Easy Pizza: Stove-Top Cast Iron Apple Butter Ham and Cheddar

Sweet and savory apple butter ham and cheddar pizza is the perfect addition to a fun fall brunch, or cozy dinner. This pizza combines the flavors of pan fried smoked maple ham, aged white cheddar, and sweetly spiced apple butter. This is one unique pizza you have got to try.

I especially love this recipe because it is so simple and quick and can be cooked right on the stove-top. There’s no waiting around for the oven to preheat.

I was jotting down a bunch of recipe ideas for the season when I came up with the concept of this pizza. I knew I was going to make apple butter. Though because I had never had it before, I wasn’t exactly sure what to do with it, aside from baking something sweet. Unfortunately, baking has come to a halt in our home because our oven stopped working. Of course, I’ve never let anything stop me from my recipe goals before.

So, on a whim I decided to make it on the stove with my favorite cast iron skillet and it came out perfectly cooked and so delicious. I’m so excited to share it with you.

Prepping The Pizza Dough

Get your pizza dough ready. I used my favorite easy pizza dough and added a bit of thyme and parsley for a subtle hint of flavor in the crust. Stretch it by hand until you get the right size to fill your cast iron. I rolled the edge of my dough to form a fluffy crust, but if you prefer a pan pizza with a crispier crust you can gently press the dough into the sides. Once the dough is shaped, set it aside.

Generously oil your skillet, then sprinkle a teaspoon of corn meal into the pan to prevent the crust from burning. At this point, you’ll want to preheat your pan for five minutes over medium or medium-low depending on your range.

Once your pan is ready, add your dough, cover and let it cook for four to five minutes. Check that the bottom is golden brown and flip it. Cover it again and let it cook for two to three minutes. This ensures the crust is cooked all the way thtough.

Next, transfer the cooked pizza dough to a plate and prick the bottom with a fork. This part is optional, but I figured it would help the apple butter soak into the bottom crust, and it did just that. Just be sure not to poke all the way through the bottom of the crust, or the apple butter may caramelize and burn.

Adding The Toppings

Setting your pizza dough aside, add the diced ham to the skillet and cook just a few minutes until it is lightly crisped. Spread the apple butter over the pizza. Add a layer of the cooked ham, and then a layer of shredded cheddar. Top with the remaining ham and place the pizza back into the skillet on medium heat and cover.

Keep in mind that if you’re using aged cheddar like I have, it is much drier. Since aged cheese doesn’t melt the way fresh cheddar does, you need some steam to help the cheese melt quicker. To create steam, I added around two tablespoons of water to the edge of the skillet between the sides and crust and quickly covered it back up. With the addition of steam it took six minutes total for the cheese to completely melt.

Mike and I loved this sweet and savory pizza. Silas wasn’t a big fan, of the aged cheddar, but he did pick off the ham to nibble on. We’ll have to try this again with fresh mild cheddar to see how he likes it. We’re absolutely okay with making this again!

As always, I’d love to know your opinion on this recipe. Feel free to leave a comment below to share your thoughts!