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This is a sponsored post on behalf of Vermont Tourism and Cabot Creamery Co-operative. All opinions are my own.
Habanero Kale Sausage Skillet Pizza – A spicy and unique skillet pizza that has an ultra crispy crust and the best toppings! The Cabot Hot Habanero Cheddar Cheese will set your mouth on fire but it’s an addicting heat that will have you coming back for more!
I love pizza as much as the next person but I’m always trying to find ways to make pizza different.
It’s like going to specialty pizza restaurants.
You never know what kind of awesome pizzas they come up and it’s always fun to branch out and try something new.
And because of that, I’m always trying to find ways to have my pizzas stand out from the crowd.
This habanero kale sausage skillet pizza is definitely one of them and it’s made with Cabot Creamery Hot Habanero Cheddar Cheese.
When we went to Vermont last month, we went to a Cabot Retail Store and they had all these cheese samples.
The habanero cheddar cheese was one of them and it was love at first bite.
It literally was the most spicy cheese I had ever had in my entire life but it was a good heat. An addicting heat.
It caused me to dream up this habanero kale sausage skillet pizza.
The toppings of pork sausage and kale mellow out the spiciness of the habanero cheese and the tomato on top gives it a bit of freshness!
What is a skillet pizza?
A skillet pizza is just as the name suggests! It’s a pizza that’s made in the skillet!
I love using my cast iron skillet for this particular type of pizza because it yields an extra crispy crust.
The best part of pizza is to have a crispy crust, right? Like a soggy crust just won’t cut it.
What type of dough can you use in a skillet pizza?
You can use any type of dough for your skillet pizza!
I personally use store-bought dough because it’s the easiest for our family (and plus I hate doing anything with yeast/flour) but here are some options:
- Store-bought fresh dough
- Store-bought canned dough
- Gluten-free flour blend to make your own dough
- Homemade pizza dough (regular white and wheat blend)
The only thing I wouldn’t recommend is doing cauliflower pizza dough in a skillet pizza. It wouldn’t work and you’ll be left with a mess.
What is the story behind Cabot Creamery Co-operative and their cheeses?
Cabot has been around since 1919 and it is co-operative owned by 1,000 farm families through New England & New York and 100% of profits go back to farmers.
All Cabot Cheddars are 100% naturally lactose-free. This is like holy grail for me because I’m lactose intolerant and the fact Cabot Cheddars are lactose-free…I can have ALL the cheeses for pizza, mac and cheese, and more!
I love a company that values sustainable farming. Cabot recognizes the impact of cows-to-creamery-to customer. Everything you get from Cabot is backed by this principle.
Cabot farmers devote themselves to keeping their land and cows healthy and Cabot’s creameries are always working to update their plants and invest in sustainable practices. Because of this strong practice, they are the world’s first cheese maker & dairy cooperative to achieve B Corporation Certification, a validation of its attention to environmental and social impacts on stakeholders.
When we were up in Vermont, we got a chance to visit Richardson Family Farm where we saw the sustainable farming practices in person.
Richardson Family Farm is a fifth-generation family farm and they are raising about 50 Jersey cows on their beautiful, tucked away, farm in the rolling hills of Hartland, Vermont; a quick drive from Woodstock.
In addition to raising Jersey cows for Cabot cheese, they also make maple syrup! They have about 12,000 taps which makes about 6,000 gallons of maple syrup! We were able to buy some right on the spot and there is nothing like fresh Vermont maple syrup in your own home!
To make this habanero kale sausage skillet pizza, you’ll need:
- A cast iron skillet
- An outdoor grill and indoor oven
- Pizza dough
- Cabot Hot Habanero Cheddar Cheese
- Kale
- Fresh pork sausage
- Tomatoes
- Olive oil
The full skillet pizza recipe is below!
If you love pizza, here are some more pizza ideas, including ones that you can make on the grill!
- Grilled Caprese Pizza
- Fig and Prosciutto Grilled Pizza
- Triple Mushroom and Herb Grilled Pizza
- Spicy Sausage and Pepperoni Pizza
- White Pizza
- Grilled Vegetable Pizza
LOOK AT THAT CRUST. The bottom is so ultra crusty!! And the cheese and toppings!!
Habanero Kale Sausage Skillet Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil, plus more for brushing on crust
- 1 pizza dough recipe or your favorite store-bought dough, at room temperature
- 3 cups (201 g) chopped kale
- ½ pound (227 g) fresh mild Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 cup (113 g) Cabot Hot Habanero Cheddar Cheese
- Fresh tomato slices
The default measuring system for this website is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. While we strive to provide accurate unit conversions, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.
Equipment
Instructions
- In a 12-inch cast iron skillet, or similar, add avocado oil to the bottom of the skillet and brush in an even coat to cover the bottom.
- Place the pizza dough into the skillet then gently press until it covers the bottom of the skillet evenly. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, sauté kale and brown sausage until softened/wilted and cooked through, about 5-8 minutes.
- Heat outdoor grill to high or oven to 500 °F (260 °C)
- Sprinkle habanero cheese onto the dough then add the kale and sausage on top.
- Place the cast iron skillet onto the stovetop over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. This starts the cooking process for the bottom of the dough to ensure that it is crispy. While the dough is cooking on the stovetop, brush the dough edges with additional avocado oil to ensure it gets browned.
- Once the outdoor grill or oven is preheated, carefully transfer the entire skillet to the grill or oven. Cook until dough is cooked through/browned and cheese is melted and bubbly, about 7-10 minutes.
- Remove cast iron skillet from heating elements and let cool on the countertop (with trivet underneath) for 10 minutes before serving. While the pizza is cooling, add tomato slices on top so they get warmed through.
- Slice, serve, and enjoy!
NUTRITION FACTS
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.
Libba
Monday 20th of August 2018
This looks and sounds AMAZING!! Can’t wait to try it.
Julie
Monday 20th of August 2018
Thank you!! I hope you LOVE it!