Puffy Pizza Bake
Like Deep Dish at Home
This Puffy Pizza Bake is as easy as… dare I say it?
Pie!
It assembles in minutes, the toppings are totally customizable, and it freezes and reheats well. This is a great weeknight meal, a delicious weekend treat, and a great dish to bring to a friend in need of a meal.
There is not a lot to say about this recipe because it has simple ingredients, is simple to assemble, and bakes up fairly quickly. There are just a few pictures and tips I want to share below about the ingredients.
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The Biscuits
I like to use these biscuits because they have the little flecks of butter in them. They bake up into a fluffy and puffy Pizza Bake.
These are the Pillsbury Grands Southern Homestyle, Butter Lovin variety. Keep the biscuits in the fridge until right before cutting them up to assemble the recipe.
You want them to retain their shape somewhat and not have melty dough going into the oven.
The Cheese
Above are the two cheeses I use. The fresh mozzarella and Chihuahua cheese make for a great blend.
I like to buy whole chunks of cheese and cube them instead of using shredded cheese because this melts slower and doesn’t dry out.
Chihuahua is a Mexican cheese typically used for quesadlillas. It has a mild creamy flavor, but you can use all mozzarella if you like or sub the Chihuahua for Monterrey Jack cheese.
This isn’t exactly a light dish, but it makes for a delightful indulgence when you’re looking for something with filling and delicious.
Puffy Pizza Bake
This Puffy Pizza Bake is as easy as, dare I say it? Pie! Assembles in minutes, the toppings are totally customizable and it freezes and reheats well. This is a great weeknight meal, a delicious weekend treat and a great dish to bring to a friend in need of a meal.
Ingredients
- 2 cans of of Pillsbury Butter Tastin Biscuits (8 Big Biscuits in each can)
- 1/2 lb of spicy or mild Italian sausage
- 16 ounces of your favorite marinara (use more or less depending on your liking)
- 1/2 medium sized yellow onion, diced
- 1 8 ounce ball of fresh Mozzarella
- 8 ounces of a brick of Chihuahua (quesadilla cheese) *product pictures, links and subs in post above
- Dried parsley
- Dried oregano
Instructions
- You will need a 9 x 13 casserole dish and a large bowl. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- Cook your sausage up with the diced onion, make sure you are breaking up the sausage into a nice crumble as it cooks. I like to get the sausage somewhat caramelized but not too. much because it bakes up more crispy in the oven.
- Open your biscuits and cut them into bite sized cubes. They do not have to be perfect size.
- Separate the biscuits and put them in a large bowl (pictures in post)
- Add as much marinara as you like to the cubes in the large bowl. I think about 16 ounces is perfect for us. It makes this saucy but not too saucy. You can test it the first time and adjust as needed next time. It is better to err on the side of less saucy because you want the dough to bake up and you can always add warm sauce to the plates when serving if it is dry.
- Carefully toss the cubes biscuit dough in the sauce. Try not to smash the dough down so toss lightly, You want the sauce coating the cubes but try to keep the cubes intact.
- Take the fresh mozzarella and cut into small cubes and add to the biscuits and marinara. Toss carefully again and then add all of this to the 9 x 13 pan. I do not spray my pan with anything. But if you know your pan sticks, spray it with Pam.
- If using the sausage or other veggies or topping, sprinkle that all over the top and get some in the crevices of the biscuit dough.
- Next take the chihuahua cheese, and cut into small cubes. I use chuhuahua because it gets super melty. I cut into cubes instead of shredding because the dough takes longer to bake up then cheese shreds take to melt. And I do cubes because the cheese melts slower and stays soft and gooey. Sprinkle tthe top with oregano and parsley.
- Bake for 35 minutes. Every oven will be different. I put mine in the center of the oven because that is where my oven gets the most even heat. I do not cover mine.Keep an eye on this how this bakes in your oven and make a note for next time. This is done when the cheese is melted, slightly golden brown and you want the center of this bake to be slightly firm and not too gooey and dough like.
- You can serve this right away by scooping it out and it will be gooey. If you want to serve this more intact, let it rest for 15 minutes on top of the warm stove while the oven cools down.
Pizza Salad As A Side
The best side dish to this Puffy Pizza Bake is of course my PIZZA SALAD. This is your perfect Friday night meal.
2 Comments
Jennifer Bradley Stewart
February 18, 2024 at 9:00 am
I made this on Friday instead of traditional pizza. It was delicious! I often need to provide an entree for a potluck and this will be my next contribution.
I did struggle to find the quesadilla cheese as a block. Eventually I found it at the Hispanic grocery storeés butcher counter. Iém glad I used it this time. Might make the substitution in the future to minimize shopping trips.
Heather Schmiedel
April 5, 2024 at 7:35 pm
Does this freeze well?