Can you keep a secret? Growing up, I wasn’t a big pizza fan. Other than one local restaurant around the corner, where I would order a large salad, and have one piece of plain pizza, I was not a fan. It wasn’t until a new restaurant in the neighborhood opened up, with “gourmet” woodfire pizzas and salads that I learned what a pizza could be.

Pizza without tomato sauce. Check.

Pizza with salad on top. Check.

Pizza with creative vegetables. Check

Pizza that didn’t taste like cardboard. Check.

Real dough. Check.

So, it should be no surprise that while I didn’t order take-out pizzas in college, I did start dabbling in making my own components.

Only one of my kiddos is not a pizza fan. However she will make and eat homemade dough topped with olive oil and shredded mozzarella, baked just like one would a pizza, so make your own pizza night is a regular thing around here.

And you know how I love a good make your own food night. Everybody wins!

And this iteration is one of my favorites. A play on a BLT sandwich with bacon, brussels, and fresh heirloom tomatoes.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup flour

pizza dough, homemade or store bought

2 Tbsp evoo

1 garlic cloved, minced

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 heirloom tomato, sliced

5 brussel sprouts, stems and outer leaves removed, then halved and thinly sliced

2 - 3 pieces of cooked bacon, diced

finishing salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450.

Mix evoo and minced garlic together.

Spread flour on a flat surface, shape pizza dough into an approximate 8 inch circle pizza crust.

Prebake crust for 8 minutes in oven. Remove from oven.

Brush parbaked crust with evoo/garlic mixture. Top with shredded mozzarella, bacon, brussels and tomatoes.

Bake for 7 minutes on lowest shelf. Switch to top shelf and bake for about 5 minutes more, until cheese just turns slightly golden brown.