Okay, folks, so, I’m regressing back to my childhood for this American Cheeseburger Slab Pizza recipe. A slab pizza prepared on a baking sheet, with pizza sauce, ground beef, and American cheese (plus some onion and green bell peppers thrown in for good measure.) It’s basic and simple. But after all these years, I still enjoy it.
If you’ve visited this site very often, you may already know that I LOVE pizza, and I like to make many different types — thin and crispy, Chicago-style, deep dish, and Sourdough. So I’m not afraid to try new or even difficult recipes. However, the other day I was remembering the first pizza my mom made when I was a girl.
Pizza in the 1970’s
The craze of pizza had just hit America’s Heartland, and our area now had it’s first Pizza Hut. I’m guessing the first Hut came to Chanute, KS in the mid 1970’s, but I couldn’t find an actual opening date. The franchise actually began when two brothers founded the first restaurant in Wichita, KS in 1958, so obviously pizza had been in Kansas for awhile, but it was finally branching out into smaller towns.
Now for those who lived in more rural areas, moms (like mine) were trying to duplicate this dish in their home kitchens. With no easy access to mozzarella cheese, Canadian Bacon, Italian Sausage, or even Pepperoni.
Some home cooks gave it their best go using the ingredients they had on hand — flour, yeast, ground beef or sausage, seasoned tomato sauce, and probably sliced American cheese.
And for busy housewives, there were the easy baking kits that were new and popular during this time–like Chef Boyardee’s Pizza Kit that had mixes for the dough, sauce, and a little packet of shredded Parmesan. Which is what my mom used. And that’s how pizza came to be in our humble abode when I was a girl.
This is a homemade version of what I remember from my childhood. If you want to make it even more simple, feel free to substitute a pizza crust mix, refrigerated canned dough, or premade crust, and/or a favorite pizza sauce.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons yellow cornmeal, instant yeast, granulated sugar, and kosher salt. Add in the warm water and extra virgin olive oil. Mix until incorporated, then knead by hand or kneading hook for 4-5 minutes, until a nice dough forms that is smooth and elastic.
Form into a ball and place in a large greased bowl. Cover and allow to rise for 30 minutes until nearly doubled.
Using a rolling pin or your fingers, press the dough into an oblong shape, about 15″ x 9″. Sprinkle an oblong baking sheet with the remaining 2 tablespoons cornmeal. Place the dough on the pan and press to fit, being careful not to touch the outer edges of the dough.
Cover with a clean kitchen towel, and allow the dough to rise for another 20-30 minutes until puffy.
Make the Pizza Sauce
While the dough rises prepare the ingredients. Preheat oven to 425°F. In a small saucepan, mix together the crushed tomatoes, granulated sugar, Italian seasoning, dried minced onion, garlic powder and seasoned salt.
Bring the sauce to a boil and then reduce heat. Simmer uncovered stirring frequently for 20-25 minutes until it has reduced and thickened.
Prepare the Toppings
Using a Chef’s knife and cutting board, dice the sweet onion and green bell pepper. You’ll want about 1/2 cup of each.
In a small skillet, brown the ground beef over medium high heat. Stir in kosher salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and freshly ground black pepper. Add the diced onion and bell pepper to the meat along with 1/4 cup water. Simmer on low until the water is nearly gone, about 12-15 minutes.
Assemble the Slab Pizza
Begin assembling the pizza by spreading the tomato sauce over the risen dough to about 1-inch from outer edges.
Next, spread the browned meat mixture over the sauce, as desired. You may opt not to use all of the tomato sauce and/or meat mixture.
I chose not to completely cover the pizza dough with sauce and meat. The excess sauce was used for dipping upon serving, and I added the meat mixture to another similar recipe so there was nothing wasted.
It’s always fun to include children in the pizza assembly process. They love to help with the toppings, especially cheese.
Place American cheese slices in a row on the pizza, leaving a bit of space for the cheese to spread. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until the crust is lightly browned. Do not worry if the cheese has darkly browned in spots. It still tastes yummy.
Remove the pan from the oven and allow the pizza to cool for 10 minutes before slicing. With a pastry roller or knife slice the pizza into squares, using the cheese slices as a guide.
Serve pizza squares while warm on individual plates. In the photo above, I’ve served pizza on Polish Pottery Salad Plates – Chicken Dance Pattern.
Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 5 days. Reheat in 350°F oven for 8-10 minutes until warmed through. This recipe will serve 8-12 people.
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American Cheeseburger Slab Pizza
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 5 tablespoons yellow cornmeal divided
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 15.5 oz crushed tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried minced onion
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1/2 pound ground beef or less
- 1/2 cup sweet onion diced
- 1/2 cup green bell pepper diced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup water
- 12 slices American cheese
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Instructions Click to Start Cooking
- Gather the dough ingredients so you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 1/2 cups (312.5 g) all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons cornmeal, 1 tablespoon (14.79 ml) instant yeast, 2 teaspoons (9.86 ml) granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon (4.93 ml) kosher salt.2 1/2 cups (312.5 g) all-purpose flour, 5 tablespoons (73.93 ml) yellow cornmeal, 1 tablespoon (14.79 ml) instant yeast, 2 teaspoons (9.86 ml) granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon (4.93 ml) kosher salt
- Add in 1 cup (2.37 dl) warm water and 2 tablespoons (29.57 ml) extra virgin olive oil. Mix until incorporated, then knead by hand or kneading hook for about 4-5 minutes, until a nice dough forms that is smooth and elastic.1 cup (2.37 dl) warm water, 2 tablespoons (29.57 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- Form into a ball and place in a large greased bowl. Cover and allow to rise for 30 minutes until nearly doubled.
- Using a rolling pin or your fingers, form the dough into an oblong shape about 15″ x 9″.
- Sprinkle oblong baking sheet with the remaining 2 tablespoons cornmeal. Place the dough on the pan and press to fit, being careful not to touch the outer edges of the dough.
- Cover with a clean kitchen towel, and allow the dough to rise for 20-30 minutes until puffy.
- Preheat oven to 425℉. In a small saucepan, mix together 15.5 oz (439.42 g) crushed tomatoes, 2 teaspoons (9.86 ml) granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon (1 teapoon) Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon (4.93 ml) dried minced onion, 1/4 teaspoon (1.23 ml) garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon (1.23 ml) seasoned salt.15.5 oz (439.42 g) crushed tomatoes, 2 teaspoons (9.86 ml) granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon (1 teapoon) Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon (4.93 ml) dried minced onion, 1/4 teaspoon (1.23 ml) garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon (1.23 ml) seasoned salt
- Bring the sauce to a boil and then reduce heat. Simmer uncovered stirring frequently for 20-25 minutes until it has reduced and thickened.
- Using a Chef’s knife and cutting board, dice 1/2 cup (80 g) sweet onion and 1/2 cup (74.5 g) green bell pepper. You’ll want about 1/2 cup of each.1/2 cup (80 g) sweet onion, 1/2 cup (74.5 g) green bell pepper
- In a medium skillet, brown 1/2 pound (226.8 g) ground beef over medium high heat. Stir in 1 teaspoon (4.93 ml) kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon (2.46 ml) onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon (1/2 teapoon) garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon (2.46 ml) freshly ground black pepper. Add the diced onion and bell pepper to the meat along with 1/4 cup (59.15 ml) water. Simmer on low until the water is nearly gone, about 12-15 minutes.1/2 pound (226.8 g) ground beef, 1 teaspoon (4.93 ml) kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon (2.46 ml) onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon (1/2 teapoon) garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon (2.46 ml) freshly ground black pepper, 1/4 cup (59.15 ml) water
- Begin assembling the pizza by spreading the tomato sauce over the risen dough to about 1-inch from outer edges.
- Next, spread the meat mixture over the sauce, as desired. (You may opt not to use all of the tomato sauce and/or meat mixture.)
- Place 12 slices (12 slices) American cheese in a row on the pizza, leaving a bit of space for the cheese to spread.12 slices (12 slices) American cheese
- Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until the crust is lightly browned. (Do not worry if the cheese has darkly browned in spots. It still tastes yummy.)
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow the pizza to cool for 10 minutes before slicing. With a pastry wheel or knife, slice the pizza into squares, using the cheese slices as a guide.
- Serves 8-12.
I hope you will enjoy this recipe as much as we do!