iron pizza was going to turn out while it was cooking... SPOILER ALERT: It was amazing!!!
Cast Iron Pizza Recipe
While I was researching how to make this cast iron pizza lasagna I came across some great deep dish pizza recipes and lasagna recipes. This is a combination of all the recipes I came across. Everything in this cast iron pizza recipe was made from scratch.
Home Made Smoked Pizza Dough
You could probably buy a premade pizza dough, but we opted to make our own. It only took about ten minutes to combine the ingredients, and about twenty minutes to let it rise. It really was an easy process.
First, you dissolve traditional active dry yeast - don't use the instant rise stuff, it won't work for this recipe - sugar, and warm water until the water becomes foamy.
In a large bowl add the flour, bloomed yeast, Italian seasoning, and salt. Use your mixer, and blend it until smooth. Cover the bowl, and let the dough rise for 15-20 minutes.
After the dough has risen - we made this for Easter, pardon the pun - put it on a floured surface, and knead the dough until it's no longer sticky.
Now that the dough is ready, it's time to make the cast iron pizza lasagna filling!
Simple Lasagna Filling
One of the keys to a good deep dish pizza is to make sure the first layer of filling is not too wet. We're going to cook this filling down in a large skillet before we put it on the pizza.
In a large skillet combine 1 pound of ground Italian sausage, 1 pound of ground beef, and 1 small diced onion. Cook the meat and onion over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink. Once it's cooked through, drain the meat, and then put it back in the skillet.
Add a can of crushed tomatoes, a can of tomato paste, water, sugar, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce heat and let it simmer.
Smoked Pizza Dough Prep
While the pizza lasagna filling is simmering, it's time to set the base for your pizza. Place the dough on a floured counter top, and then roll it out. Once it's large enough to fit your cast iron skillet - I used a 12" skillet - put the dough in the skillet, and then drape it up over the sides.
Turn your smoker on, and get the temp up to 350 degrees. When the smoker is up to temp, put the cast iron skillet with the dough in the smoker and let it cook for 15 minutes. As soon as the dough starts to brown along the top edges, remove it from the smoker.
More Smoked Lasagna Filling
In a small bowl mix ricotta cheese, an egg, salt, and parsley.
Time to Make the Smoked Pizza Lasagna
By now your simmering lasagna sauce should have thickened up and it's time to build your pizza. Put enough meat sauce in the bottom of the pizza to cover the dough, follow with the ricotta mixture, shredded mozzarella, and no-boil lasagna noodles.
Repeat the process until the pizza is filled to the brim, and then throw it in the smoker! Let the cast iron pizza lasagna cook uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes cover the pizza with foil and cook for an additional 30 minutes. Then, uncover the lasagna, and let it cook until the internal temperature is 165 degrees.
I had never thought about internal temps for lasagna until making this, and now I've found another reason that I love my Thermapen. It was so easy to check the internal temp!
Cast Iron Pizza Lasagna Recipe
I made this pizza on the smoker for 6 adults, and while it was cooking I was worried we wouldn't have enough for everyone to eat. Collectively, we were only able to finish half of this pizza... The leftovers were just as delicious, and the crust was crispy enough to hold the toppings no problem.
I love cooking traditional barbecue meals on my smoker like brisket, pulled pork, and ribs. This cast iron skillet pizza was just as fun to cook, and I can't wait to make it again!
Cast Iron Smoked Pizza
Ingredients
Pizza Dough
- 2 cups water warm
- 1 tbsp active dry yeast
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 5 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp italian seasoning
- ½ tsp garlic powder
Pizza Filling
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb mild ground italian sausage
- 3 cloves garlic
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- ⅔ cup water
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 3 tbsp parsley minced
- 2 tsp basil
- ¾ tsp salt
- 15 ounces Ricotta Cheese
- 4 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 pkg no boil lasagna noodles
Instructions
- Dissolve traditional active dry yeast with sugar and warm water until the water becomes foamy.
- In a large bowl add the flour, bloomed yeast, Italian seasoning, and salt. Use your mixer, and blend it until smooth. Cover the bowl, and let the dough rise for 15-20 minutes.
- After the dough has risen put it on a floured surface, and knead the dough until it's no longer sticky.
- In a large skillet combine 1 pound of ground Italian sausage, 1 pound of ground beef, and 1 small diced onion. Cook the meat and onion over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink. Once it's cooked through, drain the meat, and then put it back in the skillet.
- Add a can of crushed tomatoes, a can of tomato paste, water, sugar, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce heat and let it simmer.
- While the pizza lasagna filling is simmering, it's time to set the base for your pizza. Place the dough on a floured counter top, and then roll it out. Once it's large enough to fit your cast iron skillet - I used a 12" skillet - put the dough in the skillet, and then drape it up over the sides.
- Turn your smoker on, and get the temp up to 350 degrees. When the smoker is up to temp, put the cast iron skillet with the dough in the smoker and let it cook for 15 minutes. As soon as the dough starts to brown along the top edges, remove it from the smoker.
- When the edges are brown, remove the crust from the smoker
- In a small bowl mix ricotta cheese, an egg, salt, and parsley.
- Put enough meat sauce in the bottom of the pizza to cover the dough, follow with the ricotta mixture, shredded mozzarella, and no-boil lasagna noodles.
- Layer the fillings until the pizza is filled to the brim
- Repeat the process until the pizza is filled to the brim, and then throw it in the smoker! Let the cast iron pizza lasagna cook uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes cover the pizza with foil and cook for an additional 30 minutes. Then, uncover the lasagna, and let it cook until the internal temperature is 165 degrees.
- When the surface is brown and bubbly, and the internal temp is 165, the pizza is ready!
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