The Chicago-Style Pizza Pot Pies You Don't Have To Travel For
You've probably enjoyed chicken pot pie and maybe shepherd's pie, but have you indulged in pizza pot pie? It might not sound familiar, but you've probably seen the decadent dish in viral TikTok and Instagram posts. You know, the ones where a bread bowl is turned right side up, then a plate is removed to reveal a mountain of melted gooey cheese. That's the pizza pot pie, and we can't think of a way to make the already comforting meal any better.
What exactly is under that pile of melted mozzarella or provolone cheese? This Chicago delicacy is a pizza-style chicken pot pie with meaty sauce filled with seasonings and vegetables surrounded by pizza-style dough. And, just like you can with a regular pizza pie, you can customize the dish's sauce, fillings, and toppings to meet your taste buds' preferences.
The restaurant that started the viral trend
The restaurant that started it all is Chicago Pizza & Grinder Co., located in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood. It's been open since 1972 and has used the same original recipe for the pizza pot pies since then. The dish was created by its owner, Chicago attorney Albert H. Beaver, who bought and restored the historic building where the restaurant still operates today. The iconic pizza pot pie is a single serving and comes in a half-pound option for $16.75 and a one-pounder for $33.50.
Its dough is made from scratch and is similar to Sicilian bread. The homemade sauce is made with olive oil, garlic, onions, green peppers, plum tomatoes, sausage made from Boston butts (a cut of pork from behind the pig's neck), and whole mushrooms topped with a special blend of cheeses. Are you a vegetarian? The eatery also has a meat-free version of the dish for you, and they have frozen pizza pot pies to take home if one isn't enough.
How to make pizza pot pies at home
If you can't make it to Chicago any time soon, and really want to take a bite of a pizza pot pie, Tasting Table recipe developer Katie Rosenhouse created her own mini version of the Chicago-style dish with homemade dough and a hearty, rich sauce. The dough is relatively easy to make, but it takes time because it needs to rise for up to an hour and a half, so opt for pre-made pizza dough if you're short on time. You'll also need 8-ounce oven-safe ramekins to make this dish, so reach to the back of the cabinet and pull them out.
The sauce is where all of the flavor is found, and it can easily be customized with your favorite pizza toppings. Our sauce is similar to the one at Chicago Pizza & Grinder Co. with ingredients like Italian sausage, red bell pepper, onion, garlic, mushrooms, and crushed tomatoes. It's seasoned with dried oregano, basil leaves, salt, and pepper and topped with mozzarella cheese. However, you can swap the sausage with pepperoni or pancetta, or leave the meat out altogether. For the cheese, customize it with a special blend of gruyere, mozzarella, parmesan, or provolone cheeses because they're all good melting cheeses to finish off the pizza pot pie.