Unique cheese pizza ideas made in a cast iron skillet

So here’s the deal—I switched shifts at work, and the new time is kicking my butt. My manager left last month, so there was some shuffling around in my department. Long story short, I now have to wake up at 3 a.m. every day, and I’m tired!

Last week I did a segment on foil grill packets for Labor Day, and I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t get around to posting the recipe here on my blog. The chemistry class I’m taking as a prerequisite to get into a dietetics program also just started.

Even though I didn’t get around to writing the blog post for my segment, I wanted to share the sweet surprise my co-workers gave me last week!

Now that I’ve said my piece, let’s get onto this week’s topic: cheese pizza! There are well over 1,000 different types of cheeses in the world. So why don’t we branch out more?

That’s why I wanted to share some new ideas! Check out the following list of cheeses… You’ve probably heard of these cheeses, but my guess is you’ve never tried them on pizza. Heck, I hadn’t! But maybe you’ll reconsider now!

Ricotta
Soft cheese, spread it on the pizza
Can act like sauce on white pizza, but also great dolloped on tomato sauce pizza

Fontina
Semi-soft cheese and melts really well
Mild flavor
Pairs well with sage

Goat cheese
Does not melt well
Tangy and creamy

Feta
Salty, tangy and creamy
Great alternative to shredded mozzarella
Kind of melts

Blue cheese 
Semi-soft cheese that doesn’t melt well
Sharp cheese taste, salty

Also, just realized I forgot to mention the most important parts about this cheese pizza recipe—I baked the pizza in a cast iron skillet! Here’s why that’s a good idea (my brain is just working in lists today)!

1. Cast iron skillets get just as hot as pizza stones in the oven, and it happens more quickly. 
2. Most people are more likely to have a cast iron skillet than a pizza stone, thus making it a good suggestion (tootin’ my own horn) 
3. You can finally get a deep dish pizza at home 

Before we depart, I need to give you some tips for baking pizza at home!

1. Handle the dough with care — the pizza dough has all kinds of important gases that can’t be damaged. Don’t throw it around. Don’t put heavy items on top if it. 
2. No rolling pin— using a rolling pin to shape the dough will push out all of the gases and destroy the little air pockets the yeast produced, creating a denser and less airy final product. 
3. Crank the heat as a high as it will go on your oven. You better believe those wood-fired ovens at your favorite pizza place are hot, hot, hot! It’s the key to perfect crust texture. Lower temps translate to lame, limp crusts. 
4. More is not always better. You don’t need 9 different toppings for delicious pizza. Just choose 3 or 4 ingredients that really complement each other. 
5. Pre-bake the crust for about 5 minutes before adding your toppings. This will make the dough a bit firmer and prevent the crust from getting soggy. 
6. If you’re buying dough in a bag at Trader Joe’s, for example, take it out of the bag and shape it into a disc. Then let it rise for at least 20 minutes and up to several hours before you work with it. You’ll prevent the dough from “bouncing back.” 

3-cheese white pizza

Ingredients

• 1/2 pizza dough for skillets less than 12 inches (I used Trader Joe’s, but any brand or homemade version will work)
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup Ricotta cheese
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• Fresh basil leaves

Directions

1. Minimum 20 minutes before baking pizza, take dough out of packaging, shape into disc, and let rest. It will increase in size and decrease bounce back*
2. Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit
3. Sprinkle cornmeal at bottom of cast iron skillet
4. Carefully stretch dough out with hands and form the dough to fit inside the skillet.
5. Once you place dough inside skillet, push sides of dough up around edge about 1 inch to form crust
6. Poke dough with fork to prevent air bubbles
7. Brush olive oil on dough and place in oven. Bake 5 minutes.
8. In the meantime, mix ricotta with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt.
9. Remove skillet from oven and top with ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan.
10. Place skillet back in oven for 12 to 15 minutes.
11. Remove from oven and top with basil and another drizzle of olive oil

Fontina balsamic pizza

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 pizza dough for skillets less than 12 inches (I used Trader Joe’s, but any brand or homemade version will work)
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/2 cup Fontina cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Minimum 20 minutes before baking pizza, take dough out of packaging, shape into disc, and let rest. It will increase in size and decrease bounce back
2. Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit
3. Heat balsamic vinegar in small sauce pan over medium heat until it reaches a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until it reduces by half, or about 15 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and let cool
5. Sprinkle cornmeal at bottom of cast iron skillet
6. Carefully stretch dough out with hands and form the dough to fit inside the skillet.
7. Once you place dough inside skillet, push sides of dough up around edge about 1 inch to form crust
8. Poke dough with fork to prevent air bubbles
9. Brush olive oil on dough and place in oven. Bake 5 minutes.
10. Remove skillet from oven and top with garlic, fontina, and parmesan.
11. Place skillet back in oven for 12 to 15 minutes.
12. Remove from oven and top with balsamic glaze.

Goat cheese pesto pizza
Ingredients

• 1/2 pizza dough for skillets less than 12 inches (Use all of the dough for larger skillets) (I used Trader Joe’s, but any brand or homemade version will work)
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup pesto
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup goat cheese crumbles
• Fresh basil

Directions

1. Minimum 20 minutes before baking pizza, take dough out of packaging, shape into disc, and let rest. It will increase in size and decrease bounce back
2. Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit
3. Sprinkle cornmeal at bottom of cast iron skillet
4. Carefully stretch dough out with hands and form the dough to fit inside the skillet.
5. Once you place dough inside skillet, push sides of dough up around edge about 1 inch to form crust
6. Poke dough with fork to prevent air bubbles
7. Brush olive oil on dough and place in oven. Bake 5 minutes.
8. Remove skillet from oven and top with pesto, mozzarella, and goat cheese.
9. Place skillet back in oven for 12 to 15 minutes.
10. Remove from oven and top with basil.