Sausage, Tomato, and Herb Pizza

Simplicity is one of the most important ingredients in homemade pizza—or any dish, for that matter. Here, it’s spicy Italian sausage, fresh tomato slices, mozzarella, and a few chopped herbs sprinkled on at the end. And while you don’t have to use homemade dough, if the opportunity is there, take it.

My husband is the bread baker in our house, and usually the pizza dough maker. He’s been using a recipe from Men’s Journal (Feb. 2013), which makes a really good crust with Sam Adams beer (one recipe makes two 12- to 14-inch round pizzas). He makes the dough then freezes it in separate balls, so I’ve typically got homemade dough ready to thaw, roll out, and bake whenever the mood strikes. (The Men’s Journal recipe is copied below.)

This time I rolled out the dough to a 16 X 10-inch rectangle in order to bake the pizza on a cast-iron griddle, instead of a round pan. The shape, of course, is secondary to the taste, so roll out the dough to whatever best fits the pan you’re using.

If you use a store-bought crust, check the label to see if the oven temperature and baking time are different from this recipe.

A note about the sausage: I didn’t crumble the sausage during cooking to spread over the entire pizza. Instead, I pinched it from the casings and cooked it in little, uneven pieces that give the pie a more rustic, homemade look and feel. If you prepare the sausage links a couple hours ahead of time, place the pieces on wax paper and refrigerate until ready to use.

Pinch the sausage into pieces and flatten 

Refrigerate on wax paper if not using right away

For a different homemade crust recipe, check out Pizza with Prosciutto, Red Onion, and Fresh Tomatoes. For a store-bought crust recipe, try Pancetta Pizza with Olives, Dates, and Leek. And for a super-simple and quick recipe, see Pita Pizzas with Prosciutto and Red Pear.

Makes 1 16 X 10-inch pizza

Dough Ingredients and Preparation

(from Men’s Journal, Feb. 2013)

• 3 1/2 cups (20 oz.) unbleached all-purpose flour plus more for dusting

• 1 packet instant, high-active yeast

• 1 tablespoon fine granulation salt

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

• 1 bottle of Samuel Adams Boston Lager warmed up to 120-130 degrees

Warm the beer in a bowl of very warm, not boiling, water. If you don't have a thermometer, the beer should end up feeling very warm to the touch.

In a large bowl, combine flour, yeast, salt, and oil and then build up a pile in the center.

Crack open a cold beer (for you), and use the warmed brew to make a moat around the flour and stir with a fork until the dough is lumpy. Then, go in with your hands. The dough should be a little sticky, so you can gradually add flour as you knead until it is just slightly tacky. Knead slowly by pressing down, folding it inside-out, and repeating.

Break the finished dough into two equal pieces.

Ball each piece up and place each in a separate airtight plastic container lightly greased with olive oil (we used quart-sized takeout deli containers).

(At this point, my husband froze the dough balls. I thawed one for the recipe below.)

Pizza Ingredients

• 3 hot Italian sausage links (about 3/4 lb)
• 1 tbsp olive oil, plus more for brushing
• cornmeal, for dusting
• flour, for dusting
• 1 homemade pizza dough (from recipe above), or 1 14- to 16-inch crust
• 1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3 roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
• sea salt 
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp mixture of chopped fresh herbs (such as flat-leaf parsley, sage, and oregano)  

Roma Tomatoes

Pizza Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 450° F.
2. Pinch the sausage from the casings in about 1 tablespoon-sized pieces and flatten slightly.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
4. Add the sausage pieces to the pan and cook until browned and just cooked through, turning once, 7-8 minutes total. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels and drain.

Sausage Beginning to Cook 

Cooked Sausage

1. Dust a cast-iron griddle with cornmeal.
2. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a 16 X 10-inch rectangle (or whatever shape fits the pan you’re using). Lay the dough on the griddle and crimp the edges. Brush with olive oil.
3. Spread the crushed tomatoes over the dough and sprinkle with dried oregano. Scatter the mozzarella on top.
4. Top with tomato slices and sausage pieces and season with salt and pepper.
5. Bake the pizza until the crust is crisp and the tomatoes have softened, about 15- minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cutting board.

Dust with Cornmeal 

Roll Dough into a Rectangle

Place Dough on the Pan

Crushed Tomatoes and Dried Oregano 

Cheese Added

Ready to Bake

Baked Pizza

Scatter fresh herbs over top and cut into serving pieces.

Sausage, Tomato, and Herb Pizza

Chicken Burgers with Bacon and Gorgonzola Spread

Chicken, bacon, and blue cheese make a delectable trio—especially when they show up together for an easy, flavor-packed grilled burger dinner. 

Gorgonzola has very visible bluish-green veins and the flavor is wonderfully rich and strong. This blue cheese made from cow’s milk and aged three to four months originated in the Gorgonzola area of Milan, Italy (although other Italian regions dispute that). Other blue cheeses may be made from cow’s, sheep’s, or goat’s milk, and the aging times can differ, but they’ll certainly work in this recipe if you don’t have gorgonzola.

Note: I used focaccia as the burger buns. Regular sandwich buns or even toasted English muffins would work too. If you use focaccia, simply cut two 4 X 3-inch rectangles from the loaf, then slice the little rectangles into tops and bottoms.

Cut focaccia into pieces 

Cut pieces into tops and bottoms

For another focaccia sandwich idea, check out Goat-Cheese-Stuffed Burgers on Focaccia.

Serves 2

Ingredients

For the Gorgonzola Spread

• 1/3 cup crumbled gorgonzola (or other blue cheese)
• 1 small garlic clove, chopped
• 1 tbsp sour cream
• 2 tsp light mayonnaise
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp olive oil

For the Burgers

• 2/3 lb ground chicken
• 1/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp finely chopped onion
• 1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 3 bacon slices, cut crosswise in half
• olive oil, for brushing
• 2 4 X 3-inch focaccia rectangles, sliced into tops and bottoms
• tomato and red onion slices, for serving

Preparation

For the Gorgonzola Spread

1. Place the gorgonzola, garlic, sour cream, mayonnaise, and lemon juice in a mini food processor and season with salt and pepper. Pulse several times to blend to a chunky consistency. 
2. Scrape down the sides and gradually add the olive oil. Process until the mixture is smoother but still thick. Transfer to a bowl.

Gorgonzola

Ready to Process

Processed Mixture

Oil Added

Gorgonzola Spread

For the Burgers

1. Place the chicken and next 4 ingredients (through mustard) in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Mix gently to combine.
2. Form the mixture into 2 4 X 3-inch rectangular patties, about 1/2-inch thick. Place on a plate and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Chicken Mixture 

Chicken Patties

1. Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Cook the bacon until cooked through but not crisp, 4-5 minutes, depending on thickness. Remove and drain on paper towels. Pour excess oil from the pan.
2. Re-heat the pan over medium heat and brush with olive oil. Grill the burgers until cooked through, turning 2 or 3 times, for a total of 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate or board and let rest 3 minutes.

Bacon Beginning to Grill 

Grilled Bacon 

Burgers Beginning to Grill 

After Turning 

1. Spread all cut sides of the focaccia with the gorgonzola mixture and place the burgers on the bottom halves. Divide the bacon, tomato, and onion on top and close the sandwiches.

Bread with Gorgonzola Spread

Chicken Burgers with Bacon and Gorgonzola Spread

Cuban-Style Ham and Cheese Sandwiches

Traditional “Cubanos” are simple, tasty sandwiches made on Cuban bread usually filled with ham or other pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, and yellow mustard. The sandwiches are grilled under a press to flatten slightly and melt the cheese, then served hot. Think panini.

If you can’t find Cuban bread, use sourdough, baguette, country, or any other crusty, good-textured loaf. Here, I used two types of sourdough, cutting 16 pieces about four inches long to make eight small sandwiches. Hearty eaters will want two, so this recipe can serve from four to eight.

Or, cut each in half after grilling and stack mini sandwiches on a platter to make 16 party appetizers.

Makes 8 small sandwiches

Ingredients

• 16 small slices of crusty bread, about 4 inches long
• olive oil, for brushing
• yellow mustard, to taste
• 8 slices deli ham
• 16 very thin slices Swiss cheese
• 16 small dill pickle slices
• baby spinach leaves, to taste

Sandwich Bread 

Sandwich Toppings

Preparation

1. Lay the bread slices on a work surface. Brush 8 slices generously with olive oil and spread the other 8 with mustard.
2. Top the olive oil slices evenly with ham (folding as needed), cheese (folding, as needed), pickle slices, and spinach. Close the sandwiches with the mustard slices and press lightly.
3. Heat a grill pan (or large cast-iron skillet) over medium heat and brush with oil. Place 4 sandwiches in the pan and place a grill press (or another heavy skillet) on top to press them as they grill until golden on the bottom, about 3 minutes.
4. Turn and press until the other side is golden and the cheese has melted, 2-3 minutes longer.

Spread with Oil and Mustard 

Toppings Added 

Ready to Grill 

Beginning to Grill 

After Turning

 Transfer the sandwiches to a serving platter and serve hot.

Cuban-Style Ham and Cheese Sandwiches

Pan-Seared Chicken with Bacon-Mushroom Sauce

Boneless chicken breasts pan-sear quickly and make an easy, tasty dish with just a little seasoning—and you can dress them up in a simple but very flavorful sauce without much time at all.

Smoky bacon pairs well with earthy mushrooms and they come together with only a little butter, broth, and cornstarch slurry. This warm, inviting sauce has rich taste and silky texture, and it brings some delicious “wow” to everyday chicken.

I served the chicken and sauce with a side of buttered egg noodles, but steamed rice or mashed potatoes would work well too. 

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp water
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• flour, for dredging
• 2 thick-cut peppered (or regular) bacon slices, chopped
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, about 6 oz each
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 8 oz. white mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 1 cup chicken broth

Chicken and Bacon

Preparation

1. Combine the water and cornstarch in a small bowl and set aside. Re-mix thoroughly before using.
2. Spread the flour on a large plate or in a baking dish.
3. Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook until just cooked through but not too crispy, 4-5 minutes, depending on thickness. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate. 

Bacon Beginning to Cook 

Cooked Bacon

1. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pan. (If there are less than 2 tablespoons, add a little olive oil.)
2. Dredge the chicken in flour, shaking off excess. Season with salt and pepper and sear until golden brown on the bottom, 6-7 minutes. Turn and sear until just cooked through, 6-7 minutes longer, depending on thickness. Transfer to a plate.

Chicken Beginning to Cook 

Chicken after Turning 

Cooked Chicken

1. Add the butter to the skillet and swirl to coat. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook until softened and the mushrooms release juices, 4-5 minutes.
2. Return the bacon to the skillet and add the chicken broth. Remix the cornstarch slurry and stir into the mushroom mixture. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until slightly thickened, 3-4 minutes.
3. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet and turn to coat. Cook until warm throughout, 2-3 minutes.

Mushrooms Beginning to Cook 

Cooked Mushrooms 

Bacon and Broth Added

Cornstarch Slurry Stirred In

Chicken Returned to Sauce

Plate the chicken with bacon-mushroom sauce spooned on top. Serve right away.

Pan-Seared Chicken with Bacon-Mushroom Sauce