#header-inner {background-position: center !important; width: 100% !important;}

Thursday, May 3, 2012

BLT Pizza

Pin It
I've had my fair share of BLT's. Growing up, I remember it was one of those meals my mom would throw together when she wasn't up for cooking that night. Not that any of us complained, you can't really go wrong with the combination of bacon, lettuce, and tomato. Early in our marriage, before I'd really gotten comfortable in the kitchen, I made BLT's a few times, simply because it was one of the few foods I was confident I wouldn't (or couldn't!) screw up. It's probably been over three years since I've made BLT's, so I finally decided to bring them back...but on pizza!

A few weeks ago we were at Joannie's Pizzeria in Soulard, where we ordered the grilled chicken BLT pizza. Ryan and I both enjoyed the pizza, but for whatever reason I couldn't get enough of it. The chicken on it was fine, but it was the thick strips of bacon scattered throughout that ultimately won me over. Later that week, I set out to make my own recreation of it. I omitted the chicken from Joannie's version and instead of using full strips of bacon, used my favorite (real) bacon bits that my friend Maggie's mom always brings me from Maplewood Meats in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The bonus of this option was having a bit of bacon in every single bite! Like Joannie's, ours was covered in an abundance of tomatoes and spinach (the "L", because warm lettuce on a pizza just doesn't sound appealing!). All together, the combination was just as good as the restaurant version...and just might be a new go-to pizza combination in our house!

One Year Ago: Cranberry Oatmeal Muffins
Two Years Ago: Spring Green Risotto

BLT Pizza
inspired by Joannie's Pizzeria
*measurements below are just estimates, feel free to adjust according to your tastes

Ingredients:
-1 pizza crust (I used a pre-made wheat crust from Trader Joe's. Here's a recipe for a super easy one!)
-1/3 cup pizza sauce
-dried oregano, basil and garlic salt
-2 cups fresh spinach leaves
-4-6 strips of bacon, cooked, or 1/3 cup bacon bits, cooked
-2 tomatoes, sliced
-1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400F. On a baking stone or sheet sprinkled with cornmeal, roll out pizza crust to desired size and thickness. Spread pizza sauce evenly over the crust. Sprinkle with dried oregano, basil, and garlic sauce (if sauce does not have additional flavorings in it).
2. Top pizza with spinach, bacon, tomatoes, and cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until crust is crisp, spinach is wilted, and cheese is melted.