Seriously…there should be a limit to my weird pizzas. Indian pizza, Thai pizza, next time I’ll do a more normal pizza. Honestly, I make pizza so often because of how much I feed my sourdough starter. This chili pizza though, does not include sourdough (but I bet that would be pretty good!). Instead, this deep dish chili pizza has a cornmeal crust! YUM.
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This chili pizza came about because I had leftover vegetarian chili with Anasazi beans. That recipe makes a lot (just the way I like it!). Leftovers are pretty common in my house. I eat them as is. But, when there’s a lot of one thing, like the vegetarian chili, I like to repurpose my leftovers. So I decided to make chili pizza.
I really wanted something that would soak up the saucy chili. Something like cornbread. I thought about using old cornbread for the crust, kind of like a graham cracker crust on a pie. But I wasn’t sure about the integrity of the pizza crust…it seemed like it would end up too crumbly and not pizza-like.
So I went with a cornmeal crust! And as soon as that decision was made, I thought of Little Star Pizza. Crispy, corn-y, delicious deep dish pizza. This is my attempt. But I’m not sure it lives up to the original. I may need to taste test. Regardless, this chili pizza is fantastic.
There are a couple things I want to point out about this deep dish chili pizza with all its cornmeal crust glory:
- DEEP DISH PIZZA: There’s something a little extra special about deep dish pizza that makes my pizza heart sing. Maybe because each slice holds all those delicious filling ingredients like a wrapped present.
- LEFTOVER CHILI: I mean, you can’t make only a little chili. Ever. Or at least I can’t. And sometimes even I get tired over leftovers. What better way to repurpose leftovers than to throw it on pizza? I did it with korma curry…
- CORNMEAL CRUST: Slightly sweet but still savory, crispy, crunchy, with just the right amount of corny grit to contrast with the soft beans and stringy cheese.
This pizza. All these things. AND THEN YOU POUR THE WINE.
Did I mention this was my latest Saturday Night Supper meal? Right in time for summer. And right in time for Father’s Day.
I paired this deep dish chili pizza with a 2013 Mourvedre from Imagery. It’s a less common grape variety but I love it’s earthy, fruity flavor. If you’re a fan of Malbec, you should definitely try this varietal!
This wine though. With this chili pizza. Fireworks.
The wine has a dark cherry flavor, with a little bit of blackberry. It’s earthy, full bodied, fairly dry and acidic. It’s kind of a chewy wine, if you know what I mean.
The spice of the chili pizza really brings out the fruit in the wine. Going the other way, the wine complements the garlicky warmth of the pizza.
Can’t find a Mourvedre? A dry, spicy Zinfandel is pretty delicious with this chili pizza. Or the chili for that matter. While we’re on that idea, any Zinfandel is probably a good bet.
I dare you to not like this combo.
★ Did you make this recipe? Leave a rating below and tag @seasonedvegetable on Instagram so I can see it!
Deep Dish Chili Pizza with Cornmeal Crust
Ingredients
- 1 recipe cornmeal pizza dough (see note)
- 3 cups chili, divided (see note)
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, divided
- 4 ounces cheddar cheese, divided
- Sour cream, for topping
- Cilantro, for topping
- Avocado, for topping
Instructions
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Prepare dough according to this cornmeal pizza dough recipe. This can be done ahead of time. If you let dough rise overnight in the refrigerator, be sure to let dough come to room temperature.
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Grease two 9-inch pie pans with olive oil. Divide room temperature dough into halves. Press each half of dough into one pie pan. Spread the dough evenly across the bottom of the pan. Cover with a wet towel or saran wrap and let rest 10 to 15 minutes.
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Press dough up along the sides of the pie pan. Cover again, and let rest an additional 10 minutes.
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Heat oven to 425°F.
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When dough has rested for the second time, bake in the oven for 10 minutes until lightly golden.
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While the crust is baking, shred the mozzarella and cheddar cheeses.
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Remove crust from the oven. Spoon 1 1/2 cups of chili into a pizza crust. Sprinkle with half the mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Repeat with other pizza crust.
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Return pizzas to oven and bake 20 to 25 more minutes until crust is golden and crisp.
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Let cool 3 to 5 minutes. Then remove pizzas from pie pans. Cut and serve with sour cream, cilantro, avocado, or toppings as desired.
Recipe Notes
Cornmeal crust dough recipe from Martha Stewart
Seasoned Secret
This chili pizza was made with leftover vegetarian chili but you could also use Amy’s chili. I usually add a bit of garlic powder to my pizza crust for an extra hit of flavor. You could also use pre made dough but I definitely recommend this cornmeal crust pizza dough.
Vegan
Use your favorite vegan chili and omit the cheese in this chili pizza.
Gluten-Free
Give a gluten-free crust a try! Use your favorite premade gluten free pizza dough or make your own with this mix from Bob’s Red Mill (<-affiliate). If you make your own, try adding gluten-free cornmeal.
Omnivore
You can easily use your favorite meat chili in this deep dish chili pizza recipe.
Check the Fridge
Have some extra vegetables? Shredded kale or collards would be a great addition to this chili pizza. Diced carrots, caramelized onions, or diced summer squash would be great too! Mix in your veggies with the chili before baking the chili pizza.
From Scratch
I used my leftover vegetarian chili for this chili pizza but you could use any chili.
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