Upside Down Pizza
This cast iron upside down pizza turns the process upside down, literally. Pepperoni is laid right on the hot cast iron pan, then cheese, sausage, sauce, and dough goes on top of it all. Bake that, flip onto a plate and serve. Your pizza toppings end up on top instead of bottom, with crispy pepperoni on what would normally be the crust and a crispy golden brown crust underneath.
Author’s Notes
So Many Variations You Can Do
This pizza is super simple to make, plus there’s so many variations that you can do. It’s very customizable, super super easy, a lunch or even dinner meal that you can make for the family. Seriously guys, very, very easy to make.
If I were to make this again, I would probably just use a little less cheese. But that’s it. I really enjoyed it.
Just depends on how much you can fit on your grill or in your oven, but you could probably knock out three or four of these in an hour so that the whole family can eat together.
Miguel
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Notes |
|---|---|
| Pillsbury pizza dough | One can. Pop it open and stretch over the top. Tuck the excess down around the edges to build up that thick crust. |
| Pepperoni | Again, a deep layer. Enough to completely cover the bottom of your pan. |
| Mozzarella | Right on top of the pepperoni, then again later in the stack. |
| Cooked sausage | Any kind. Use your imagination. Sliced rounds worked great for me. |
| Marinara or pizza sauce | ONLY ON THE SAUSAGE. Do not let any sauce touch the dough. |
| Sliced cheese | Pepper jack, Colby jack, spicy Colby jack, provolone. Get crazy! |
| Italian seasoning and oil | Seasoning gets layered in and on the crust. Drizzle oil over the dough. |
Find exact amounts in the recipe card below.
How I Made This Cast Iron Upside Down Pizza
- Spray a 12 inch cast iron skillet with cooking spray or wipe it down with some oil.
- Cover the entire bottom of the pan with a deep layer of pepperoni. Don’t leave any gaps, you’re building the top here!
- Grab your mozzarella and cover the pepperoni in cheese. Hit it with a sprinkle of Italian seasoning.
- Layer on the sausage, then pizza sauce directly on the sausage.
- Put your sliced cheese on top of that, then more mozzarella.
- Open your dough can, stretch it over the top of the pan and pinch the edges along the sides to form a thick crust.
- Drizzle olive oil on top and sprinkle with more Italian seasoning.
- Bake at 400°F for about 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
- The Flip: Wear some high heat gloves or grab your bare butts off the stove, find a plate bigger than your skillet and do the flip. Hold the plate against the pan firmly and flip, remove skillet. The pizza should sit on the plate crust side up.
Why This Pizza Is Built Upside Down
There’s a reason this pizza is built upside down. The pepperoni layer gets crispier than anything because it cooks right on the hot cast iron skillet. When you flip that pizza upside down, the bottom of the dough is now on top baking in a dry oven, leaving you with a crispy crust underneath all those toppings. Flipping works because while that pizza bakes, the pepperoni is rendering tons of oils right onto the skillet. That pepperoni is greasing your pan for you. When it’s time to flip, the whole thing slides off in one glorious piece.
The Flip
Wear some high heat gloves or protect your bare hands from third degree burns and grab a large dinner plate. Hold the plate on the pan with one hand while you flick the skillet away with the other. One smooth motion will flip faster than you slowly and carefully rethink your life decisions. The pepperoni side should be face up.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Keep them stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a few days. Reheat in a skillet or oven to crisp up that crust and pepperoni. Make-ahead for this recipe really just means having a second pan built and staged to go in as soon as your first is done. That’s the beauty of upside down pizza, the assembly takes five minutes once the first one teaches you the order.
Miguel’s Tips
- Cover the bottom of your pan completely with pepperoni. You’re building the top of this pizza so gaps in your pepperoni means gaps in the finished pizza.
- Push the excess pizza dough down around the edges to create that thick crust topping.
- Don’t over do it with the cheese if you want clean slices. I would cut back just a hair next time.
- Don’t be afraid of the flip. Gloves on? Checked. Grab a plate larger than your pan. Hold it on there with one hand while you flick the pan off with the other.
Cast Iron Upside Down Pizza FAQ
Will my pizza stick to the cast iron pan when I flip?
If you followed the directions, it won’t. While your pizza builds and bakes, that pepperoni is laying RIGHT on your skillet releasing tons of oils as it cooks. It’s like greasing your pan from the inside. By the time you flip that pizza, the cheese is basically glue holding those toppings to a perfectly seasoned cast iron skillet that won’t let go.
Can I change up the toppings for my cast iron upside down pizza?
YES! Grab any cooked meat you want, any cheese that melts and layer it up. Just make sure you start with a layer of pepperoni on the bottom. Pepperoni makes the pizza crispy against the pan and releases from the pan when you flip.
What if I don’t own a cast iron skillet?
ANY oven safe heavy skillet will work, but cast iron is ideal because it holds and distributes heat the best. Using a lighter pan won’t crisp up that bottom pepperoni layer as much.
Related Recipes
More cheesy comfort from my kitchen: the Smoked Pizza Rolls run pizza night in handheld form, the Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Bread Boat is another loaded bread build that feeds a crowd, the Cheeseburger Bombs stuff a whole burger inside biscuit dough, and the Jalapeño Grilled Hamburger Sliders keep the family-style dinners rolling.
Cast Iron Upside Down Pizza
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Spray a well-seasoned 12-inch cast iron skillet with cooking spray or wipe it down with a little oil.
- Cover the entire bottom of the skillet with a deep layer of pepperoni. Don’t leave gaps, this layer becomes the top of your pizza.
- Sprinkle a layer of mozzarella over the pepperoni and season with Italian seasoning.
- Spread the cooked sausage evenly over the mozzarella, then spoon the marinara directly over the sausage. Keep the sauce off the edges so it doesn’t touch the dough.
- Add the sliced cheese, then finish with the additional mozzarella.
- Open the pizza dough and stretch it over the entire skillet. Press and tuck the excess dough down around the edges of the pan to build a thick crust.
- Lightly brush the top of the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with more Italian seasoning.
- Bake in a 400°F oven or grill for approximately 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and cooked through.
- Using high heat gloves, carefully remove the skillet. Place a large plate or platter over the skillet, hold it firmly against the pan, and flip the whole thing over in one smooth motion.
- Slowly lift the skillet away. The pizza should release easily thanks to the rendered pepperoni fat. Slice and serve.
Notes
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