Pizza with Brussels sprouts, bacon, and goat cheese

I don't know about you, but I'm constantly amazed at what we're able to do with the help of technology.  I can Skype with my friends halfway across the world in Germany and China.  I can could deposit checks into my bank account without ever stepping foot into a bank... if I had a smart phone.  I can even share my daily adventures and misadventures in life and food on the interwebs with any sweet soul who wishes to read them.

But, with all of that and so much more, there is still one big void.  I can't actually share the food with y'all.  Not the recipe, but the real deal.  The food.  Like hot and tasty pizza, fresh out of the oven.

Eat your heart eyes out!

I can show you the ingredients and beg of you to trust me that this um, unique combination will totally make your taste buds sing in a short time.  But I can't make your computer smell like my kitchen, let alone the entire apartment -- bacon.  And you can't hear that signature sizzle.  Or can you?

I can show you how easily the mixture of crunchy Brussels sprouts, oil, garlic, shallots, and balsamic vinegar comes together, but I can't give you a taste of the tangy and sweet salad that's about to top the pie.

I can show you the big bag of shredded mozzarella cheese, but I can't swat away your hand when you try to take a sample.  (And then cave and join you in an old fashioned quality check exercise.)

I can show you the pizza on the cookie sheet and tell you that it safely made its way onto the pizza stone.  But I can't show you the panic that races through me and appears on my face the few seconds before I commit to the ever-crucial wrist flick to transfer the pizza from the peel to the stone.

I've been making pizza this way for years, and I still get unreasonably nervous every single time.  "It's just pizza," you say?  EXACTLY.  IT'S PIZZA!  Sorry for yelling, friends.

I can show you the perfectly crisp and just golden crust supporting the most unique pizza toppings I've ever used, let alone seen.  I can also tell you how creamy the goat cheese was and how magically it paired with the salty bacon and crunchy sprouts.  I will even implore you to experience this pizza for its sweet balsamic dressing that's moistened the entire pie and will quite easily blow your mind.  However, I can't hand you a plate with two pieces, side by side, ready to be devoured.

I can show you an up close and personal view of what it was like to eat this pizza, blissful bite after blissful bite, but I can't share it with you.

Actually, I've got a confession.  I'm a little relieved that I can't share it with you. Because I really, really don't want to.  It's all mine.  Make yourself some already, okay? :)


Two years ago: Chicken kabobs
Three years ago: Mini meatloaves


Pizza with Bacon, Brussels sprouts, and Goat Cheese
(adapted partly from Pink Parsley)

1 pound pizza dough, homemade or store-bought
Flour, for dusting
4 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
5 Brussels sprouts, halved lengthwise and shredded
1 Tablespoon olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
Salt
Ground black pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella
2-3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (most easily done when cold)

Place a pizza stone or sheet pan in the oven and preheat to 500 degrees for about 30 minutes.

In a medium bowl, toss the sprouts with the shallots, garlic, oil, and vinegar.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  On the bottom of a large baking sheet, pizza peel, or large piece of parchment paper lightly dust with cornmeal.  On a lightly floured surface, roll out and stretch the pizza dough into a 14-inch circle and place on said surface.

Brush the edges with olive oil.  Sprinkle the dough with the mozzarella, leaving a thin border around the edge. Evenly distribute the sprouts mixture, then top with the bacon and goat cheese.  Carefully transfer the pizza to the stone or sheet in the oven.  Bake 10-12 minutes, or until the crust is browned and the toppings are cooked through.  Remove from the oven and allow to sit 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.  Enjoy!