This is one slow cooker recipe the whole family will love. Our Slow Cooker Deep-Dish Pizza Recipe is perfect for any weeknight meal!
Perfect for busy days, throw this pizza together in the morning (or the night before!), set it, and forget it! Truly a crowd-pleasing recipe, you must try this Slow Cooker Deep-Dish Pizza Recipe.
Crock pot pizza casserole, slow cooker deep dish pizza… whatever you call it, I just call it a delicious meal.
It is really amazing everything you can make in the slow cooker. I’ve even seen cakes and cookies, can you believe it?!
Whatever your family favorite meal may be to make in the slow cooker/crock pot, I just know we all love using this appliance any chance we get.
I still think this easy dinner recipe is one you will be shocked at how good it comes out. Layers of melty cheese, homemade Italian sausage, and a fantastic no-cook pizza sauce, this dish has it all!
Plus, you get to know what you are putting into your body instead of ordering pizza delivery… once again!
I guarantee this Slow Cooker Deep-Dish Pizza Recipe is one you will be asked to make again and again!
Some of our other favorite slow cooker recipes we have on our site include: Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches, Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes, and Slow Cooker Chicken Burritos.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- Makes one pizza, but you can make more in multiple slow cookers simultaneously.
- Experience the full Chicago style experience right at home!
- A homemade Italian sausage recipe is included, making this pizza burst with flavor.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR THE FULL RECIPE CARD):
- Ground pork
- Garlic, minced
- Fennel seeds, crushed
- Dried basil
- Dried oregano
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Crushed tomatoes
- Grated parmesan cheese
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Pizza dough, thawed
- Sliced mozzarella cheese
- Olive oil
- Fresh chopped parsley
HOW TO MAKE SLOW COOKER DEEP-DISH PIZZA RECIPE:
- First, make the Italian sausage. Mix together the ground pork, garlic, fennel, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, and pepper in a medium mixing bowl.
- Place a medium to a large skillet over medium-high heat and let it get hot. Add the meat mixture, break it up into crumbles, and cook it until there is no pink left, stirring often. Let it drain on paper towels to absorb any excess grease.
- Stir together the crushed tomatoes, parmesan, dried basil, dried oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder in a medium mixing bowl, and set aside.
- Lay out a large piece of parchment paper. Place the thawed pizza dough in the center. Stretch it out to an oval shape or roughly into the shape of your 8-quart slow cooker.
- Place the dough into the slow cooker insert, using the parchment paper to help lift it. You may have to adjust it more in the slow cooker so it will fit, do so now.
- Press the mozzarella slices into the dough and leave about a ½-inch border.
- Add the cooked crumbled sausage on top, followed by the pizza sauce you made.
- Add the 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan and, finally, a drizzle of olive oil.
- Carefully lift the edges of the crust, so it sits above the fillings.
- Place a large piece of paper towel over the slow cooker and put the lid on. Place on high for 2-3 hours or low 4-5 hours.
- Lift the pizza out by the parchment once it is done, and let it sit for 15 minutes. Slice and serve with more parmesan and fresh chopped parsley if desired.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS RECIPE:
DO I HAVE TO MAKE THE SAUSAGE?
Not at all, you can use your favorite ground Italian sausage in its place.
Just make sure you cook it first and assemble the rest of the pizza as written.
WHAT OTHER TOPPINGS CAN I USE?
You can totally make this your own and use your favorite pizza toppings.
Here are some other proteins I suggest:
- Ground beef
- Pepperoni slices
- Canadian bacon or crumbled cooked bacon
- Any cooked sausage will do
- Ground turkey
- Chorizo
Vegetables I suggest:
- Mushrooms
- Spinach sauteed with garlic
- Green pepper – or any bell pepper, I love red pepper
- Sliced red onion
Other cheese you can use:
- Ricotta
- Shredded Provolone
- Cheddar cheese
- Shredded mozzarella
- Fresh mozzarella
WHAT KIND OF PIZZA DOUGH DO I NEED?
We use the fresh pizza dough you can normally purchase in the deli section at the grocery store.
However, you can use your own homemade pizza crust as long as it is one pound.
Continue on with the rest of the recipe as written.
DO I HAVE TO MAKE THE SAUCE?
No, you can use any tomato sauce based sauce or even a cream sauce for this.
If you happen to have spaghetti sauce on hand, use that! This is a great recipe to use up any odds and ends you may have laying around.
ANY OTHER SUBSTITUTIONS?
As I’ve said, go crazy with this as a base recipe and add your favorite toppings, cheeses, meats, sauce, etc.
Right out of the slow cooker, I like to add that dusting of grated parmesan cheese but a little sprinkle of garlic powder, Italian seasoning, dried oregano, or red pepper flakes is also amazing.
This is the 8-quart slow cooker I use:
HOW TO STORE:
Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave
Freeze for up to 3 months.
Place leftovers in the freezer in a freezer-safe container. To thaw, place the dish in the fridge overnight.
DANA’S TIPS AND TRICKS:
- Makes one pizza, but easily double the recipe and make two simultaneously.
- Tons of custom options, see my tips above on that.
- This freezes well, see my tips above on how to store.
- Use homemade or store-bought thawed pizza dough.
Ready to wow everyone by making a pizza in the slow cooker?! Make this Slow Cooker Deep-Dish Pizza Recipe ASAP!
If you like this recipe, you might also like:
If you’ve tried this SLOW COOKER DEEP-DISH PIZZA RECIPE, let me know how it turned out in the comments! You can follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!
Slow Cooker Deep-Dish Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
For the sausage
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For the sauce
- 14 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
For assembly
- 1 pound pizza dough thawed
- 8 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese plus more for serving
- drizzle of olive oil
- fresh chopped parsley for garnish, optional
Instructions
- First, make the Italian sausage. Mix together the ground pork, garlic, fennel, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, and pepper in a medium mixing bowl.
- Place a medium to a large skillet over medium-high heat and let it get hot. Add the meat mixture, break it up into crumbles, and cook it until there is no pink left, stirring often. Let it drain on paper towels to absorb any excess grease.
- Stir together the crushed tomatoes, parmesan, dried basil, dried oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder in a medium mixing bowl, and set aside.
- Lay out a large piece of parchment paper. Place the thawed pizza dough in the center. Stretch it out to an oval shape or roughly into the shape of your 8-quart slow cooker.
- Place the dough into the slow cooker insert, using the parchment paper to help lift it. You may have to adjust it more in the slow cooker so it will fit, do so now.
- Press the mozzarella slices into the dough and leave about a ½-inch border.
- Add the cooked crumbled sausage on top, followed by the pizza sauce you made.
- Add the 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan and, finally, a drizzle of olive oil.
- Carefully lift the edges of the crust, so it sits above the fillings.
- Place a large piece of paper towel over the slow cooker and put the lid on. Place on high for 2-3 hours or low 4-5 hours.
- Lift the pizza out by the parchment once it is done, and let it sit for 15 minutes. Slice and serve with more parmesan and fresh chopped parsley if desired.
Notes
- Makes one pizza, but easily double the recipe and make two simultaneously.
- Tons of custom options, see my tips above on that.
- This freezes well, see my tips above on how to store.
- Use homemade or store-bought thawed pizza dough.
Leave A Reply!