Slow-Cooker Deep-Dish Pizza

Prep 25 min
Total 2 hr 10 min
Servings 4

Delicious, deep dish-style pizza made in the slow cooker? Yes, it’s true! Ideal for any time you’d rather keep your oven off, this clever recipe easily can be tailored to suit your topping tastes.

By Betty Crocker Kitchens

Updated January 15, 2018

Ingredients

1/2

lb bulk mild Italian sausage
1

can (11 oz) Pillsbury™ refrigerated thin pizza crust
1/2

cup pizza sauce
1/4

cup chopped red or green bell pepper
1/4

cup chopped onion
1 1/2

cups shredded mozzarella cheese (6 oz)

Steps

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1

Spray 6-quart oval slow cooker with cooking spray. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until no longer pink; drain.
2

Unroll pizza dough; fold in half crosswise. Place pizza dough in slow cooker; press in bottom and 1 inch up sides. Spread pizza sauce evenly over dough to within 1/2 inch of edges. Top with half each of the cooked sausage, bell pepper, onion and cheese. Repeat with remaining sausage, bell pepper, onion and cheese.
3

Place folded, clean dish towel under cover of cooker. This will prevent condensation from dripping down onto pizza. Cover; cook on High heat setting 45 minutes. Carefully remove slow cooker’s ceramic insert, leaving cover on, and rotate insert 180°. Continue to cook on High heat setting 30 to 60 minutes or until crust edges are deep golden brown, cheese is melted, and thermometer inserted in center reads 165°F.
4

Loosen edges of pizza with metal spatula or small knife; carefully remove from slow cooker to cutting board. Cut and serve.

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Some slow cookers have a metal (cast aluminum) insert, which works best for even heat distribution and browning of pizza crust. These are sometimes called searing slow cookers or multicookers. If you don’t own one of these, a traditional 6-quart slow cooker with ceramic insert will work as well. Expect that there may be a few hot spots resulting in some uneven or darker areas of pizza crust.
Covering the slow cooker with a clean dish towel before adding slow cooker cover helps alleviate any condensation that may drip onto pizza during cooking.
Don’t care for Italian sausage? Try swapping pepperoni slices or Canadian bacon for the sausage.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving

Calories: 490
Calories from Fat: 200

% Daily Value

Total Fat: 23g; 35%
Saturated Fat 10g 48% Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol: 50mg; 17%
Sodium: 1200mg; 50%
Potassium: 320mg; 9%
Total Carbohydrate: 46g; 15%
Dietary Fiber 1g 6% Sugars 6g
Protein: 25g

% Daily Value*:

Vitamin A: 10%; 10%
Vitamin C: 10%; 10%
Calcium: 35%; 35%
Iron: 15%; 15%

Exchanges:

1 Starch; 0 Fruit; 2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 High-Fat Meat; 1/2 Fat;