Cheesy Meatball Deep Dish Pizza

Time for a great dinnertime solution that’s sure to please even the pickiest eater! Cheesy Meatball Deep Dish Pizza is made using my favorite pizza dough recipe and only 3 additional ingredients. Check out my recipe hack that brings the flavor!

homemade pizza dough is surprisingly easy

The one homemade component of this recipe is my pizza dough. For this Cheesy Meatball Deep Dish Pizza, I made a 36 oz. dough ball following the instructions highlighted in a past pizza dough recipe blog post. If you’ve never made homemade pizza dough before, it’s a really easy process and the results are so delicious. (So I recommend trying your hand at becoming a pizza maker!)

However if you’re short on time, store-bought pizza dough is a great substitute. Just be sure you have 36 ounces of dough.

If making homemade dough, allow the dough to rise (covered in a bowl) for 2 hours. Then stretch and place the dough in a 12″x17″x2″ greased cake pan or baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise once more (for approximately 2 hours).

cheesy meatball pizza hacks

This is exceptionally easy thanks to a few simple hacks –

• precooked + frozen Italian style meatballs
• grated cheese (I always grate cheese from a bulk-sized block)*
• jarred crushed tomatoes

*except for that pre-grated Pecorino Romano that I found on sale (with no anti-caking agents in the ingredient list!!).

To make the meatball topping portion of this recipe, simply combine the frozen pre-cooked meatballs and crushed tomatoes in a saucepan with a little salt and pepper and bring to a simmer, cooking until the meatballs are heated through. The seasonings from the frozen pre-cooked Italian meatballs impart the perfect amount of flavor into the crushed tomatoes.

Once the meatballs are heated through, evenly pour meatballs and sauce over the dough. Top with cheeses and bake at 425° for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through. (an instant read thermometer registers 190°)

So simple – so comforting and certainly a keeper!

Cheesy Meatball Deep Dish Pizza

• 36 oz pizza dough (made according to this recipe OR pre-bought)
• 24 oz crushed tomatoes
• 24 oz frozen Italian style meatballs (precooked)
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 t pepper
• 16 oz Colby jack cheese, shredded
• 1/2 c Pecorino Romano, grated

If making homemade dough, allow the dough to rise (covered in a bowl) for 2 hours. Then stretch and place the dough in a 12″x17″x2″ greased cake pan or baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise once more (for approximately 2 hours).

Preheat oven to 425°. Once dough has completed its second rise, place frozen meatballs and crushed tomatoes in a saucepan, add salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a simmer to heat through.

Sprinkle 1/2 c cheese over the pizza dough and top with the heated crushed tomatoes and meatballs. Top with remaining cheeses and bake for 25-30 minutes (until baked through or internal temperature of the crust reaches 190°).

Serves 10