Mini Skillet Pizzas with Kale Pesto & Italian Sausage

Hey kale lovers check out these mini skillet pizzas with traditional toppings of sausage and mushrooms plus kale pesto for a delicious and healthy twist.  These individual pizzas are great for a quick weeknight meal!  

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Pizza – who doesn’t love pizza?!  I think it makes my list of top 10 favorite foods.  These mini skillet pizzas are easy and fairly quick to make…..and I just had to sneak some of the kale pesto in there to make sure everyone gets their veggie servings for the day!! 🙂

One of my favorite things about pizza is that it’s so versatile; you can stick with traditional combos or you can experiment to spice things up a bit, which is what I did by adding the kale pesto to this recipe.  I’m normally a thin crust pizza person,  but with this one I wanted to have some substance to balance out the pesto so I decided to make it a skillet pizza.  You’ll want to make the kale pesto before you get started with the pizzas.  It only takes a few minutes and you’ll have extra for other recipes, like these twice baked potatoes or just to put on some steamed veggies.  Sausage is my favorite kind of pizza, so I use pork sausage in the recipe, however you can substitute for Italian turkey sausage if you prefer.

I normally buy pizza dough from Whole Foods, they have two great options – regular and whole wheat – and you can freeze the other half of the dough to use at another time.  If you don’t have a Whole Foods nearby you can always check with a local pizza place to see if they will sell dough, or this recipe from Bobby Flay is great if you want to make your own.

I ordered these two Lodge mini cast iron skillets specifically for this recipe and I’ve been having so much fun with them.  They are perfect for single serving dishes!  They are inexpensive and definitely a good investment as you can use them for all kinds of different things, from pizza to desserts to scrambled egg skillets.

Meal Prep Tips

There are not a lot of prep options for this recipe other than making the pesto ahead of time.   It will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days after you make it so it’s a good one to do as you are prepping for the week.  You can also freeze pesto if you want to save some it for later.  Check out this post about 15 Brilliant Uses for Ice Trays for some tips on how to freeze pesto.

You can also make these pizzas ahead of time and then reheat them when you are ready to eat.  I recommend taking them out of the skillets if you are going to do that.  Just reheat in a toaster over or your regular oven at 275°F for 15-20 minutes.

things you may want for this recipe

Lodge Mini Cast Iron Skillets – A cast iron skillet is a great addition to any kitchen.  They are super versatile and great for dishes that go from stovetop to oven.  If you are cooking for one or two these mini cast iron skillets can be a great option for individual servings.

Mini Skillet Pizzas with Kale Pesto & Italian Sausage

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Kathryn | Urban Foodie Kitchen
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 2 pizzas
• Category: Main Course
• Method: Oven Baked
• Cuisine: Italian

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Description

These individual pizzas are great for a quick weeknight meal, and have the added benefit of healthy kale pesto!

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Ingredients

• Half of one pizza dough recipe (or pre-made high-quality pizza dough)
• 3 teaspoons garlic olive oil, divided
• 1/4 to 1/3 pound ground Italian sausage (you can use either pork or turkey)
• 6 tablespoons kale pesto
• 1/3 cup sliced baby bella mushrooms
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2. Cook sausage in a medium skillet over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes until browned and cooked through. Remove from pan and drain on a plate lined with a paper towel.
3. Rub each of two small cast iron skillets with 1/2 tsp garlic olive oil, being sure to coat bottom and sides. Divide the pizza dough between the two skillets. Press the dough to cover the bottom of the skillets.
4. In a small bowl, mix 2 tsp of garlic olive oil with the pesto.
5. Sprinkle two tablespoons of cheese on each pizza. Divide the pesto mixture evenly between the two pizzas, spreading over the cheese.
6. Top with mushrooms, sausage and the remaining cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the crust turns lightly golden brown. Remove pizzas from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before slicing.

Keywords: skillet pizza, deep dish pizza

Updated.  Originally published November 2015.