Skip to Content

Easy Pizza Pot Pies

Posted on Last updated:

0 Comments

Sharing is caring!

Jump to Recipe

Craving pizza and want something extra warm and gooey? Say hello to Easy Pot Pies!

There is a white plate with part of a flipped over, out of the dish pizza on it. There is a fork resting on the plate. In the background there is a white bowl with a thick baked crust on top of it. Items are on a white surface. this …

It’s like a deep dish pizza with lots of cheese and a savory sauce baked underneath a thick golden brown crust and they are so yummy!

These Chicago-style upside down pizzas in a bowl are perfect for a quick weekend meal, they have minimal prep time, tons of flavor, and everyone loves them!

 So get ready to dig into an easy, delicious new favorite!

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Bake Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Serves: 4

Prep Level: Beginner +

There is a white plate with part of a flipped over, out of the dish pizza on it. In the background there is a white bowl with a thick baked crust on top of it. There are basil leaves and a fork and knife laying next to the dish. Items are on a white surface.

Reasons To Love This Recipe

  • Quick and Easy: Jarred sauce and pre-made dough simplify the prep time.
  • Comfort Food: Warm, gooey layers of pizza packed into a pot pie make this the perfect feel-good meal.
  • Versatile: You can mix and match your favorite ingredients, just like toppings on a regular pizza!
  • Great for Make-Ahead Meal: These pizza pot pies can be assembled ahead, refrigerated, and popped in the oven when ready to enjoy.
  • Crowd-Pleaser: Upside down pizza pot pie is a hit with kids and adults.

Ingredients

Various items in bowls to make an Upside Dow Pizza: jarred pizza sauce, ball of dough, sliced cheeses, ground sausage, red bell pepper, onion, whole mushrooms, clove of garlic and a stick of unsalted butter. Items are on a white surface.
  • Ground Italian sausage: hot or mild
  • Onion: white or yellow-chopped
  • Bell pepper: green or red-chopped
  • Garlic clove: minced
  • Jarred pizza sauce: use your favorite, I prefer RAO’s.
  • Grease: unsalted butter, olive oil, or cooking spray
  • Cheeses: Sliced provolone cheese and mozzarella cheese
  • Fresh portabella mushrooms: optional
  • Pizza dough: refrigerated or pre-made dough at room temperature

Helpful Tools and Equipment

  • Large skillet
  • Measuring cup
  • Wooden spoon
  • Cutting board
  • 4 oven-proof bowls or ramekins (size I use: 5.5” wide and 2” deep)
  • Baking sheet
  • Oven mitts
  • Knife
  • 4 serving plates
There is a white plate a flipped over, out of the dish pizza on it. In the background there is a white bowl with a thick baked crust on top of it. Items are on a white surface.

Main Ingredients

Cheese

A Chicago upside down pizza bowl has a lot of cheese, I mean a lot! Adjust it to your preference. I like to use both provolone and mozzarella. You can use one or the other or even parmesan.

Filling

Like any pizza, you can customize the ingredients to your liking. I like to add ground Italian sausage, red bell peppers, and garlic to a store-bought sauce. Filling alternatives: cooked, diced chicken, fresh basil, and Italian seasoning.

The famous Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder recipe places fresh whole mushrooms into the bowls with a meat sauce, so that’s what I do for this particular dish. You can also slice the mushrooms. Mushrooms are completely optional. 

Dough

Store-bought works great; my favorite store-bought dough is Whole Foods Pizza Dough. Refrigerated pizza crusts like Pillsbury are convenient and can be found at most grocery stores. If you’re looking for a homemade pizza, check out this one by Belly Full (Easy Pizza Dough).

There are two white bowls with a baked crust over the top of them. The bowls are on a baking sheet.

How To Make Pizza Pot Pie

There is a wooden cutting board with a pile of chopped onion, a pile of chopped red bell pepper, and minced garlic. Board is on a white surface.
There is a large dark skillet with ground sausage cooking in it. There is a wooden spoon resting in the skillet. The skillet is on a white surface.
There is a large gray skillet with cooked ground sausage, chopped red bell pepper, chopped onion, and minced garlic in it. There is a wooden spoon resting in the skillet. The skillet is on a white surface.
There is a large dark skillet with cooked ground sausage, chopped red bell pepper, onions, and minced garlic. There is a mound of tomato sauce that has been poured into the pan. In the background there is an empty glass jar of sauce and its lid. Items are on a white surface.

Prep the vegetables. Sauté sausage until it is no longer pink. Add the onions, peppers, and garlic to the skillet.

Continue cooking until the sausage is browned and the vegetables are soft. Stir in the pizza sauce. Simmer for a few minutes. Remove from heat.

There is a large dark skillet with a tomato, ground sausage, and vegetable sauce in it. Skillet is on a white surface.
There is a white bowl. The inside of the bowl is greased with melted butter. There is a small clear bowl with melted butter in it and a small silicone basting brush. Items are on a white surface.
There are two white bowls with slices of cheese in them. In the background there is a white rectangular tray with slices of cheese on it. Items are on a white surface.
There are two white bowls with slices of cheese in them. In the background there is a white rectangular tray with slices of cheese on it. Items are on a white surface.

Butter the bottom, sides, and rim of each bowl.

Line each bowl with provolone cheese slices, followed by the mozzarella slices.

There are two white bowls with slices of cheese and small whole mushrooms in them. Bowls are on a white surface.
There are two white bowls. One bowl has slices of cheese and a tomato, sausage sauce in it. The other bowl has cheese slices and three small whole mushrooms in it. In the background, there is a large dark skillet with a tomato and sausage sauce in it. There is a spoon resting in the skillet. Items are on a white surface.
There are two small rounds of dough on a light gray plastic sheet. in the background there is a baking pan with two white bowls that have cheese and a tomato sausage sauce in them. Items are on a white surface.
There are two white bowls with a unbaked dough over the top of them. The bowls are on a baking sheet.

Add the mushrooms (if using). Fill the bowls with the meat sauce. Place bowls on a baking sheet (to catch any drippings)

Stretch dough over the top and edges of the bowls. Brush dough with melted butter for a crispy pizza crust.

There are two white bowls with a baked crust over the top of them. The bowls are on a baking sheet.
There is a white bowl with a thick bread crust flipped upside down on a white plate. Plate is on a white cloth.

Bake until golden. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. 

Place a plate on top and carefully flip. Loosen the crust with a knife and gently lift the bowl.

Serve warm and enjoy. You’ll need a knife and fork for this meal!

See the recipe card below for complete measurements and baking time.

There is a white plate with part of a flipped over, out of the dish pizza on it. There is a fork and a knife resting on the plate. In the background there is a white bowl with a thick baked crust on top of it. Items are on a white surface.

Tips

Mushrooms: If you use mushrooms, feel free to use sliced mushrooms.  A classic Chicago upside down pizza uses whole mushrooms, so I do.

Dough: I like a more rustic, hand-formed pie crust, so I cut one pound of dough into four equal parts and stretch the dough free form until it’s large enough to drape over the top of the bowls. If you want a more exact round formed disk, you can roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to approximately 1/2” thick and cut a circle 1-2” wider than the diameter of the opening of your bowls.

There is a white plate with part of a flipped over, out of the dish pizza on it. In the background there is a white bowl with a thick baked crust on top of it. Items are on a white surface.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I cook the toppings before adding them in?

For toppings like sausage or ground beef, it’s best to cook them first to ensure they’re fully done. Vegetables can be added raw, but a quick sauté adds flavor and prevents excess moisture.

What’s the best way to get a crispy top?

Brushing the dough with either butter, olive oil, or an egg wash before baking helps it brown and crisp up nicely.

Can I make these pizza pot pies ahead of time?

Absolutely! You can assemble them, cover them with plastic wrap, and refrigerate them for up to 24 hours before baking. When ready, just pop them in the oven for an easy meal.

Is it possible to make a pot pie using a regular-sized pizza tin?

Yes, you can make a larger pizza pit pie in a standard pie dish or oven-safe skillet. Just remember that the baking time will be a little longer.

How can I prevent the sauce from being too watery?

If your sauce is too thin, simmer it briefly on the stove to reduce and thicken.

What is the best way to serve upside down pizza pot pies?

After baking, let them slightly cool.  Place a plate over the top and, using oven mitts, flip the bowl carefully. Slide a rounded-tipped knife between the bowl and the dough, loosening the bowl. Gently lift the bowl.

Yield: 4

Easy Pizza Pot Pies

There is a white plate with part of a flipped over, out of the dish pizza on it. There is a fork resting on the plate. In the background there is a white bowl with a thick baked crust on top of it. Items are on a white surface.

Individual deep dish pizzas with lots of cheese and a savory sauce baked underneath a thick golden brown crust and they are so yummy!

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground Italian sausage: hot or mild
  • 1 cup onion - chopped
  • 1 small bell pepper - chopped
  • 1-2 garlic cloves - minced
  • Jarred pizza sauce - 2 (12.3 ounces per jar; use your favorite)
  • 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, olive oil, or cooking spray
  • 12 to 16 slices of provolone cheese (adjust to how cheesy you like your pizza)
  • 12 to 16 slices of mozzarella cheese (again, adjust to your liking)
  • 12 to 16 slices of fresh whole portabella mushrooms - optional
  • 1 pound of refrigerated pizza dough or pre-made dough

Instructions

  1. Chop the onion and bell pepper. Mince the garlic.
  2. Wipe mushrooms off with a damp paper towel.
  3. Add the sausage to a hot skillet and sauté until slightly brown and no longer pink. 
  4. Add the diced onions and peppers and continue cooking until the sausage is fully cooked and the onions and peppers are softened.
  5. Stir in the sauce, simmer for 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the flame. Let the sauce cool.
  6. While the sauce is cooling: Preheat oven.
  7. Generously grease the inside and the outer rim of the ramekins.
  8. Overlap slices of provolone cheese in the bowl, covering the base and up the sides. 3-4 slices per bowl.
  9. Repeat with the mozzarella slices.
  10. Place 3 to 4 whole mushrooms onto the cheese. 
  11. Spoon about 1/2 cup of cooled sauce into each ramekin, dividing the sauce among the four bowls.
  12. Split the pizza dough into four equal portions. Use the palm of your hand and press the dough into rustic round disks. (see Tips)
  13. Place a round of dough on top of each bowl. Gently stretching, pulling down, and pressing the dough around the edges. You will want a 1-2-inch overhang over the side of each bowl.
  14. Brush the top with butter.
  15. Place ramekins on a baking sheet. 
  16. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown.
  17. Allow the pies to cool for a few minutes.
  18. Place a large enough plate to extend past the bowl rim upside down on top of the crust.
  19. Using hot pads, simultaneously hold the bowl and plate and gently flip them over. The bottom of the bowl is now facing up.
  20. Run a small butter knife between the bowl and the dough loosening the bowl.
  21. Pull the bowl straight up, allowing the contents to release perfectly into the crust.
  22. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Notes

Helpful Tools and Equipment

  • Large skillet
  • Measuring cup
  • Wooden spoon
  • Cutting board
  • 4 oven-proof bowls or ramekins (size I use: 5.5” wide and 2” deep)
  • Baking sheet
  • Oven mitts
  • Knife 
  • 4 serving plates

Tips

Mushrooms: If you use mushrooms, feel free to use sliced mushrooms.  A classic Chicago upside down pizza uses whole mushrooms, so I do.

Dough: I like a more rustic, hand-formed pie crust, so I cut one pound of dough into four equal parts and stretch the dough free form until it’s large enough to drape over the top of the bowls. If you want a more exact round formed disk, you can roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to approximately 1/2” thick and cut a circle 1-2” wider than the diameter of the opening of your bowls.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1411Total Fat: 85gSaturated Fat: 44gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 35gCholesterol: 182mgSodium: 2447mgCarbohydrates: 97gFiber: 5gSugar: 9gProtein: 65g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

© Laura @ Join me in the Kitchen
Cuisine: Italian / Category: Main Dishes

More easy recipes to try!

One-Pan Parmesan Tuscan Chicken

Easy Teriyaki Chicken

The Best Keto Sloppy Joe Casserole

Quick and Easy Creamy Coconut Shrimp

Skip to Recipe