Chicago-Style Deep-Dish Spinach Pizza

3/4 pound bulk Italian sausage
1 cup chopped onion
1 8-ounce can pizza sauce
1 4-ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 3-ounce package sliced pepperoni
2 tablespoons snipped fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried basil, crushed
1 tablespoon snipped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 16-ounce loaf frozen whole wheat bread dough or white bread dough, thawed
1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (6 ounces)
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1 slightly beaten egg
1 tablespoon margarine or butter, melted
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese or Romano cheese

For meat filling, in a large skillet cook Italian sausage and onion until
meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain fat. Pat with paper towels to
remove additional fat. Stir in pizza sauce, mushrooms, pepperoni, basil,
oregano, and red pepper. For crust, on a lightly floured surface roll
two-thirds of the bread dough into a 12-inch circle. (If necessary, let
dough rest once or twice during rolling.) Carefully place the circle in a
greased 9-inch springform pan, pressing the dough 1-1/2 inches up the
sides. Sprinkle bottom of the dough with 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese.
Spoon meat filling over cheese. Pat spinach dry with paper towels. Mix
spinach, egg, and remaining mozzarella cheese. Spread spinach mixture over
meat filling. Roll remaining dough into a 10-inch circle on a lightly
floured surface. Cut circle into 10 to 12 wedges. Arrange wedges atop
spinach mixture, slightly overlapping edges and sealing ends to bottom
crust along edge of pan. Brush top with melted margarine or butter and
sprinkle with Parmesan or Romano cheese. Bake in a 375 F oven for
40 to 45 minutes or until filling is hot and bread is done. If necessary,
cover with foil the last 10 minutes of baking to prevent overbrowning.
Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove sides of springform pan. Cut
into wedges. Makes 8 servings.

Jenn B aka Mom2Sam and Tiny


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