Chef Richard Ingraham, personal chef to power couple Dwyane and Gabrielle Wade, founder of Private Chef network ChefRLI, and author of ‘Eating Well to Win,’ shared his favorite pizza inspired dishes made with new HORMEL® Pepperoni Cup N’ Crisp.
Cup N’ Crisp Cauliflower Pepperoni Pizza
Total Time
45 minutes
- 1 small to medium cauliflower (yield 2 to 3 cups once processed)
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh basil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon creole seasoning
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup pizza sauce
- 1/2 cup HORMEL® Pepperoni Cup N’ Crisp
Instructions
Heat oven to 450°F. Place pizza stone or baking sheet in oven. On cutting board, place large piece of parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Cut florets off cauliflower. Place florets in food processor bowl; pulse 30 seconds or until powder forms. Place cauliflower powder in microwave-safe bowl. Cover. Microwave on HIGH 4 minutes. Spread cooked cauliflower on clean kitchen towel and cool.
When cauliflower is cool enough to handle, wrap in towel and wring out as much water as possible to ensure a chewy, pizza-like crust. In bowl, combine cauliflower powder, Parmesan cheese, ¼ cup mozzarella cheese, crushed red pepper, basil, garlic powder, oregano and creole seasoning. Using hands, mix in egg. On parchment paper, form cauliflower mixture into crust, pressing dough down thoughly, making sure it is tightly formed.
Using cutting board, slide the parchment paper onto hot pizza stone or baking sheet. Bake 8 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven. Top crust with pizza sauce, 1 cup mozzarella cheese and pepperoni. Slide parchment paper with pizza back on the pizza stone or baking sheet. Bake 5 to 7 minutes longer or until cheese is melted, bubbly and slightly golden. Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes before serving.
HORMEL® Pepperoni Cup N’ Crisp and Shrimp Zucchini Pizza Boats
Total Time
30 minutes
- 4 medium zucchini
- 1 teaspoon creole seasoning
- 1 cup pizza sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded smoked provolone cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup HORMEL® Pepperoni Cup N’ Crisp
- 1/2 cup cooked medium shrimp
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
Instructions
Conventional oven method
Heat oven to 375°F. Lightly coat rimmed baking sheet or 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Halve each zucchini lengthwise. With a small spoon or melon baller, gently scrape out the center zucchini flesh and pulp, leaving a border of about 1/3 inch on all sides. Arrange zucchini shells on baking sheet. Sprinkle the inside of zucchini shells with creole seasoning. Spoon pizza sauce into each shell. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese, provolone cheese, Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper flakes over pizza sauce. Top with pepperoni and shrimp. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese is hot and bubbly and zucchini is tender. Heat broiler. Broil 2 to 3 additional minutes or until cheese is lightly browned. Remove from oven and sprinkle with thyme.
Wood fire oven method
Heat wood fire oven to its optimum temperature. Allow time for the oven to cool until it reaches 375°F. Lightly coat rimmed baking sheet or 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Halve each zucchini lengthwise. With a small spoon or melon baller, gently scrape out the center zucchini flesh and pulp, leaving a border of about 1/3 inch on all sides. Arrange zucchini shells on baking sheet. Sprinkle the inside of zucchini shells with creole seasoning. Spoon pizza sauce into each shell. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese, provolone cheese, Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper flakes over pizza sauce. Top with pepperoni and shrimp. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake 10 minutes or until cheese is hot and bubbly and zucchini is tender. Remove from oven and sprinkle with thyme.
HORMEL® Pepperoni Cup N’ Crisp Stuffed Crust Pizza
Total Time
1 hour
- 1 1/2 cups HORMEL® Pepperoni Cup N’ Crisp, divided
- 1 pound prepared pizza dough
- 7 string cheeses, unwrapped
- 1/2 cup pizza sauce, homemade or purchased
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Mini Meatballs (recipe follows)
- Dried Italian seasoning
Instructions
Method for wood fire oven
Allow time for oven to cool to 500°F. Roughly cut ½ cup pepperoni; reserve. Lift edge of pizza dough up to create lip around edges. Arrange string cheese around the edge of the crust, leaving ¾-inch space along edge. Sprinkle with chopped pepperoni. Fold edge of dough over string cheese and chopped pepperoni, pinching down to seal. Top crust with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese and remaining pepperoni slices. Top each pepperoni slice with mini meatball. Sprinkle lightly with Italian seasoning. Slide pizza onto lightly floured pizza peel. Place pizza into oven and give the peel a light jerk to transfer pizza from peel to floor of pizza oven. The crust will begin to puff up and cook immediately. After 40 seconds, slip the peel under pizza and rotate 180 degrees to ensure even cooking. Do not shift the pizza to another part of the oven when rotating. The cooking will be much faster than in a conventional oven. Bake 2 to 3 minutes or until the crust is browned, cheese is melted, and toppings are bubbling.
Method for conventional oven
Heat oven to 500°F. Place pizza stone or baking sheet in oven. Roughly cut ½ cup pepperoni; reserve. Lift edge of pizza dough up to create lip around edges. Arrange string cheese around the edge of the crust, leaving ¾-inch space along edge. Sprinkle with chopped pepperoni. Fold edge of dough over string cheese and chopped pepperoni, pinching down to seal. Top crust with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese and remaining pepperoni slices. Top each pepperoni slice with mini meatball. Sprinkle lightly with Italian seasoning. Slide pizza onto lightly floured pizza peel. Carefully slide pizza onto pizza stone or baking sheet. Bake 6 minutes; rotate pizza 180 degrees. Cook 6 to 8 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and charred in spots. Use pizza peel to slide pizza onto cutting board. Let rest 1 minute before slicing.
Mini Meatballs
½ pound ground beef
1 egg, beaten
¼ cup finely diced yellow onion
¼ cup breadcrumbs
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Heat oven to 400°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray.
In large bowl, mix together ground beef, egg, onion, breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Roll mixture into small meatballs. Place meatballs on prepared baking pan. Bake 7 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.