Yes, I one hundred and ten percent realize that Brussels Sprout and Bacon Pizza sounds disgusting to most people, but I swear upon everything that is good and holy that it is freakin’ AMAZING!!!! Every single person who hears the words “Brussels Sprout Pizza” is skeptical – understandably so. But then those same people take a bite and instantly go back for more. Seriously, you should have seen me try to sell the idea of Brussels Sprout and Bacon Pizza to Rob for the first time. It went something like this: “Weeeeeelllll, it’s basically chopped up Brussels sprouts and crumbled bacon with some garlic and a tiny bit of lemon juice for brightness. Yeah, no sauce – it doesn’t need it. Just trust me Babe, you will like it. I know it sounds a little weird, but I really think this is gonna work…. Please try it, Rob…. Yes, I promise we can order a ‘real’ pizza if it sucks.” I am happy to say that we did NOT need to call up Round Table that night.

Up until last year, I was too intimidated to try making homemade pizza from scratch. I figured that nothing could possibly be as good, or better, than some of the big name, chain pizza joints. Well in the beginning, I was right. This is strictly because when I first started making pizza at home, I only used the prepackaged pizza dough you find in the supermarket. (As I have said sooooooo many times in the past, I am not a good baker, so anything that requires the addition of yeast is incredibly intimidating to me.) Once I put my Big Girl Pants on, screwed up my courage, and found an easy to follow recipe from Bobby Flay, my pizzas were transformed. Gone were the rubbery, flat crusts that refused to roll out into a proper shape! Instead I had the best pizza dough that held its shape and cooked up into a beautiful, crispy crust with just the right amount of chewiness. I was hooked! Add in a pizza stone and your pizza making days will forever be changed for the better.

Just a word of warning, this recipe has a lot of cheese. Sorry; it’s pizza though! Go have a salad if you don’t want to deal with the cheese calories. At least I used part skim mozzarella…

Brussels Sprout and Bacon Pizza

Makes one 14” pizza

Ingredients

• 1 pizza crust for a 14” pizza (I regularly use Bobby Flay’s pizza dough recipe and it is amazing! It makes 2 crusts though, so just keep the second dough ball for a pizza tomorrow or double the recipe below for a bigger party.)
• 3-4 pieces thick cut bacon, chopped
• 12-15 Brussels sprouts, trimmed and chopped
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 12 ounces part skim mozzarella, shredded
• ½ cup shredded parmesan
• 2 to 3 Tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

• Preheat your oven to 500 degrees. If you are using a pizza stone, place it in the oven before you turn on the heat. Let the pizza stone heat in the oven for at least 45 minutes to one hour before you make your pizza. (This helps create a crispy crust.) If you are not using a pizza stone, you can cook your pizza on a sturdy baking sheet instead. Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven for approximately 10 to 15 minutes before using so that it can heat up.
• While your pizza stone is heating, cook your bacon in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once it is nice and crisp, remove the bacon from the skillet and place on a paper towel lined plate. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat. Add the Brussels sprouts and garlic to the reserved bacon fat and sauté until the sprouts begin to soften, stirring regularly (about 5 minutes). Pour in the lemon juice and red pepper flakes and cook for another two minutes. Remove the pan from heat and set aside.

• Roll out your dough on a floured surface until it forms approximately a 14” circle. Set aside.
• Very carefully remove the hot pizza stone from the oven and set it on top of a study, heat-proof surface. (I used my stovetop.) Transfer your rolled out pizza dough to the hot pizza stone, beginning at one edge of the stone or baking sheet and carefully laying it down so it forms a circle. Don’t worry if your pizza is not a perfect shape, most homemade pies rarely are. Just do your best. If any holes are accidently ripped in the crust, use your fingers to gently spread out the dough and fill in the holes as best as possible. Just don’t touch the pizza stone itself – it is searing hot!!

• Once your dough is shaped on the stone, sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the crust, leaving a 1 inch border along the outer rim. Repeat with the parmesan. Carefully take the Brussels sprout mixture and evenly distribute it on top of the cheese. Do the same with the cooked bacon pieces. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the olive oil over the outer rim of pizza dough that doesn’t have any toppings.

• Carefully put the pizza stone back in the hot oven and cook for approximately 15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and the crust starts to brown. Once cooked, remove the pizza from the oven and transfer it to a flat surface like a wooden cutting board so it can rest until it is cool enough to handle (approximately 5 minutes). Cut into slices and serve with additional red pepper flakes on the side and an ice cold beer. (‘Cuz, pizza and beer are the perfect pairing!)