Strawberry Balsamic Bacon Pizza Recipe

This is one of those seasonal pizza recipes that is especially welcome in the warmer months of the year when strawberries are in season, reasonably priced and readily available. The ingredients seem an intriguing incongruent blend, but the resulting sweet-savory mild spiciness is both delicious and welcome.

This recipe will yield one 12- to 14-inch pizza.

Ingredients

For the sauce

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

½ cup strawberry jam or preserves

1 teaspoon chili sauce

For the pizza

1 ball pizza dough

Olive oil, for brushing

1 cup shredded or diced cooked chicken

4 slices smoked bacon, diced and cooked until crisp

½ cup thinly sliced yellow onion

4 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

2 oz. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2-3 tbsp. minced fresh cilantro

½ cup hulled strawberries, diced

Directions

1. Add balsamic vinegar to a small saucepan and cook over medium-high heat.

2. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and let cook 4-5 minutes or until it is reduced by about half and has developed a thick, syrupy texture.

3. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar with the strawberry jam and chili sauce.  Set aside.

4. To make the pizza, heat the oven to 500° F and preheat a pizza stone for at least 30 minutes.

5. Roll out the pizza dough into a 12-14 inch round. Lightly brush the perimeter of the dough with olive oil. 

6. Spread the balsamic-strawberry mixture thinly over the crust. Layer with the chicken, bacon, onion, cheeses, cilantro, and strawberries.

7. Transfer the pizza to the preheated pizza stone and bake about 11-12 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the crust is lightly browned.

8.  Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before slicing and serving.

Enjoy this unusual recipe and invite your friends over.

Posted by M Dee Dubroff, on August 9, 2012 at 9:00 AM