How many of you have heard of tried Chicago-style deep dish pizza? The pie with its classic tall buttery crust, similar in appearance to a tart shell lovingly embraces within its boundaries copious amounts of cheese, sauce and toppings of your choice. For a person with a normal appetite, one slice is all it will take to satisfy your hunger. Anything beyond that is pure indulgence on cheesy, buttery, flaky, chewy goodness.

Although a fully loaded cheesy pizza with all the trimmings can be delicious, I am discovering that a homemade crust topped with lighter cheeses and healthier toppings are far more superior in taste and nutrition than what you can get at a restaurant. I especially enjoy making crusts with varying combination of spices/herbs etc. and amping up the nutrition value by lowering the cheese and increasing the amount of veggies. In order to stick with healthier options, for a meaty pizza, I prefer small amount of cooked crumbled bacon or diced up grilled chicken breast.

This pizza however has just sliced vegetables – I would have used more but had to do with what I had on hand that was topping appropriate.

This is the first time I ever tried making Chicago-style deep dish and I am delighted to say that my kids who can be harsh critics (even though they will eat whatever I make) enjoyed every bite of it. Fresh mozzarella used melts beautifully leaving a nice cheesy curtain when you lift a slice to serve. The crust, molded in a tart pan crisps up nicely on the outside while remaining chewing and soft on the inside. It also holds the toppings well without getting soggy. I did modify the crust recipe a little bit by adding a teaspoon of garlic powder and 1 teaspoon each of crushed dried parsley, basil and oregano. All in all, another successful pilot attempt in my kitchen.