Home Cook: Michelle Casey, Yorktown Heights, blogger at www.mangiamichelle.com
Story Behind The Recipe: "I'm a pizza fanatic. I could eat pizza every day of the week. My love for pizza started when I was a kid, but then blossomed as an adult. Before we had our children, my husband and I visited Italy a couple of times, and it was then that my love for pizza grew even more. While in Italy, we ate pizza every single day (along with gelato at least once a day).
"We had pizza with so many different toppings; mushrooms, ham, olives, garlic, onions, etc. It was then that I decided that I would begin making pizza at home.
"Pizza is like a blank canvas. You can put whatever toppings on it that you want. I took two of my favorite ingredient combinations, added some fresh thyme and mascarpone cheese, and voila! Brussels sprouts and bacon pizza was born. This is my husband’s most requested pizza. I hope you enjoy this pizza as much as we do."
Recipe: Brussels Sprouts and Bacon Pizza
Ingredients
- Pizza dough
- 1 container mascarpone cheese (8 oz)
- 1 container brussel sprouts
- 6 slices bacon
- Handful flour
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Start by prepping the ingredients.
- Take a sharp knife (or scissor) and cut the bacon into ½ inch pieces.
- Cut the woody part off of each brussel sprout and take the leaves off. This part is a bit time consuming. Put them in a bowl.
- Chop the thyme and mix it with the mascarpone cheese. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Put a medium fry pan over medium high heat. Cook the bacon, about 5-6 minutes. When the bacon is cooked, transfer to a paper towel. Discard the bacon grease.
- Dust a handful of flour on your clean countertop and roll out the pizza dough with a rolling pin to your desired shape. I usually make a circular pizza.
- Take a pastry brush and spread one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil on top of the dough. This makes the dough a little bit crispier, in my experience. It is not a necessary step, but I always do it.
- Spread the mascarpone mixture over the top of the dough, leaving an inch around the edges for the crust.
- Add the cooked bacon on top of the mascarpone, followed by the brussel sprouts.
- Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes. Pizza is done when the crust is slightly browned and crispy. The brussels sprouts will be slightly charred.
- Let rest for five minutes. Slice and enjoy!
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