Meat Lover’s Pizza

Liam read aloud in front of the class Friday. He had rehearsed with me Thursday night. He was picked to read the morning announcement. He was nervous. He practiced the word "assembly" because it tripped him. He did it. Mrs. Keogh sent home a note that said Liam did beautifully.

I taped the note to the fridge next to Nora's heaven-family drawing.

Clinic was busy. A 59-year-old man with a lump on his neck — I sent him for imaging. Lymphoma on path, I found out Friday. He will need oncology at Dana-Farber. I did the referral. I will call him Monday. I hate this part.

I did not tell Dr. Rashid I was shaken. I was shaken. I knew the oncology names. I had worked at Mass Gen oncology. I had watched Sean go through protocols. The smell of the brochure for the patient — the DFCI brochure — knocked me a little. I took two minutes in the bathroom at 3 PM and was fine by the 3:15 visit.

Group Tuesday. I said I had a patient get a cancer diagnosis and I had a wave. Bernadette said the body remembers. The other widow (March anniversary) said, does your work get too close ever. I said sometimes. I said I have decided that is a price I pay for staying.

Saturday pancakes. Burned the first one. Liam made half of the second one by himself. Nora watched jealously, then helped crack eggs. She broke two shells into the bowl and I fished them out carefully. The pancakes were good. She took pride.

Sunday dinner at Southie. Ma made meatloaf with mashed potatoes and green beans. A classic. Dad ate three slices of meatloaf. Ma said slow down. Dad said I am retired I do what I want. Ma laughed.

Meghan called at 11. I told her about the lymphoma patient. She said Katie, take care of yourself. I said I am.

Food of the week: Ma's meatloaf. Ground beef, onion, breadcrumbs, egg, Worcestershire, ketchup glaze on top. A standard. A comfort.

Ma’s meatloaf is a hard thing to top, and I’m not even going to try — but when Sunday night rolls back around and it’s just the three of us, I want something that feels like that same kind of abundance, that same “we are fed and we are together” feeling. Meat Lover’s Pizza has become our version of that: it’s loud and generous and the kids light up when they see it on the counter. After a week where I needed a lot of two-minute breaks and a lot of fridge notes just to stay steady, a pizza that asks nothing of me except to enjoy it felt exactly right.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 18 min | Total Time: 38 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 lb prepared pizza dough (store-bought or homemade), at room temperature
1/2 cup pizza sauce
2 cups shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 lb Italian sausage, casings removed, cooked and crumbled
1/2 lb ground beef, cooked and drained
3 oz sliced pepperoni (about 30 slices)
4 strips bacon, cooked and chopped
1/4 cup sliced black olives (optional)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Cornmeal or flour, for dusting the pan

Instructions

Preheat oven. Place a baking sheet or pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 475°F (245°C) for at least 20 minutes. A hot surface is key to a crispy crust.
Prepare the dough. On a lightly floured surface, stretch or roll the dough into a 12–14 inch round. Transfer to a piece of parchment paper dusted with cornmeal. Brush the outer edge with olive oil to help it brown.
Cook the meats. If not already done, cook the Italian sausage and ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat until browned and cooked through. Drain excess fat well. Cook bacon until crisp and chop into pieces. Set all meats aside.
Sauce the dough. Spread pizza sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge for the crust.
Add cheese and toppings. Sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella over the sauce. Layer on the crumbled sausage, ground beef, pepperoni, and bacon. Scatter olives if using. Top with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella. Sprinkle with oregano and red pepper flakes.
Bake. Carefully slide the pizza (on parchment) onto the hot baking sheet or stone. Bake for 15–18 minutes, until the crust is deep golden and the cheese is bubbling with lightly browned spots.
Rest and serve. Let the pizza rest for 3–4 minutes before slicing. This helps the cheese set slightly so toppings don’t slide. Cut into 6–8 slices and serve hot.

Nutrition (per serving)

Meat Lover’s Pizza — The Hearty Table We All Needed