This cottage cheese Skillet Pizza is a high-protein twist on pizza night that’s cheesy, crispy, and incredibly easy to make. Inspired by the viral skillet pizza trend, it’s fully customizable and perfect for creating your dream personal pizza at home.
Viral Skillet Pizza with Cottage Cheese Crust
At this point, I’m convinced there is nothing cottage cheese can’t do! I’ve seen a few of these skillet pizzas go viral on social media lately and I knew I needed to try with cottage cheese.
Similar to my Air Fryer Cinnamon Churros or Pigs in a Blanket, cottage cheese is an incredible ingredient to boost protein in baked dough, that’s also super simple to make and with few ingredients.
Just like your pizza night takeout order, this cast-iron skillet pizza recipe is super customizable with lots of toppings. If simple pepperoni is your thing, do that! Or make a veggie supreme, bbq chicken pizza or meat lovers. The options are really endless with this deep dish pizza and you can use this post as your template to the best personal pizza ever!
And if you love a pizza variation, also try my Pizza Gnocchi or these Puff Pastry Pizza Bites that I’m sure you’ll enjoy, too!
Recipe Ingredients
- Quick & Easy Pizza flour – After wandering through the pizza aisle at the grocery store, I saw so many pizza flours that needed time to rest and rise, but I’m all about efficiency in the kitchen. If you’re in the midwest you can find this at Meijer, so see if your local grocery store has a Quick & Easy Pizza Flour as that’s what this recipe is made with. Note: I HAVE tested this with all purpose flour & no yeast to see if it would work…it does, it’s not as crispy. If you’re in a bind, you can use all-purpose flour too.
- Cheese – We’re using 4% small curd cottage cheese in the pizza dough and a mozzarella/provolone cheese on the pizza.
- Pizza Crush Yeast – Make sure it’s fresh! This helps give the dough rise.
- Sauce – We love Mids Pizza Sauce.
- Pepperoni – I used turkey pepperonis.
- Basil – Sliced with kitchen shears and sprinkled on top.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- Hawaiian Pizza: Swap the turkey pepperoni for ham or Canadian bacon and add pineapple for a sweet-and-savory twist.
- White Pizza: Skip the red sauce and use olive oil + ricotta, then top with mozzarella, parmesan, garlic, and spinach.
- Meat Lovers: Keep the pepperoni and add cooked hot italian sausage, bacon, or ham for an extra hearty pizza.
- Veggie: Replace the pepperoni with veggies like mushrooms, green bell peppers, onions, olives, or spinach (sauté watery veggies first).
How to Make This Recipe
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a large mixing bowl, add about a cup of pizza flour, warm water, yeast, Italian seasoning & salt. Whisk together to activate the yeast and absorb the water. It will be very crumbly.
2. Add the remaining flour + cottage cheese and stir. Use your hands to mix together the dough to ensure all flour is absorbed. You’ll still see some cottage cheese chunks, it’s okay.
3. Oil a 12” cast iron pan and push the dough into the skillet, allowing the crust to spread up onto the sides to make it truly a deep-dish pizza.
4. Spread tomato sauce onto the crust. Then layer pre-shredded cheeses & pepperoni (or any of your favorite toppings) on top.
5. Bake for 24-28 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and then broil for 2 ½ minutes until the cheese is bubbly.
PRO TIPS
- Do NOT use a watery-based cottage cheese. The dough needs to have some milkfat to bake properly! We love Country Fresh 4% small-curd cottage cheese.
Recipe FAQs
Store extra pepperoni pizza in an airtight container. I recommend reheating with light oil on a hot pan for a crisp bottom crusts!
Nope! There’s no need to blend it for this recipe. The small curds mix right into the dough, and any little chunks will melt into the crust as it bakes.
A cast iron skillet gives the best golden, crispy crust, but you can also use an oven-safe skillet or deep cake pan in a pinch. Just know the texture may be a little less crisp on the bottom and baking time may vary.
Serving suggestions
Keep dinner easy and toss up a bagged Caesar Salad to pair with this delicious skillet pizza! Or whip up my Pizza Night (La Scala Copycat) to enjoy!
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Skillet Pizza
Equipment
- Cast iron skillet
- Mixing Bowl
- Rubber Spatula
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 ½ cups Quick & Easy Pizza flour, see note for alt.
- 2 cups Country Fresh cottage cheese, 4% small curd
- 1 packet Fleischmann’s Pizza Crust Yeast
- ¼ cup warm water, 105F-115F
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp Salt
Toppings
- 7 oz Pizza sauce
- 1 cup Mozzarella / Provolone mixture, shredded cheese
- 2.5 oz Turkey pepperoni, we like Hormels, 5oz package
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 3-5 pieces fresh Basil, julianned
- 1 tbsp Hot honey
- Red pepper flakes, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a large mixing bowl, add about a cup of pizza flour, warm water, yeast, Italian seasoning & salt. Whisk together to activate the yeast and absorb the water. It will be very crumbly.
- Add the remaining flour + cottage cheese and stir. Use your hands to mix together the dough to ensure all flour is absorbed. You’ll still see some cottage cheese chunks, it’s okay.
- Oil a 12” cast iron pan and push the dough into the skillet, allowing the crust to spread up onto the sides to make it truly a deep-dish pizza.
- Spread tomato sauce onto the crust. Then layer pre-shredded cheeses & pepperoni (or any of your favorite toppings) on top.
- Bake for 24-28 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and then broil for 2 ½ minutes until the cheese is bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and top with fresh basil and hot honey. Cut with a pizza cutter and enjoy hot!
this is excellent and cannot believe the macros on it!
Date Night Pizza Making – Trust me!
I’ve had it twice and just love it. Thick and hearty crust with a nice zing with the sauce! Macros are a bonus!
Make this. It’s really tasty and shockingly has good density for the crust. Even though the protein level and macros are good for you —- I go by taste and this rates great!
Absolutely delicious meal! Pizza takeout has nothing on this amazing recipe.
never trust someone who says high protein is boring!!! the macros on this are INSANE for how delicious it is omg
Ok yum!!! This one brought the ultimate taste and protein. Loved this easy weeknight meal that brings a little something extra!