Bacon Pizza??

[jlarsen321]

What sauce would you use for bacon and carmelized onion pizza? Just drizzle olive oil? I don't think a red sauce would be good.

[sandylc]

Bacon, Caramelized Onion, Fresh Tomatoes, Kale, and your choice of Cheese. Don't forget herbs, salt, red pepper flakes, etc.

[RealMenJulienne]

I would juse use a red sauce that's more cooked than the typical pizza sauce, with more brown on the soffrito.

My old roommate was no cook, but he made an insanely good bacon pizza. He would first saute the bacon pieces in an iron skillet to render out a lot of grease, then heat up the pan until the fat was smoking before dropping the pizza into the pan and then sticking the whole thing in the oven. You get an exteremly crisp crust with this method and the whole thing is permeated with bacon aroma.

[mucho gordo]

I use a bbq sauce and add ground beef for a 'cheeseburger' pizza

[HillJ]

Is the bacon precooked or raw on that pizza, jlarsen? If raw, no olive oil. You'll have a super greasy base....especially if the cheese is slick too.

I'd layer sliced tomatoes that have been sprinkled with a touch of olive oil and basil first, then the cheese then the onions and then the parboiled bacon...

[shallots]

To decide whether the bacon should be precooked (or not), here are some of the questions:
How fatty is the bacon....lots of fat, precooking will render the fat off and make an easier to eat pizza
How thick is the bacon? Thick bacon won't cook through in ten minutes (or so) even in a hot oven
How hot do you cook your pizzas? Same reasoning.
How does your family like your bacon cooked: still reddish or really crispy?

And the old option: sliced tomatoes under, ,over or both re the rest of the toppings?

[HillJ]

Touche! shallots. Excellent points, all.

[sweethooch]

I combine others' good ideas by doing roasted garlic with creme fraiche (or sour cream or mexican crema, or even plain yogurt in a pinch). Blue cheese on top with th ebacon and onions, yum. And/or pine nuts.

[flavrmeistr]

Leftover clam sauce (olive oil, garlic, parsley, lemon, white wine...clams) and bacon, with a little grated parmesan cheese makes the...best..pizza...ever.

[jhopp217]

I was gonna reply, but I'll just say +1

[Dirtywextraolives]

One of my absolute faves I used to get back home was a clam pie. Never thought to try using clam sauce on it, that's brilliant. So I'd like to try this tonight. Question: I'll be using canned since I haven't made my own to use. But would you drain it a touch first, so as not to get the crust soggy?

[tommy]

Jumping in: I would.

[Dirtywextraolives]

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking too.

[flavrmeistr]

I find leftover homemade clam sauce works the best. I make mine with plenty of garlic, diced fresh tomatoes and olive oil. The clam juice is reduced and not as runny, plus the herbs and flavors are blended. I throw in some large shrimp with the clams at the last minute. The tomatoes, clams, shrimp and parm retain the right amount of moisture, whereas the extra moisture is cooked off by the 500 degree heat. It rocks.

[jlarsen321]

Thanks for all the replies. I made two: one with regular pizza sauce and one where I brushed the crust with olive oil and the olive oil one was the favorite....I also want to try one with the roasted garlic and olive oil, but didn't have time to roast it.

[shallots]

I do three variations.
Our favorite is chopped up bacon, fried, pour off excess fat and then add a couple of T. of cream.
Bake and add chopped up lettuce and tomato after it comes out of the oven.

Second used a ranch dressing as a base

Third uses bacon jam as the base.

Cheeses on all of these are optional.

[LaLa]

plus one on bacon jam

[mucho gordo]

I use a bbq sauce. Sometimes I'll add ground beef for a cheeseburger pizza.

[katecm]

This is probably too late, but creme fraiche actually makes an awesome sauce for a pizza, just don't make it too thick.

[jjjrfoodie]

As mentioned above I'd do roasted garlic mashed or chopped up fine and mixed with good extra virgin olive oil. The roasting really mellows the garlic flavor and intensity.

I do that with the greek pizza I make.

Second choice for me would be a white based sauce like bechemel or alfredo.

For BBQ pizza i do BBQ sauce as a sauce with pulled pork, cheddar/mozz mix and top with fresh sliced onions before cooking.

The carmelized onions and bacon combo you list make it open for many options though. Add a 3rd topping and that will take it in a solid direction.

[tommy]

EVOO and clams

[emglow101]

I use this when I make bacon and carmelized onions on puff pastry.

1/2 cup cottage cheese. Blend in food processor with 1 tsp of flour untill smooth. Add 1/4 cup sour cream and blend. Spread on your pie and top with bacon and onion. Cook the bacon slightly before adding. Simple and delicious.

[chowser]

Thin fig jam.

[Novelli]

slathering the base in a ricotta/goat cheese mixture sounds good. Maybe add some chopped jalapeno for a kick?

[Dirtywextraolives]

You don't need a sauce, per se. But a roasted garlic Alfredo or bechamel would be to die for.

[Emme]

I was going to suggest Bechamel or Mornay as well.

Also, a spinach pesto (heavy on the spinach) as the base, then your toppings (with cheese if desired), baked and finished with a drizzle of Hollandaise...

[kubasd]

I've had it with a red sauce spiked with red pepper flakes and it was really good.... Other than that, an olive oil and ROASTED garlic sauce. Just put the head of roasted garlic in a food processor (or bowl) with some parm cheese and stream the olive oil in to make a sauce with a thinned pesto like consistency.

[petek]

what's wrong with bacon&tomato??
BLT. hello....:)

[inaplasticcup]

Nothing at all! We did a Bacon Onion Tomato pizza the other day (no sauce - we just tossed the tomato and onion in a little olive oil with just a touch of brown sugar to help the onions caramelize a bit in the bake), and it was pretty darned tasty. :)

[petek]

Nice!
You could really turn it into a BLT pizza by adding some arugula,spinach just before serving..

[HillJ]

I could dive right in! Beautiful, inap.

[wyogal]

I like to drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with cheese, then put on the toppings ..

[justme123]

My FAVORITE pizza place outside of New Haven serves this very pizza. the sauce they use is just a light brush olive oil and soem fresh thyme. no garlic because that could overwhelm. mmmmm. Enjoy :)

[smithareeny]

Don't laugh but Mayo is good.