Tombstone pizza began in Medford, Wisconsin, my hometown. My dad actually made pizzas at the bar where it started, and when the pizzas became popular, the owner asked him if he wanted to join the business. My dad declined and was perfectly happy following in my grandpa’s footsteps in the plumbing and heating business. That story always makes me think of the “butterfly effect” and how different my life would have been if he had said yes. I’m happy he didn’t, though—thanks to him, I know how to fix plumbing and lay in-floor heating! This recipe is inspired by one of my dad’s recipes, but naturally I made the crust ketogenic. Since the crust is made with cheese, I call this my upside-down pizza.
Ingredients
- 1 (16-ounce) package cheese curds or 1 pound Halloumi cheese, cut into cubes
- ½ cup pizza sauce, warmed
Topping Ideas
- 80% lean ground beef, crumbled and cooked with Italian seasoning, or Italian sausage, crumbled and cooked (omit for vegetarian)
- Bacon slices, cooked and crumbled (omit for vegetarian)
- Sliced olives
- Chopped bell peppers and/or sliced onions, sautéed
- Chopped fresh herbs, such as basil or marjoram
How to Make It
- Place the cheese curds on a 15-inch rimmed cast-iron pizza pan. Turn the heat to medium-high and fry the cheese curds until they’re golden brown on the bottom, 3 to 5 minutes. This will give you a chewy crust. For a crunchy crust, fry the curds until they’re dark brown on the bottom, about 8 minutes total. Do not move the cheese curds; you want them to melt together.
- Flip the crust and brown the other side for another 3 minutes or so.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the warmed sauce and desired toppings.
| Nutrition Facts |
Serving Size 1 |
Nutritional Value Per Serving |
| Calories 458 kcal Calories from Fat: 326.7 kcal |
|
% Daily Value*
|
| Total Fat 36.3 g 104% |
Trans Fat 0.0 g |
carbohydrates 2 g 2% |
Dietary Fiber 0.8 g 2% |
Protein 28.5 g 57% |
* Above mentioned %DVs (Percent Daily Values) are based on 2,000 calorie food intake.
DVs (Daily values) may be vary depending upon individuals daily calorie needs. Above nutritional values are estimates and should only be used as a guide for approximation. They are not allfoodchef.com recommendations. Calculations are based on average weight of 194 lbs. and ages of 19 to 50 years. |