Pizza Friday: Ham Pesto Pizza Sandwich

with melted mozzarella and lemony broccolini.

Hi Bakers!

After our classic pizza and pizza focaccia recipes, this time we are going with a sandwich. The trendy Pizza Sandwich seems to have taken off online, and I wanted to give it my own spin. 

 What is a Pizza Sandwich? It is essentially a sandwich where baked pizza dough acts as the bread. You can fill it with basically any ingredient you want. You can lean towards a calzone with melted cheese and tomato sauce, a classic deli sandwich with cold cuts and lettuce, or even throw in a fried egg and bacon for a breakfast situation. 

This particular flavor was inspired by a memorable sandwich I had at Isetta, a mid-century modern cafe in West Vancouver. The sandwich was made from focaccia and filled with pesto and mortadella. My daughter had fallen asleep in a puddle of late winter sunshine on my lap (a very rare occasion), and instead of rushing like a mom of 3 often does, I savored every bite. I’ve been thinking about it ever since.

For this pizza-adjacent recipe, I filled my sandwich with pistachio pesto, sautéed lemony broccolini, deli ham, and fresh mozzarella. It’s the same go-to pizza dough recipe that I use for my classic pizza. The “crust” is crisp on the outside and chewy, soft on the inside. It’s the perfect vehicle for pretty much any imaginable filling. 

Other Filling Ideas:

Meatball Sub: All the saucy goodness in a pizza crust! You could pre-cook the meatballs, assemble with cheese and sauce, then put them back in the oven until the cheese is good and melted.

Fried Egg Brekkie: I love a good breakfast sandwich, especially when the bread doesn't lose its integrity and get all soggy from the egg yolks. This pizza crust would definitely hold up. Add bacon, arugula, avocado, or all of the above.

Faux Calzone: A traditional calzone always seems to take longer to bake than I want to wait. Adding all your fave fillings after the crust bakes would be a quick alternative. Smother it with sauce or use it as a dip on the side. 

Pear Prosciutto: There is another sandwich that I often think about, and it is this pear prosciutto sandwich from Finch’s Tea House. It has blue brie and toasted walnuts served on a soft baguette, and just writing about it has me drooling.