Grilled Cast Iron Pizza

It was 10:00 at night, I had pizza dough, and I was hungry. What’s a pregnant mama to do but make some pizza?! My house was also hovering around 80 degrees, so I had to get creative. I used our outdoor grill to cook up a delicious pizza and I don’t think I’ll ever go back to making it in the oven. The grill replicates a pizza oven and allows the heat to hit the pizza from all angles. The cast iron also helps build a really beautiful crispy crust on the edges and base. Please please please give this a try! Most important thing to remember is to get a little grease on the base of the pan before you add your dough in. This will help build your flavor and the perfect crunchy bite. Enjoy and get creative. I love traditional margherita, bacon and onion, sausage and fennel, and a million other options. Make it. You won’t regret it!

GRILLED CAST IRON PIZZA
INGREDIENTS:
- 16-oz pizza dough
- 6-oz pork sausage or topping of choice!
- 1/2 cup sliced onion
- 1/3 cup marinara sauce
- 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese
- pinch of fennel seed
- pinch of red pepper flake
- optional: fresh basil leaves

DIRECTIONS:
This pizza is highly adaptable. I love using sausage and onion, but use whatever toppings you like. If you are not using a topping that needs to be cooked, skip step two and instead add 1 T of olive oil to cast iron pan, and heat over medium.
Remove pizza dough from fridge one hour before cook time. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, and cover with a towel. Let sit until ready to use.

1.) Preheat grill to 500 degrees.
2.) Cook crumbled sausage and sliced onion in cast iron pan over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil if necessary to start process of rendering fat.
Add a sprinkle of fennel seed and red pepper flake. Stir until cooked through and onions are caramelized.
3.) Remove toppings and add pizza dough to skillet. The key here is that you want some form of fat/grease/oil at the base of the pan. This will help build the crust.
Use wooden spoon to push against the sides of the dough to build an edge/crust.
4.) Add sauce to dough. Cover with mozzarella and toppings.
5.) Place cast iron on grill and close lid. Keep temperature hovering around 500 degrees. Cook for 10 minutes or until dough is baked and toppings are melty.
Enjoy! I love to top my pizza with fresh basil.