# Chicago style pizza recipe



## Maverick2272 (Jan 26, 2008)

This is Lumalnati's style Chicago Deep dish pizza. We make it similar to the way they make it, in a 12" cast iron skillet, about 2 1/4" deep. Also, I buy the pizza kits from ALDI as I am not good at making dough, so substitute your own as you wish.

Lightly grease the cast iron skillet, do not flour.
The mix packet comes with two dough pouches, combine both together and mix according to directions, I do let it sit for 5 minutes next to the pre-heated oven before using.
Place into iron skillet and spread dough even along bottom and sides, going all the way up the side of the skillet to the rim.
Take one pound of raw ground sausage (yes raw), and roll out into a saucer shape roughly the size of the bottom of the skillet (12") Preferred thickness is around 1/8 but no thicker than 1/4 or it may not fully cook. Place this into the bottom of the skillet, don't worry if it breaks just reform it.
Use about a pound of your favorite shredded cheese (I use a combo of mozzarella and Monterrey jack) and sprinkle over the sausage.
Pour contents of pizza sauce over the top of the cheese. I think the equivalent is 8oz.
I know this sounds like a lot, but you are filling the iron skillet, and the pizza will be around 2" thick when done if you use the right amounts. And you can vary amounts to taste (more ingredients less sauce, etc just have in mind how much of each you want and fill accordingly before putting on the sauce).
Arrange tomato slices on top of the sauce, then sprinkle liberally with grated Parmesan/Romano cheese.
Bake in oven at 400 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes, I use the middle rack.
As it cooks the ingredients will pull away from the sides of the dough, you can use this space to stick a fork down and gently pull them back to check on the progress of the sausage. Once it is fully cooked you can remove it from the oven. Oven times vary so I start checking around 35 minutes.

Variations:
I like sliced mushrooms with my sausage, so I mix them in with the cheese then sprinkle onto the pizza, then sauce, then tomatoes, then grated cheese. 
Any toppings you would like to add you would do the same with.
A favorite here in Chicago is still the spinach and cheese pizza. Just omit the sausage patty, mix raw spinach with the cheese, sprinkle onto the pizza then sauce then tomatoes then grated cheeses.

Hope you enjoy!


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## amber (Jan 27, 2008)

So many styles of pizza, and yours sounds delicious.  My personal preference is a thin crust and I think next to the crust, the most important part is the sauce.  I love pizza with spinach,and also fresh tomatoes, and eggplant, but the list goes on for toppings that I love.


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## Maverick2272 (Jan 27, 2008)

Thanks! I have always had a thing for the big foldable slices served in NYC, love thin crust too!


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## BreezyCooking (Jan 27, 2008)

Gosh - we recently got an "ALDI" here in Culpeper, VA, & it has to be the saddest example of food purveyance on the planet.

Just piles & piles of what looks like government surplus food leftovers & cheap processed food packaged to look like their pricier brand-name counterparts.  Oh, & I wouldn't want to leave out the 5-pound packages of bologna or the unrefrigerated produce with fruit flies hovering about.

Husband & I went in there ONCE, when they first opened this past fall.  We've never been back.


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## Toots (Jan 27, 2008)

I am curious to try this. How long do you let it cool after you remove it from the oven? It seems to me the sausage would put off alot of grease/liquid while it cooked and be a big sloppy mess to cut into to.
Speaking of serving it, is it difficult to slice and remove from the skillet without losing all of the cheese and toppings?

I am tempted to try this (our favorite is Giordanos but the closest store is a 5 hour car ride away).


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## QSis (Jan 27, 2008)

I've made this pizza (with storebought pizza dough) and it's fabulous!  Just like Uno's Chicago style pizza!

Thanks for the reminder, Maverick!  I think you may have decided me on what to make for Superbowl!  

Lee


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## Maverick2272 (Jan 27, 2008)

BreezyCooking said:


> Gosh - we recently got an "ALDI" here in Culpeper, VA, & it has to be the saddest example of food purveyance on the planet.
> 
> Just piles & piles of what looks like government surplus food leftovers & cheap processed food packaged to look like their pricier brand-name counterparts.  Oh, & I wouldn't want to leave out the 5-pound packages of bologna or the unrefrigerated produce with fruit flies hovering about.
> 
> Husband & I went in there ONCE, when they first opened this past fall.  We've never been back.



Geez, I am sorry to hear that. The ones around here are fabulous, and they have a double money back guarantee so if you are disappointed you get twice your money. I have as yet to have occasion to use it so far, but if I am ever in your neck of the woods I will keep that in mind!


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## Maverick2272 (Jan 27, 2008)

Toots said:


> I am curious to try this. How long do you let it cool after you remove it from the oven? It seems to me the sausage would put off alot of grease/liquid while it cooked and be a big sloppy mess to cut into to.
> Speaking of serving it, is it difficult to slice and remove from the skillet without losing all of the cheese and toppings?
> 
> I am tempted to try this (our favorite is Giordanos but the closest store is a 5 hour car ride away).



I let it cool about 5 to 10min. The grease is dependent on the sausage you use, but most is absorbed so not it is not as greasy as you would think it would be. And I have never had a problem cutting it up and serving it, I do have a pie spatula I use, so no I don't think it is too difficult, about the same as serving up a double layer cake I would say.


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## Maverick2272 (Jan 27, 2008)

Thanks Qsis, glad I could help, and I love Uno's pizza as well!


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## Katie H (Jan 27, 2008)

BreezyCooking said:


> Gosh - we recently got an "ALDI" here in Culpeper, VA, & it has to be the saddest example of food purveyance on the planet.
> 
> Just piles & piles of what looks like government surplus food leftovers & cheap processed food packaged to look like their pricier brand-name counterparts.  Oh, & I wouldn't want to leave out the 5-pound packages of bologna or the unrefrigerated produce with fruit flies hovering about.
> 
> Husband & I went in there ONCE, when they first opened this past fall.  We've never been back.



Gosh, Breezy.  I'm sorry you had a bad Aldi experience.   All the Aldis I've been to have been pristine. As a matter of fact, I shop at one regularly (every two weeks).  You can eat off the floor there and the produce and everything else is top notch.

P.S  Maverick, your pizza sounds yummy.


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## BreezyCooking (Jan 28, 2008)

You know Katie, I'm surprised too, because I've heard from others that "their" Aldis are a pretty nice & economical place to shop.  But the one they opened up here in Culpeper is downright awful.

Okay - they do explain that the reason they force customers to deposit a refundable $.25 in order to use a grocery cart & also charge for grocery bags is so they can keep prices down, but at the same time I have to admit I think the $.25 to unlock a grocery cart quite cheap & cheesy.  The big sign on the door that said "Cash or Food Stamps Only", just clinched the ambiance - lol.  I mean, Culpeper isn't a high-crime or low-income area - in fact, it's becoming rather upscale.  

But mile-high piles of imitation food of "dollar store" quality or imported surplus stuff is beyond me.  We had to stifle laughter at a - literally - 6-foot high stack of sad-looking canned oysters right next to a 6-foot high stack of "imitation" Kraft macaroni & cheese.  The box was identical to K's mac & cheese, except, of course for the logo, which said something like "Kaft" - lol.  The whole store was the same way.  Canned tuna with labels made to look like Bumblebee or Chicken of the Sea - until you looked closely.  It was like being in a "Bizarro" or reverse dimension supermarket - lol!!  Way too sad.

And when we ventured over to the - cough - meat & produce department, there was a tiny area with a few sad-looking pieces of meat, 5-pound packages of bologna & other cheap cold cuts, & then a row of wooden pallets on the floor with cardboard boxes of produce - all warm, & as I said before, all with fruit flies hovering about.  It was beyond awful.

Needless to say, we didn't buy anything & have never been back.  Lord only knows why they opened this place up - & in a brand new shopping center as well, with a Super Wal-Mart right across the street that is, frankly, fabulous.  This may be the first time that I can say I'd be pleased as punch if Wal-Mart drives a place out of business - lol!!


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## jpmcgrew (Jan 28, 2008)

BreezyCooking said:


> You know Katie, I'm surprised too, because I've heard from others that "their" Aldis are a pretty nice & economical place to shop. But the one they opened up here in Culpeper is downright awful.
> 
> Okay - they do explain that the reason they force customers to deposit a refundable $.25 in order to use a grocery cart & also charge for grocery bags is so they can keep prices down, but at the same time I have to admit I think the $.25 to unlock a grocery cart quite cheap & cheesy. The big sign on the door that said "Cash or Food Stamps Only", just clinched the ambiance - lol. I mean, Culpeper isn't a high-crime or low-income area - in fact, it's becoming rather upscale.
> 
> ...


 
They do the coin or token for a cart in germany as well its to save money by not having to pay someone to fetch all the carts in the parking lot.You get your coin back if you put cart back again.They also only sell plastic bags no free bags but everyone just brings their own bag or basket.Its all to save money and pass the savings on to your groceries.They pay deposits on all the glass drinks bottles you bring them back and get a refund.The germans are great at recycling everything.They have a whole different approach to packaging .I like it and we should try to learn something from them.  
Their washing machines and dryers are also really small but highly efficient


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## suziquzie (Jan 28, 2008)

Would it work with a home-made yeast dough? Just do a 1st rise and proceed correct? I want to make it, would it be ok if you pre-cooked the sausage? Just a little to get some grease out? Grease makes me nauseous. Unless it's been deep fried. Then it makes me happy....... and very sorry!


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## Maverick2272 (Jan 28, 2008)

suziquzie said:


> Would it work with a home-made yeast dough? Just do a 1st rise and proceed correct? I want to make it, would it be ok if you pre-cooked the sausage? Just a little to get some grease out? Grease makes me nauseous. Unless it's been deep fried. Then it makes me happy....... and very sorry!



I think you would be fine on the dough. If you pre-cook the sausage patty make sure it starts out _larger_ than the pan you will eventually put it together in and cook with. It will shrink some. One technique I have heard was not to pre-cook it but sear it quickly.
I would think this would trap the juices in, but since I have not tried it that way I couldn't say for sure.


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## Maverick2272 (Jan 28, 2008)

I compared notes with a friend of mine in Iowa, turns out her ALDI also does not have a very good selection, and going to the Super Wal-Mart is a better option for them. She said it reminds her of the old Government Food Distribution Centers we used to have there growing up.
Here the ALDI has better selection and better prices than the Super Wal-Mart, as well as many European products that are not knock-offs at all but in most case just as good if not better. Only real difference is I don't pay extra for a brand name that does nothing to fill my families bellies  We also have the trendy version of ALDI called Trader Joe's.
And I am sorry, any place that has flies and stuff buzzing around would never never get my business either! Yick! Not even if they cleaned it.. first impressions are everything!


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## Toots (Feb 4, 2008)

I made a Chicago style pizza last night and it turned out pretty good.  I cooked my sausage before adding it to the crust and I also made the pizza sauce out of crushed tomatoes, tomato puree and chopped garlic.  My husband, a former Chicagoian, said it was pretty good.


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## Maverick2272 (Feb 4, 2008)

Nice job, looks great!


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## suziquzie (Feb 4, 2008)

Wow look at the size of that!!! 
Myabe I gotta make that sooner than I thought! Did you make your own dough for the crust?


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## Toots (Feb 4, 2008)

suziquzie said:


> Wow look at the size of that!!!
> Myabe I gotta make that sooner than I thought! Did you make your own dough for the crust?


 
Yes, I made the dough. I made it with my kitchen aid with the dough hook and then I stuck it in the fridge for a slow rise until I was ready to use it. The crust tasted very much like Unos, must the be addition of corn meal and the olive oil. I was quite pleased with the whole thing!

I used Maverick's recipe as a jumping off point and found a dough recipe online for Chicago style deep dish and went from there - I baked mine in a cast iron skillet for 30 minutes at 475.


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## Wart (Feb 4, 2008)

BreezyCooking said:


> Okay - they do explain that the reason they force customers to deposit a refundable $.25 in order to use a grocery cart & also charge for grocery bags



WOW!

Yours has CARTS?!! And they offer BAGS?!?!!?

Your 'Hood must be Stylin!



> We had to stifle laughter at a - literally - 6-foot high stack of




As a young man I made a mistake or two and put myself in a difficult position.

I remember looking at a class of people and thinking , There but for the Grace of God go I.

Chilling thought.

May your wallet always be so full as to afford your laughter.

Wife and I still shop at Aldis, Thankfully not out of necessity. Usually if we are in the neighborhood and think about it, or are doing purchasing for a mass feeding on a budget. 




> Lord only knows why they opened this place up -



Yup.


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## BreezyCooking (Feb 4, 2008)

Wart - what's your problem? Several folks here have stated that their Aldi stores are very nice, which I'm not disputing. Ours, which is brand new, is horrible - regardless of the thickness of one's wallet. If it was a nice store, I'd have no problem shopping there.

It has absolutely nothing to do with "style" or my husband & I thinking we're better than anybody else or that we don't realize there are folks in dire circumstances in our community. In fact, that's why we contribute our time, money, & food to our local food pantry - YEAR-ROUND - not just at the holidays like most.

The Aldi store here isn't providing decent inexpensive groceries to low-income folks - they're offering garbage. Cheap knock-off junk food & crates of weird stuff that, as I said before, looks like government/dollar-store surplus stuff. And produce that could be bought just as cheaply, but 100% fresh & minus the fruit flies across the street at Wal-Mart (where we do 90% of our food shopping).

Again I say, Lord only knows why they opened this place up, because it's an insult to everyone - particularly those on a fixed income - & I'm hoping that they don't make out & close. Anyone in our area would do 100% better both price-wise & quality-wise across the street at Wal-Mart (regardless of how they feel about Wal-Mart politics).


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## Maverick2272 (Feb 9, 2008)

We do shop Aldi out of necessity...

They opened a Food4Less here last year and we started shopping there for awhile. They take expired coupons as well as allowing you to use double coupons, and even on sale items.

However, after watching my wife spend countless hours each week clipping coupons, and then having to adjust my menu to use as many of them as possible, I realized we were still spending more than at Aldi.

We switched back. Our bill, at best before using Aldi, was around $900 a month for the 5 of us. Now it hovers around $600.

The savings translated into a new $1,515 fridge (including 5 year complete warranty and service plus delivery plus haul away on the old one, tax included).

Well almost, we knew this one was on its last leg so we switched to Aldi four months ago and put the savings in the bank. If it had held out a couple of more months we would have had an even better fridge.

Still, at least now I have the ice and water dispenser as well as a built in air filter and water filter.


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## BreezyCooking (Feb 9, 2008)

Just out of curiosity, are the nicer Aldi's you folks have the size of regular supermarkets?  Because the one they opened here is about the size of a 7-11.


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## Maverick2272 (Feb 9, 2008)

Bigger than a 7-11 but smaller than the Jewel or Food4Less. DW prefers that, she hates running around the larger box stores, says it tires her out LOL.
Not sure how big your 7-11's are, but I would say put about 3 or 4 of our 7-11's together and that is about how big the ALDI is.


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## BreezyCooking (Feb 9, 2008)

Thanks Maverick.  So the one they opened here is probably pretty small compared to others.  I still can't figure out why, in a brand-new shopping center, they made it so sleazy.  Next time I'm over there I'll have to go in again.  If it's still the same as when we were there when they first opened (back in Oct./Nov.), maybe I'll e-mail Aldi & find out what the story is.  Like I said before, it really isn't (or wasn't) doing any justice to fixed-income folks.  And being involved with the local food pantry, etc., I really don't like what they're pushing as "food".

Stay tuned - maybe I'll have to open up a "Breezycooking vs. Aldi" thread - lol!!!


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## Maverick2272 (Feb 10, 2008)

I think I said this in a previous post, but my friend in Iowa agrees with you and does most of her shopping at the Wal-Mart Supercenter. Not that her ALDI is that nasty, but it doesn't have as much selection and isn't any better value for her.
My wife also reminded me of the trip we took to Nashville many years back where we stopped at an ALDI to restock the cooler. It was as nasty if not nastier than what you described.
Considering the high competition here in Chicago along with the fact that they do originate in Batavia and I suppose you could say they need to put their best foot forward. They seem to always be trying to add new things and improve the store here, and even offer a large variety of name brand stuff that they must be picking up as overstock somewhere.

I will keep a look out for the Breezycooking Vs. Aldi thread! LOL. I think I would like to hear an explanation as well. Correct me if I am wrong, but most other chain stores I go to when on trips are just as good if not better than their counterparts here.


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## LadyCook61 (Feb 24, 2008)

sounds good , will have to try it.


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## Toots (Feb 24, 2008)

This is what I'm making for dinner tonight - I have some pix of the pizza I made last time above (in this post, look up).  Its pretty easy, I make the dough early in the day and I let it doa slow rise in the fridge.


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## LadyCook61 (Feb 26, 2008)

I haven't shopped Aldi's in years.  I didn't like the store much, it wasn't sleazy but I was not comfortable in it.


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