Strawberry Balsamic Bacon Pizza

Yes, that's right. Strawberries + balsamic + bacon on pizza? Don't knock it until you try it.

I have prepared this pizza no less than 5 times this summer, with full intentions of photographing it and blogging about it. Every time, we would be about halfway through the pizza when I would remembered "Gah! I was gonna take pictures! Oh well, it's too delicious... next time!"


I don't know where the self-control came from, but this week I managed to get a few pictures before devouring our new favorite pie.


What makes this pizza so delish? All the different flavors - the tangy sauce, sweet strawberries, salty bacon, fresh cilantro. It's seriously phenomenal. 


The sauce starts with some reduced balsamic vinegar. Cook it over medium heat until it is reduced by half, and becomes thick and almost syrupy.

Just poured into the pan...

Reduced & ready to go!

Then, mix it up with some strawberry jam and a bit of sriracha chili sauce. A little bit of sweet with a little bit of heat. That's what makes it so good.

Saucy-sauce

Then the sauce goes onto the crust.

Now time for the fun stuff! First we've got chicken.

Then some sliced onion. 

Then the CHEESE. Just simple mozzarella. (Just make sure you shred it yourself. Or recruit your Business Man to shred it for you. It tastes so much better.)

Then the strawberries! Dice 'em up real small.

And the bacon. Make sure it's thick-cut, crisp bacon. Why is bacon so good?

After a quick trip in the oven, all you gotta do is sprinkle it with a bit of fresh cilantro, and you are ready to dig in.

This is the pizza of the summer for us. We have homemade pizza for dinner about once a week, and this has been the flavor choice at least twice a month since May. Even if you're skeptical about strawberries on a pizza, give it a try.

I've been slicing my pizzas into strips lately... not only is it more fun to eat, but you can eat more without feeling like you're eating more. Just one more little sliver. (Except when you do that 5 times, it probably counteracts itself. Get what I'm sayin'?!)

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Strawberry Balsamic Bacon Pizza

Servings/Yield: One 12-inch pizza

• For the sauce
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• ½ cup strawberry jam
• 1 teaspoon sriracha chili sauce
• For pizza
• 1 ball pizza dough
• 1 cup shredded cooked chicken
• ½ cup thinly sliced yellow onion
• 4-oz shredded mozzarella cheese
• ½ cup diced strawberries
• 4 slices thick-cut bacon, diced and cooked until crisp
• 2-3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

Method

Heat the balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Simmer 5 minutes, or until reduced in half and the vinegar is thick & syrupy. Combine reduced vinegar with strawberry jam and sriracha chili sauce.

Prepare pizza dough/crust, however your recipe indicates. (I use a pizza stone preheated in the oven for 30 minutes at 500*F.) Spread the sauce mixture onto your pizza crust. Top with chicken, onion, mozzarella cheese, strawberries, and bacon.

Bake the pizza 7-10 minutes at 500*F, until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro before serving.

Source: From Annie's Eats