The Donne household that I married into hint their heritage again to Sicily the place their kin made Sicilian Christmas Pizza. That is the particular household recipe now we have each Christmas! 

Have a really pizza Christmas!

After I went to my first Christmas on the Donne’s home, everybody was speaking about Christmas pizza. As this was not a practice in my home, I wasn’t positive what kind of pizza to anticipate. This isn’t your typical triangular New York slice; relatively, it’s a deep dish stuffed pizza crammed with floor beef, spinach, and gooey, melted cheese. 

This recipe may be traced again to Thomas’s nice nice grandmother, Michelina Gentile, who was from Sicily. It has been handed down and is a Christmas custom. Actually, Thomas’s aunt Layton informed me that the household thought it was taboo to make the recipe on any day aside from Christmas Eve!

Sfincione (Sicilian Christmas Pizza)

In doing some research to see if different individuals additionally eat “Christmas pizza” I discovered recipes for sfincione. In keeping with Critical Eats “The etymology of sfincione isn’t utterly clear, however the probably reply is that it comes from the phrase for sponge, a reference to its tall, ethereal texture.” 

Whereas our Christmas pizza isn’t open confronted or made with a lightweight and ethereal focaccia-like crust, I can see how the recipes may need been related a few years in the past. 

Final 12 months at Christmastime (earlier than our kitchen was sledgehammered!), Thomas and I photographed the step-by-step course of so we might digitize this recipe to share with the numerous of you who’ve requested for it over time. 

Christmas Pizza Recipe

The bottom of the recipe is floor beef, frozen spinach, onions (sure onions!) and American cheese that melts so nicely proper below the highest layer of crust. Whilst you actually might make your individual dough, our household buys pre-made dough from Complete Meals that we expect is sort of scrumptious! John talked about that he typically provides a container of mushrooms (sautéed with the onions) and additional parmesan cheese sprinkled into the highest layer of his pizza for further taste. 

Whereas this recipe is a bit time intensive, it’s additionally nice for feeding a crowd! The recipe can also be simply doubled, which is what we did in these pictures. You can also make the filling prematurely in order that the day you prepare dinner it you’re solely assembling the layers and baking it. The Donne household has it on Christmas morning, and for lunch or a lightweight dinner for days after Christmas. It’s so good the day after Christmas when all of the presents have been opened! 

Elements

Supplies

• 1 roll of paper towels (for the spinach)
• Sheet pan

How To Make Christmas Pizza

Step 1: Preheat oven and Brown meat

Preheat the oven to 350 levels. Brown the meat in a skillet over medium warmth with olive oil and add salt and pepper to style.

Step 2: Drain the meat

Put cooked meat in a colander to empty out the liquid – essential step!

Step 3: Sauté onions and garlic, then drain with paper towels

Sauté’ onions within the skillet on medium warmth with olive oil til translucent. Push cooked onions out to the perimeters of the pan and switch to medium/low – add just a little olive oil within the heart of the pan and add the contemporary chopped garlic, stir for 1 minute. Place about 10 paper towels stacked on high of one another on the counter, put the onion/garlic combination on the paper towels. Wrap the paper towels across the onion combination to empty out any liquid.

Step 4: Prepare dinner spinach after which drain as nicely

Warmth bagged spinach till nicely thawed and heat. It simply must be thawed, not essentially cooked a lot past that. You possibly can warmth it within the bag or in a glass bowl within the microwave or in a pot on the stovetop. Repeat the identical course of with the spinach that you just did with the onion combination – squeeze out all of the liquid – essential so the crust gained’t get soggy.

Step 5: Combine meat, onions, and spinach along with cheese, egg, basil and oregano

In a big bowl combine the meat, onions and spinach. Add parmesan cheese, whisked eggs, contemporary basil, dried oregano.

Step 6: Grease baking sheet

Have a big baking sheet and grease with olive oil if you happen to don’t have nonstick. Some cornmeal will stop sticking as nicely.

Step 7: Roll out dough

Roll out one of many packages of dough in a rectangle form to suit the pan. Use flour on the countertop so it gained’t stick. It’s higher to have an excessive amount of than too little. You don’t need the crust to be too thick however too skinny and it’ll tear. You possibly can reduce off the surplus on the perimeters after you set the second piece on high.

Notice we made two pizzas to feed a crowd!

Step 8: Add the filling

Put filling on high of the dough within the pan getting it thick sufficient to cowl and as much as all the perimeters. The filling will probably be about 1/2 inch thick.

Step 9: Add cheese layer

Place sliced cheese throughout and down over the entire pizza filling overlapping the cheese by a few 1/4 inch. This makes it further tacky. Layton says don’t forget the cheese!! She did one 12 months and it wasn’t a simple drawback to undo : ) 

Step 10: Roll out second dough and add on high

Roll out second bundle of dough in the identical form and fold over as soon as after which twice so it’s simpler to choose up and place on the filling. Then confide in cowl all of the filling. Pinch it across the edges with solely about 1/4 inch crust as a result of it’s going to double in dimension when it cooks. You don’t need an excessive amount of crust. So you’ll need to chop further dough across the edges of the pan as you go across the edges.

Step 11: Make slits and bake for 30-40 minutes

Make slits on high within the form of a Christmas tree for adornment (or do a giant MC like we did for Merry Christmas!) and bake for roughly 30 – 40 minutes. Take away from oven when it’s golden brown and the cheese is effervescent via the slits.

Take pleasure in scorching out of the oven!

How To Retailer Christmas Pizza

After you’ve had your fill, we reduce up the remaining pizza into slices and retailer in glass containers within the fridge, heating up as soon as slice at a time. You’ll need to reheat within the oven so the crust will get good and crisp. I’ll preheat just a little within the microwave to make sure the center is scorching too.

Ship company residence with some further items wrapped in foil and carried in a paper bag! 

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