What happens if you cross meatloaf with pizza? You get Meatza… okay, you get food legend James Beard’s “Hamburger Pizza,” a dish that always delighted his party guests because his “pizza” had no dough. This dish put us in such a good mood, we decided to make up one of our own for parties. It rocks—because it includes a layer of Parmesan mashed potatoes under the tomato sauce and toppings.
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs (or gluten free)
- 1/4 cup tomato sauce
- 1 egg
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1/3 cup finely minced onion
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon basil or oregano
- butter for greasing
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 3 slices mozzarella cheese
- 4 anchovy fillets (optional)
- 12 kalamata olives pitted
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesano Reggiano cheese
Servings:
Instructions
- Combine the meat, crumbs, ¼ cup tomato sauce, egg, garlic, onion, and seasonings. Blend lightly but thoroughly.
- Butter a square of aluminum foil, place the mixture on it, and mold into a flat round cake until it looks like a medium size pizza. Shape a rim on the foil to keep the sauce from spilling over. (If using leftover mashed potatoes, spread a layer on top of the hamburger mixture.) Spread with ½ cup tomato sauce, slices of cheese, anchovy, and olives. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and more basil and oregano to your taste.
- Slide the "pizza" onto a cookie sheet, foil and all. Bake at 450° about 15 minutes, or a bit less if you prefer your meat pink.
Recipe Notes
Optional: Parmesan mashed potatoes
Additional basil or oregano
(Note: Double this and use a sheet pan. Or use jarred pasta sauce you love. Feel free to use your own favorite pizza toppings, ground turkey instead of beef—have fun with it!)
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