Garlic Toast Deep Dish Meatball Pizza

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F

Use 13 slices of Furlani Garlic Parm Texas Toast to make the deep-dish pizza crust in a 12” round deep pan.

Place 8 slices of Furlani Garlic Parm Texas Toast around the edge of the dish, slightly overlapping if necessary. Press the 5 remaining Texas Toast onto the bottom of the pan. Cut the toast to fill in any gaps on the bottom layer.

Place in oven for 2 minutes to just soften and warm the toast. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 2 to 3 minutes. Using the back of a large spoon or the bottom of a 1/2 cup dry measuring cup, gently press the toast down into the pan and against the edge of the pan to create a crust.

Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of the cheese evenly over the bottom. Set aside.

In a large pot over medium-low heat, add the olive oil. Once olive oil is warmed, reduce heat to low, add the onion, bay leaf, and 1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes if using. Sauté until the onion is just translucent.

Add half the minced garlic, and half the oregano and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes or until garlic is fragrant.

Add tomato paste and stir well into the aromatics. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes for the tomato paste to cook and darken slightly. Add the cans of tomatoes and mix well.

Bring temperature up to medium heat until sauce simmers. Reduce heat to low and stir occasionally. Simmer for 30 minutes or until sauce has reduced and thickened.

Season sauce with 1 tsp of salt. Adjust seasonings if needed. Take off the heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, make the meatballs. Tear 3 of the Texas toasts into bite-size pieces in a medium bowl. Add the milk, mix well, and set aside for 10 minutes. With a wooden spoon, stir and mix until the mixture becomes well blended and smooth.

With a fork, whisk in egg, Worcestershire sauce, remaining garlic, basil, oregano, remaining 1/2 tsp of salt, pepper, and remaining 1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes, if using.

Add the ground beef, and gently mix until well combined with the bread mixture. Scoop and roll the mixture into two tablespoon-sized balls and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Preheat oven to 425°F.

Bake meatballs for 10 minutes, turn them over to brown evenly and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

Spoon prepared tomato sauce evenly on top of the cheese layer in the pan. Distribute the meatballs evenly over top. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn the pan halfway through baking.

After 20 minutes, evenly sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups of cheese. Place baking dish back in the oven and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before topping with basil leaves and cutting slices.