If there is one thing that Chicago is famous for, it's their incredible deep dish pizza. A thick deep crust, with the toppings upside down - you can see why they call it a pie. Use our easy recipe and grab yourself a homemade slice of Healthier Chicago Deep Dish Pizza.
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You will find a lot of debate about where the best pizza in the world is. Is it Rome or Naples? Maybe the dollar slices in NYC get your vote! Popolinos in Manchester was a favourite student haunt for us at 4am. (Seriously - check it out if you're ever in Manchester!)
Or maybe the famous deep dish crust from Chicago is calling your name? Whilst Rome will always come out top for me, Chicago deep dish is a close second. This is our homemade, lighter version. A healthy deep dish pizza that is easy to adapt.
Fancy some more pizza recipes? Try our easy Tortilla Pizza, super tasty Garlic Mushroom Pizza or our delicious Greek Pizza.
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Why You Will Love It
- Healthier than an average pizza - We have lightened up the cheese and added some veggies to make this a healthier option to a Chicago pizza.
- Easy to adapt with different fillings - Whatever your favourite pizza toppings are will work here.
- Low calories - Less than 200 calories per slice.
- Kids will love it - I am yet to meet a kid that doesn't like pizza and this "upside down" version will intrigue them.
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Pizza dough - You can use store bought, but it really is easy to make your own pizza dough. Why not try our Wholewheat Pizza Dough recipe.
- Pizza sauce - Homemade is best. Follow our recipe for Pizza Sauce. If using store bought, try to use the best quality one you can.
- Courgette (zucchini) and Bell pepper - These were out vegetables of choice, but we have given lots of other options for others.
- Cheese - A mature cheddar works well, as it has a strong flavour so a little goes a long way. You could use mozzarella too.
- Basil - Some fresh basil adds lots of flavour.
Variations
We went with onion, red bell pepper and courgette (zucchini), but don't limit it to those. You could add mushrooms, sweetcorn, tomatoes, jalapenos or even some aubergine (eggplant). This is a good opportunity to use up any veg you have left over.
Stay away from root vegetables or any that take a long time to cook - unless they have already been cooked, then throw them in too!
Any meat that you would put on a pizza will work in this - just make sure it's cooked first. Chicken, turkey, ham, ground beef, salami all work really well.
How to Make Deep Dish Pizza
Prep: Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6. Lightly grease the tin.
- Step 1: Start with the base and the cheese first.
- Step 2: Add the vegetables.
- Step 3: Top with marinara.
- Step 4: Add more cheese before cooking.
- Step 5: Cook in the oven for 20 minutes or until cooked through.
Why is Chicago Pizza Different?
If you haven't had it before, it is like an upside down pizza. Kind of. You put the cheese on the base first and then the toppings and then you top it with the tomato sauce - it's genius.
You have to try it to believe just how good it is. It's the debated whether you finish with more cheese, but we did because how can you debate whether more cheese is an option or not?
What to Serve it With
Pizza and fries is the perfect combo isn't it? Why not try our Best Air Fryer Fries or Garlic Polenta Fries. Want something a little lighters? These Baked Carrot Fries are delicious.
A nice big salad like our Little Gem Salad is a nice way to have a more filling meal, without eating more pizza.
Dannii's Top Tips
- Use up any vegetables you have - it's a good fridge raid pizza!
- Store bought pizza dough and sauce will work perfectly well for this, but nutritional values will change.
- You can skip adding the cheese on top to save a few calories.
- Change up the vegetables each time to make it different.
Frequently Asked Questions
The only non-vegan part of this pizza is the cheese. Simply swap that out for one of the many great vegan cheeses available and you have yourself a vegan deep dish pizza!
In the fridge, the pizza will be good for up to three days. To freeze, wrap the slices individually in plastic wrap and keep in the freezer for up to three months.
Make sure the pizza is fully defrosted before reheating. You can reheat in a microwave, but you will end up with limp, soggy pizza! For best results follow these steps: Preheat your oven to 180°C/160°C(fan)/350°F/Gas 4. Place a slice of pizza on some foil on a baking tray and spray with a little cold water. Cover the pizza loosely with more foil and bake for 15-20 minutes. This will result in a perfectly heated pizza with a crispy crust.
Why is this healthier? Well, portion size for a start. If you have eaten an authentic one of these in Chicago, you will know just how huge they are. This is a good size for 4 people with a side salad. We also went pretty easy on the cheese to keep it lower in calories.
At the end of the day - it's pizza. It is never going to be a health food or a food that I can eat in unlimited amounts.
But with a couple of small changes, like using whole wheat homemade dough and not going overboard on the cheese and packing it with veggies, it can be made a bit healthier.
More Pizza Recipes
If you've tried this deep dish pizza recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Healthier Chicago Deep Dish Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 portion of Homemade whole wheat pizza dough
- 12 tablespoon of Marinara
- 40 g (0.33 cups) of Cheddar cheese - grated; for the base
- 40 g (0.33 cups) of Cheddar cheese - grated; for the topping
- 0.5 Courgette (zucchini) - diced
- 0.5 Red bell pepper - diced
- 4 tablespoon of Fresh basil - chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6.
- Make the 1 portion of Homemade whole wheat pizza dough according to the recipe.
- Roll it out so that it is a little wider than the pan you are using. we used a 10 inch diameter spring-form cake tin and it worked perfectly. Put the dough in the greased tin and push the dough up the sides a little.
- Put 40 g of Cheddar cheese on the bottom and then top with 0.5 Courgette (zucchini) and 0.5 Red bell pepper.
- Top with 12 tbsp of Marinara and then sprinkle with 40 g of Cheddar cheese and 4 tbsp of Fresh basil.
- Put into the oven for 20 minutes.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving to make it easier to cut.
Recipe Tips
- Use up any vegetables you have - it's a good fridge raid pizza!
- Store bought pizza dough and sauce will work perfectly well for this, but nutritional values will change.
- You can skip adding the cheese on top to save a few calories.
- Change up the vegetables each time to make it different.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Anu says
Wow! I'm already craving for pizza! Thanks for such a wonderful recipe
Carrie says
Wow this pizza was amazing, love that it's made healthier too, even better!
Sara says
That is one good looking pizza. Some pepperoni would be a good addition in there too and I think my boys would love it. Definitely trying this one.
When is your next book out?
Erica says
Oh I’m not sure I am brave enough to make my own pizza base, but this looks amazing. It actually looks like a pie.
Heidi Roberts says
The colours are amazing! The pizza is mouthwatering -.
Jem says
You can’t beat a homemade pizza! Love the look of all that cheese too.
Kristi says
This would be a perfect pizza for my kids to make some evening. I just started a new job with odd hours which leaves two teens getting creative with food. This looks much better than the watermelon malts they made this past week.
Claudia Lamascolo says
I love chicago style pizzas and this one is over the top delicious looking. I had my first one in Chicago this year and I am hooked!
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
This looks super delicious! I am a big fan of deep dish pizzas but don't have them too often as they are just too big and not too healthy, this looks like such a tasty healthier alternative.
Kelly Welsh says
This looks so cheesy and comforting. It’s the last day of half term, so I think this would make a nice dinner to finish on.
Heidi says
That’s such an awesome way of making a pizza. I love that the toppings are upside down and I always choose a nice thick base.
Jenni says
Oh my goodness I would never have thought of a pizza pie, it looks so good! I need to try and make this x
Sarah Bailey says
Oh my goodness, how delicious does this pizza look! I am like the idea of it being deep dish and can you ever beat a pizza that is a little more healthier.
Yeah Lifestyle says
This looks so pleasing to the eye and healthy too. I am sure we would love to try making this at home for the kids to try.
Rachael says
This looks incredible! I have never heard of putting cheese in first, then adding veg etc on top. I might try this next weekend, seem like a healthy and relatively cheap meal to make!