Italian-Inspired Deep-Dish Pizza Quiche

Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 130 min
Servings: 8
Yield: 8 servings

Description

A delicious cross between pizza and quiche, this deep-dish quiche is loaded with your favorite pizza toppings and is perfect to serve for dinner alongside a salad.

Ingredients

nonstick cooking spray
1 tablespoon fine cornmeal
1 (16 ounce) package refrigerated pizza dough
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, or to taste
8 ounces Italian sausage, cooked, pork
4 ounces sliced baby portobello mushrooms
1 small sweet red pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup sliced black olives, or to taste
2 cups heavy cream
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon crushed dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
14 slices pepperoni

Directions

1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray the bottom and sides of a 2 1/2-inch deep, 9 1/2-inch round springform pan with nonstick spray, then evenly dust with cornmeal.
2 Roll out and stretch pizza dough to a diameter of about 15 1/2 inches. Carefully place it in the prepared pan to cover the bottom and sides with some overhang, re-stretching as needed.
3 Toss mozzarella, Cheddar, and Parmesan cheeses together to mix. Set aside 1 cup in the refrigerator for later. Sprinkle 1/2 of the remaining cheese over the dough. Layer with sun-dried tomatoes, sausage, mushrooms, sweet pepper, and olives, in that order.
4 Prepare custard: Whisk eggs in a 4-cup liquid measure. Add cream, eggs, basil, oregano, fennel seeds, garlic salt, crushed red pepper, and garlic powder and whisk until well combined.
5 Pour 1/2 of the custard mixture over the layered ingredients. Top with remaining (non-refrigerated) cheese, then pour the remaining custard evenly over top. Roll the dough overhang inward over the cheese and custard.
6 Place the springform pan on a large sheet of foil, and gather the foil up and around the pan in case it leaks. Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes. Tent the top with foil to prevent excessive browning, and bake until fully set, about 45 minutes longer.
7 Carefully remove from the oven. Sprinkle with reserved 1 cup cheese and pepperoni slices. Pop back into the oven and bake until cheese melts, about 10 minutes.
8 Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Tent loosely with foil and let rest for about 2 hours. (It will stay hot and be completely set after 2 hours.)
9 Release the ring. Slice through the outer crust with a serrated knife, then a sharp chef's knife to finish slicing the pieces.