Oklahoma State Tailgate Pizza Night on the Yoder Smoker With Hideaway Dough & Crest Meats
We turned the Yoder into a pizza shop. Hideaway dough laid the foundation, and the sauce was made from scratch — San Marzano tomatoes smoked for an hour with garlic, onion, Italian spices and a touch of red pepper flakes until it reduced into a rich, smoky base.
From there it was a meat lover’s dream: hot Italian sausage, ground beef and thick-cut bacon (all out of Crest’s counter) were browned up in the cast iron inside the pizza oven. Cabot whole-milk mozzarella, fresh mozzarella and plenty of pepperoni finished the pies. At 625 degrees, they cooked in five to six minutes — hot, bubbling and gone in seconds.
But the menu didn’t stop with meat pies. We also knocked out a veggie pizza stacked with onion, mushrooms and red and green bell peppers. Then came the supreme — basically everything you could fit on a crust. And to balance it, a classic margherita with fresh mozzarella, basil and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
For a lighter bite, we served up caprese skewers with mozzarella, basil and balsamic glaze. They paired perfectly with the heavier slices and gave everyone something fresh to grab between pizzas. And a shout-out to Lucas Grounds of State Farm in Stillwater for stopping by the tailgate — always good to see friends in the crowd.
The video with this article, which you can watch by clicking the link above, shows the whole scene — the Yoder pumping smoke, the cast iron sizzling, the pizzas bubbling. It was one of the best tailgates we’ve put on yet.
And here’s your cliffhanger: next week the smoker shifts gears. Forget pizza — it’s going to be a full spread of fajitas.
Recipes from the Tailgate
Smoked Pizza Sauce (for 3–4 pizzas)
- 1 can (28 oz) San Marzano tomatoes, crushed
- 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- ½ medium onion, finely minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
- Salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
- Heat olive oil in a cast iron pan. Sauté garlic and onion until soft.
- Add crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
- Place the pan in the Yoder Smoker at 250–300°F for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and takes on a smoky depth.
- Spread one thin layer over pizza dough before topping.
Caprese Skewers (makes ~12 skewers)
- 12 cherry tomatoes
- 12 fresh basil leaves
- 12 fresh mozzarella balls (ciliegine size)
- 2 tbsp balsamic glaze (store-bought or reduced balsamic vinegar)
- Toothpicks or small skewers
Directions:
- Skewer tomato, basil leaf, and mozzarella ball in that order.
- Arrange on a platter.
- Drizzle lightly with balsamic glaze right before serving.
