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Mini Skillet Pizzas with Kale Pesto & Italian Sausage

Published: December 27, 2018 By Urban Foodie Kitchen Last Updated: February 16, 2020 8 Comments

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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!  

Mini Skillet Pizza with Kale Pesto & Italian Sausage
Skillet pizza topped with kale pesto, sausage & mushrooms

This post contains affiliate links.  If you purchase a product via these links, I will earn a small commission which helps to keep this blog running!

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.

Two slices of kale pesto pizza on a cream napkin
Mini skillet pizza with Kale Pesto Slice

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 30-minute recipe 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.

  • Pizza dough in mini cast iron skillet
  • Pizza dough in mini skillet spread with kale pesto
  • Kale Pesto Pizza in skillet ready to be cooked

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 oven or your regular oven at 275°F for 15-20 minutes.

If you are looking for other great pizza ideas check out this Ricotta Mushroom Pizza or grilled pizza with Pear, Proscuitto and Blue Cheese


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.

Overhead photo of kale pesto pizza in a mini cast iron skillet
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Skillet pizza topped with kale pesto, sausage & mushrooms

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 1x
  • 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!


Ingredients

Scale
  • Half of one pizza dough recipe (or pre-made high-quality pizza dough)
  • 3 teaspoons garlic olive oil, divided
  • ¼ to ⅓ pound ground Italian sausage (you can use either pork or turkey)
  • 6 tablespoons kale pesto
  • ⅓ cup sliced baby bella mushrooms
  • ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

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 ½ 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

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @urbanfoodiekitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #urbanfoodiekitchen

Updated.  Originally published in November 2015.

 
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Previous Post: « Turkey Meatloaf Muffins
Next Post: Caramelized Onion Frittata »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lucy @ Bake Play Smile says

    November 26, 2015 at 2:36 pm

    OMG yes!!! And it’s Friday here – so perfect timing! Definitely making this!

    Reply
  2. Shiho says

    November 27, 2015 at 2:00 am

    I am a little obsessed about skillet now and this pizza look amazing! Must try when I get new oven :{ it is broken and have to buy a new one.

    Reply
  3. Claudia | Gourmet Project says

    November 27, 2015 at 10:02 am

    everything in that skillet is genius! love the superfood + yummy ingredients… pinning to try it asap!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  4. Ramona W says

    November 29, 2015 at 6:35 am

    That pizza may be mini… but it’s full of flavor! I want one right now and it’s 7:30am! 🙂

    Reply
  5. Sherri @ Watch Learn Eat says

    November 29, 2015 at 9:47 am

    These pizzas look amazing! Beautiful pics!!

    Reply
    • FoodieGirlChicago says

      December 05, 2015 at 8:34 am

      Thanks Sherri!

      Reply
  6. Danya Smith says

    November 30, 2015 at 4:41 pm

    This looks so good! Those skillets are really cute, and the pizza looks delicious. I’ll have to try that kale pesto soon 🙂

    Reply
  7. Saima says

    January 06, 2019 at 10:20 am

    Mini skillet pizzas! What a fun weeknight meal to serve. I love that these pizzas are so healthy too!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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