Bacon and Jalapeño Pizza
Bacon, jalapeño, and cheese is a classic party food flavor trio (think jalapeño poppers), but you don't have to be hosting a crowd to enjoy it. This Bacon and Jalapeño pizza achieves the ideal balance of salty, creamy, spicy, tangy, and sweet, and it comes together in less than 20 minutes!
Makes: 1 (12- to 14-inch) pizza
Cost: $10
Equipment
- Cutting board and knife
- Skillet
- Large rimmed baking sheet or baking stone/steel
- Pizza peel (optional)
Ingredients
- 5 slices bacon chopped
- 1 (14- to 16-ounce) ball pizza dough
- ⅔ to ¾ cup super-easy marinara sauce (or prepared pizza sauce)
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella cut into ½-inch cubes
- ½ cup shredded yellow Cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup sliced jalapeños (fresh or jarred)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500°F (if using a baking sheet) or as high as it will go (if using a baking stone/steel; place the stone/steel in the bottom third of the oven before you start preheating). Let the oven preheat for at least 30 minutes. Then, if you’re using a baking stone or steel, switch the oven to Broil on high.
- Cook the chopped bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until it just begins to crisp up at the edges, about 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the bacon to a paper towel–lined plate to drain.
- Stretch or roll out your dough to a 12-inch circle, then transfer it to an oiled or parchment-lined baking sheet or a lightly floured pizza peel (if using a baking stone/steel).
- Spread the sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a ½-inch border all around. Sprinkle on the mozzarella, then the bacon, and then the Cheddar. Scatter the jalapeños evenly over top.
- Transfer the pizza to the oven and bake until the crust is golden and the cheese has browned in spots—8 to 10 minutes on the baking sheet, 6 to 8 minutes on the baking stone/steel.
- Remove the pizza from the oven. Let it cool for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.