Mini Deep Dish Pizza Cups

Pizza is my heart and soul. My death-row meal. The one item I would never give up for a diet. Now let’s turn that classic dish into miniature deep dish cups of holy deliciousness! A nice crunch on the outside and soft on the inside with bursts of flavor from fresh cherry tomatoes and basil. I’m dying to find an excuse to throw a party because these make wonderful appetizers! See for yourself!

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Recipe slightly adapted from Just Putzing Around The Kitchen

Makes 24 pizza cups – I usually just make 12 and save the other half of dough in the freezer.

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cups warm water

3 tsp (one packet) of active dry yeast

1 ½ tsp honey

1 ½ tsp olive oil, plus more to brush onto crust

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp dried basil

Toppings for pizza cups:

Cherry tomatoes, sliced

Fresh basil, torn into small pieces

Pepperoni, ham, chicken, etc..

1 cup pizza sauce – use my easy red sauce recipe!

1 package of shredded mozzarella

(1.) In a large bowl, stir together water, yeast, honey, and olive oil. Let it sit for 10 minutes or until foamy. (2.) Slowly stir in 2 ½ cups of flour, garlic salt, and basil until dough comes to together. Knead for a few minutes on a floured surface and work in remaining ½ cup of flour. (3.) Rub the same bowl with olive oil, form dough into a ball and place in the bowl. Turn and flip to coat in olive oil. Cover with a towel and place in a warm place to rise for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Once dough has risen, punch down on a floured surface, form back into a ball, and place in the bowl. Cover and let it sit for another 10 minutes. (4.) When dough is done, cover your rolling pin with flour and roll dough out to ¼ inch thickness.

I divided my dough in half and froze the other section for a later date. I had plenty of dough to make 12 pizza cups AND a mini pizza!

(5.) Use a biscuit cutter or drinking glass to cut circles out of the dough. (6.) Using your fingers, stretch dough circles out a bit more and then place into muffin tin. Press dough against the bottom and sides of the muffin cup. (7.) Lightly brush with olive oil and then add toppings. (8.) Place a heaping spoonful of sauce on top of each one. Add cheese and then place in the oven.