Christmas Pizza (Sicilian Stuffed Pizza) • Kath Eats

by HealthMatters December 6, 2023, 10:56 pm 1k Views

The Donne household that I married into hint their heritage again to Sicily the place their relations made Sicilian Christmas Pizza. That is the particular household recipe now we have each Christmas!

Have a really pizza Christmas!

Once I went to my first Christmas on the Donne’s home, everybody was speaking about Christmas pizza. As this was not a convention in my home, I wasn’t positive what sort of pizza to anticipate. This isn’t your typical triangular New York slice; somewhat, it’s a deep dish stuffed pizza full of floor beef, spinach, and gooey, melted cheese.

This recipe might be traced again to Thomas’s nice nice grandmother, Michelina Gentile, who was from Sicily. It has been handed down and is a Christmas custom. The truth is, Thomas’s aunt Layton advised me that the household thought it was taboo to make the recipe on any day aside from Christmas Eve!

Sfincione (Sicilian Christmas Pizza)

In doing some research to see if different individuals additionally eat “Christmas pizza” I discovered recipes for sfincione. In response to Critical Eats “The etymology of sfincione isn’t utterly clear, however the almost definitely reply is that it comes from the phrase for sponge, a reference to its tall, ethereal texture.”

Whereas our Christmas pizza is just not open confronted or made with a lightweight and ethereal focaccia-like crust, I can see how the recipes might need been comparable a few years in the past.

Final yr at Christmastime (earlier than our kitchen was sledgehammered!), Thomas and I photographed the step-by-step course of so we might digitize this recipe to share with the numerous of you who’ve requested for it over time.

Christmas Pizza Recipe

The bottom of the recipe is floor beef, frozen spinach, onions (sure onions!) and American cheese that melts so properly proper underneath the highest layer of crust. When you actually might make your individual dough, our household buys pre-made dough from Entire Meals that we expect is sort of scrumptious! John talked about that he typically provides a container of mushrooms (sautéed with the onions) and further parmesan cheese sprinkled into the highest layer of his pizza for additional taste.

Whereas this recipe is a bit time intensive, it’s additionally nice for feeding a crowd! The recipe can also be simply doubled, which is what we did in these pictures. You can also make the filling upfront in order that the day you prepare dinner it you’re solely assembling the layers and baking it. The Donne household has it on Christmas morning, and for lunch or a lightweight dinner for days after Christmas. It’s so good the day after Christmas when all of the presents have been opened!

Substances

2 lbs. of 90/10 floor beef
2 packages of frozen chopped spinach
2 yellow onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoons dried oregano
1/2 container of Kraft parmesan cheese
3 giant eggs, whisked
1 package deal of contemporary basil, finely chopped
2 containers of already made pizza dough – can purchase on the grocery retailer or out of your favourite pizza place
1 package deal of Kraft American cheese slices, 30 slices
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

The household feels strongly that the parmesan be Kraft (not contemporary parm) and you employ American cheese – different cheeses don’t soften the identical. One other notice is that the American cheese is ideally the type that comes stacked however NOT the individually wrapped ones.

Supplies

1 roll of paper towels (for the spinach)
Sheet pan

How To Make Christmas Pizza

Step 1: Preheat oven and Brown meat

Preheat the oven to 350 levels. Brown the meat in a skillet over medium warmth with olive oil and add salt and pepper to style.

Step 2: Drain the meat

Put cooked meat in a colander to empty out the liquid – crucial step!

Step 3: Sauté onions and garlic, then drain with paper towels

Sauté’ onions within the skillet on medium warmth with olive oil til translucent. Push cooked onions out to the perimeters of the pan and switch to medium/low – add a bit of olive oil within the heart of the pan and add the contemporary chopped garlic, stir for 1 minute. Place about 10 paper towels stacked on prime of one another on the counter, put the onion/garlic combination on the paper towels. Wrap the paper towels across the onion combination to empty out any liquid.

Step 4: Cook dinner spinach after which drain as properly

Warmth bagged spinach till properly thawed and heat. It simply must be thawed, not essentially cooked a lot past that. You’ll be able to warmth it within the bag or in a glass bowl within the microwave or in a pot on the stovetop. Repeat the identical course of with the spinach that you simply did with the onion combination – squeeze out all of the liquid – crucial so the crust received’t get soggy.

Step 5: Combine meat, onions, and spinach along with cheese, egg, basil and oregano

In a big bowl combine the meat, onions and spinach. Add parmesan cheese, whisked eggs, contemporary basil, dried oregano.

Step 6: Grease baking sheet

Have a big baking sheet and grease with olive oil in the event you don’t have nonstick. Some cornmeal will stop sticking as properly.

Step 7: Roll out dough

Roll out one of many packages of dough in a rectangle form to suit the pan. Use flour on the countertop so it received’t stick. It’s higher to have an excessive amount of than too little. You don’t need the crust to be too thick however too skinny and it’ll tear. You’ll be able to reduce off the surplus on the perimeters after you place the second piece on prime.

Observe we made two pizzas to feed a crowd!

Step 8: Add the filling

Put filling on prime of the dough within the pan getting it thick sufficient to cowl and as much as all the perimeters. The filling will likely be about 1/2 inch thick.

Step 9: Add cheese layer

Place sliced cheese throughout and down over the entire pizza filling overlapping the cheese by a few 1/4 inch. This makes it additional tacky. Layton says don’t forget the cheese!! She did one yr and it wasn’t a simple downside to undo : )

Step 10: Roll out second dough and add on prime

Roll out second package deal of dough in the identical form and fold over as soon as after which twice so it’s simpler to select up and place on the filling. Then confide in cowl all of the filling. Pinch it across the edges with solely about 1/4 inch crust as a result of it can double in dimension when it cooks. You don’t need an excessive amount of crust. So you will have to chop additional dough across the edges of the pan as you go across the edges.

Step 11: Make slits and bake for 30-40 minutes

Make slits on prime within the form of a Christmas tree for adornment (or do an enormous MC like we did for Merry Christmas!) and bake for about 30 – 40 minutes. Take away from oven when it’s golden brown and the cheese is effervescent via the slits.

Get pleasure from scorching out of the oven!

How To Retailer Christmas Pizza

After you’ve had your fill, we reduce up the remaining pizza into slices and retailer in glass containers within the fridge, heating up as soon as slice at a time. You’ll wish to reheat within the oven so the crust will get good and crisp. I’ll preheat a bit of within the microwave to make sure the center is scorching too.

Ship visitors residence with some additional items wrapped in foil and carried in a paper bag!

Christmas Pizza

This baked, deep dish stuffed pizza full of floor beef, spinach, and plenty of gooey cheese.

Key phrase floor beef, pizza, spinach

Cook dinner Time 40

Substances

2 lbs of 90/10 floor beef
2 packages of frozen chopped spinach
2 yellow onions finely chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 tablespoons dried oregano
1/2 container of Kraft parmesan cheese
3 giant eggs whisked
1 package deal of contemporary basil finely chopped
2 rounds of pizza dough
1 package deal of Kraft American cheese slices 30 slice pack
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 levels.   
Brown the meat in a skillet over medium with olive oil and add salt and pepper to style. Put cooked meat in a colander to empty out the liquid – crucial step!
Sauté’ onions within the skillet with olive oil til translucent on medium warmth. Push cooked onions out to the perimeters of the pan and switch to medium/low – add a bit of olive oil within the heart of the pan and add the contemporary chopped garlic, stir for 1 minute. Place about 10 paper towels stacked on prime of one another on the counter, put the onion/garlic combination on the paper towels. Wrap the paper towels across the onion combination to empty out any liquid.
Cook dinner bagged spinach within the microwave or in a stockpot till thawed and heat. Repeat the identical course of with the spinach that you simply did with the onion combination – squeeze out all of the liquid – crucial so the crust received’t get soggy. 
In a big bowl combine the meat, onions and spinach. Add parmesan cheese, whisked eggs, contemporary basil, dried oregano.
Have a big baking sheet and grease with olive oil in the event you don’t have nonstick. Some cornmeal will stop sticking as properly. Roll out one of many packages of dough in a rectangle form to suit the pan. Use flour on the countertop so it will not stick. It’s higher to have an excessive amount of than too little. You don’t need the crust to be too thick however too skinny and it’ll tear. You’ll be able to reduce off the surplus on the perimeters after you place the second piece on prime. 
Put filling on prime of the dough within the pan getting it thick sufficient to cowl and as much as all the perimeters. The filling will likely be about 1⁄2 inch thick. 
Place sliced cheese throughout and down over the entire pizza filling overlapping the cheese by a few 1⁄4 inch. This makes it additional tacky. 
Roll out second package deal of dough in the identical form and fold over as soon as after which twice so it’s simpler to select up and place on the filling. Then confide in cowl all of the filling. Pinch it across the edges with solely about 1⁄4 inch crust as a result of it can double in dimension when it cooks. You don’t need an excessive amount of crust. So you will have to chop additional dough across the edges of the pan as you go across the edges. 
Make slits on prime within the form of a Christmas tree for adornment and bake for about 30 – 40 minutes.
Take away from oven when it’s golden brown and the cheese is effervescent via the slits.