I remember a time when Eric and I were quite unadventurous when it came to trying new foods. I don’t remember when it changed, but my guess is that it was so gradual we didn’t notice it happening. Brussels sprouts have intrigued me for some time, but Eric wasn’t totally convinced he would like them. I bought some recently, and we weren’t totally in love with our simple roasting of them. We both liked the flavor enough to try again, and I’m so glad we did. Apparently bacon is all we needed to turn these little vegetables into something magical. The moral of the story is – if at first you don’t like the taste of something, try adding bacon. ;)

This pizza is one of the easiest and most delicious meals we’ve made recently. First off, there’s no sauce – just vegetables, bacon and cheese. It’s simple in the best of ways. The brussels sprouts are tossed in olive oil and balsamic vinegar, which gives them a rich, slightly sweet flavor after cooking. They cook just enough to be tender but still crunchy. Add crisp bacon, garlic, shallot and three types of cheese to the mix, and you’ve got yourself a seriously awesome pizza. This is a no-fuss recipe with great results, and we will definitely be adding this to our pizza rotation.

Brussels Sprouts and Bacon Pizza

*Our dough made enough for a 12-inch round pizza, which was actually a bit too small for the amount of toppings we had. The recipe we typically use makes a 14-inch pizza, and that’s what we’ll use next time we make this. If you want a smaller pizza, just cut back slightly on the toppings.

Ingredients:
Pizza dough
4 pieces bacon
5-6 large Brussels sprouts, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup aged white cheddar, shredded
1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 large shallot, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
red pepper flakes
salt & pepper
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450º. Cook bacon in a medium skillet over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel to drain. Once cool, break into bite-size pieces.

Roll out and shape the dough, then place on a cutting board dusted with cornmeal. In a small bowl, toss the Brussels sprouts together with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Evenly sprinkle the white cheddar and mozzarella over the dough. Add the Brussels sprouts, garlic, shallot and bacon. Sprinkle on a generous pinch of red pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste.

Carefully transfer to a pizza stone and bake for about 15 minutes (this will depend on your dough) or until crust is golden and cheese is melted. Remove from oven and top with feta cheese. Slice and serve.

Source: Adapted from Shutterbean

This pizza’s sauce is made from a flavorful black bean and roasted red pepper puree.  Spiced up with chili powder and cumin, it was good enough to eat on its own.  It tasted even better on the pizza, which was topped with Monterey Jack cheese, grape tomatoes, Anaheim peppers (from our garden!) and green onions.  This pizza isn’t the greasy, guilt-inducing kind, so there’s no need to feel bad about eating it.  That’s a good thing for me because I know I’ll be making it again soon.

Mexican Pizza
Ingredients:
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed
1/2 cup coarsely chopped roasted red peppers
2 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
Kosher salt
1 pound whole wheat pizza dough
cornmeal, for dusting
1 cup shredded low-fat Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 green onion, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 Anaheim pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 cup shredded lettuce
3 tablespoons low-fat sour cream

Directions:
-Set the pizza stone on the bottom of the oven and preheat to 450º.
-In a food processor, combine black beans, red peppers, garlic, chili powder and cumin. Puree until smooth.  Taste and season with salt, if needed.
-Roll the dough into a 12-inch round and place on a cornmeal dusted pizza peel.
-Spread the black bean puree on top, leaving a 1/2-inch border.
-Top with cheese, tomatoes, green onion and Anaheim pepper.
-Slide pizza onto the preheated stone and bake for about 12 minutes, or until crust is crisp and cheese is bubbling.
-Transfer pizza to a work surface and cut into 8 slices.  Top each with lettuce and dollops of sour cream and serve immediately.

Serves 4

Adapted from Spike Mendelsohn, Food and Wine, July 2010

We’ve had leftover chicken every time we’ve made this, as I didn’t want to overcrowd the pizza with chicken. I’m sure it would be great the next day over steamed rice (or it might just get eaten while you’re waiting on the pizza to bake).

Garlic Glazed Chicken Pizza
Ingredients:
pizza dough of choice
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into bite-size pieces
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or less, depending on taste)
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons honey
3/4 cup rice wine vinegar
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
drizzle of olive oil
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
2 tablespoons green onions

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 450°.
-Combine the garlic, red pepper flakes, soy sauce, honey and vinegar in a small bowl and set aside.
-Saute chicken until cooked through. Remove from skillet and set aside.
-Add the garlic mixture to the pan and cook over medium-low heat until reduced to the consistency of syrup, about 10 minutes.
-Return chicken to skillet and coat with garlic glaze.
-Lightly brush pizza dough with olive oil. Top with chicken and cheeses. Sprinkle green onions over pizza and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Source: Adapted from Food o’del Mundo

Pizza Sauce
Ingredients:
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 yellow or white onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 15-oz. can tomato puree
1 T tomato paste
1/4 cup red wine
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh oregano
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Directions:
-In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.
-Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.
-Add the garlic and sauté until soft, about 1 minute.
-Add the tomato puree, tomato paste, wine, oregano, basil, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine.
-Bring to a simmer, cover, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend, stirring occasionally.
-Set aside to cool slightly.

Source: Liz’s Cooking Blog

Directions:
-Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
-Put the oil and onions in a medium skillet and cook over very low heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and caramelized, about 15 minutes.
-Turn the heat up to medium and add the arugula. Cook until the arugula is wilted, about 1 minute.
-Season with salt and pepper.
-Place the tortillas on a baking sheet and top each with some of the arugula/onion mixture.
-Crumble some goat cheese on top of each, and bake for 10 minutes.
-Allow to cool for a few minutes and cut each pizza into 4 triangles.

Source: Ellie Krieger