How to Make Pear and Sweet Bacon Pizza
….’cause I know you’ll like it. This pear and sweet bacon pizza is one I made years ago after seeing it in Better Homes and Gardens magazine. It really works well for an appetizer or even a dessert pizza, which is what I made it for. I had a pizza party for friends and this is what I served at the end. I tweaked the recipe (to make it my own) by changing a few of the ingredients. Check out an earlier post for the best pizza dough….it really is!
It has some different flavors that aren’t something you would traditionally find on a pizza but they pair (pear) very well together. You know what a pizza geek I am! I will try most any type and enjoy tweaking different combinations and ideas friends share with me. This one is a little different because you partially cook the pizza dough before hand and then again with most of the toppings on. It’s also not a gooey, cheesy pizza. The base is actually cream cheese and feta cheese is one of the toppings, but no mozzarella! Mmmmm….I’m kind of craving one right now!
A nice change to this as well is using a little less dough, rolling into a rectangle and it becomes a flatbread. I’ll have some posts coming up on flatbreads…..they are yummy to order at restaurants, and equally yummy to make at home. Maybe it’s time to have a pizza party at home! Invite friends, have everyone bring some different toppings (you can assign) and make up a batch of dough.
Let’s get started….
Supplies:
- 1 batch Pizza Dough
- Pizza pan or pizza stone
- Bacon
- Brown Sugar
- Chili Powder
- Feta Cheese
- Pepper
- Garlic flavored olive oil (I usually pour a little olive oil in a dish and crush some garlic and let it sit for a few hours
- Cream Cheese (soft tub or brick, softened)
- Green Onions
- Pear
- Fresh Basil
- Chopped Pecans
- Feta Cheese
- Honey, Maple Syrup or Balsamic Vinegar
In the photos above, I’ve pressed the thin dough onto the pan, spread with olive oil (infused with garlic) and baked for 6-7 minutes at 530° if using a pizza stone ; if using a pizza pan, 400° for 10 minutes.
While the crust is baking coat the bacon and cook in the oven. (it’s got brown sugar and chili powder and done on the stove can create a burnt sugar smell) Also while cooking the bacon, toast pecans for a few minutes in the oven….watch carefully as they can burn easily.
Cream together the chopped green onions, pepper and cream cheese. When the crust is cooled, spread over evenly.
- Break the bacon in pieces
- Core and slice the pear thinly. You can see in a photo below, that you can see the bacon through the pear
- Chop the toasted pecans into chunks
- Cut the basil leaves in half (if smaller) slice or break into pieces if larger
- In the photos above, sprinkle the crumbled bacon over the cream cheese layer
- Place the pears evenly over the bacon
- Sprinkle the toasted pecans over the pears
- Crumble the feta cheese evenly over the pecan layer
- Now it’s ready for the oven: if using a pizza stone preheat the oven to about 530° and bake for an additional 5-7 minutes, or if using a pizza pan increase oven temperature to 450° and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes.
- At this point you can warm honey slightly so it can be drizzled OR drizzle maple syrup over the pizza.
- I you want a different, tangy flavor, while the pizza is cooking, take 1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar and 2 TBSP of brown sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and then turn down, simmering until reduced by half. Drizzle over the pizza.
- Sprinkle with fresh basil leaves.
Send me a picture of your pizza. If you like this post please pin and share!
Enjoy,
Cheryl
Pear and Sweet Bacon Pizza
Try this yummy pizza as an appetizer or dessert and you will be surprised at the terrific flavors!
Ingredients
- 1/2 Batch of pizza dough
- 8 slices Bacon
- 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
- 2 TBSP Chili Powder
- 1/3 Cup Pecans ; toasted and chopped
- 1/3 Cup Feta Cheese
- 3 Green Onions; chopped
- 4 oz or 1/2 tub of Cream cheese
- 1 Pear cored and sliced thinly
- 3 Tbsp Honey or Maple Syrup
- 1/4 Cup Fresh Basil Leaves
- 1 Tbsp Ground Pepper (fresh ground is nicer)
- 3 Tbsp Garlic infused Olive Oil
- Parchment Paper (if using a pizza stone)
Instructions
-
Make the pizza dough
Roll the dough thinly and pat into a greased pizza pan (or roll thinly on parchment paper
Brush the dough with Garlic Infused Olive Oil
Bake for 10 minutes in 400 oven (or if using a pizza stone bake for 6-7 minutes at 530)
Combine brown sugar and chili powder in a shallow dish. Press each piece of bacon; each side into mixture. Put on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in oven until crisp. If doing on the stovetop cook at lower temperature so the sugar doesn't burn and smoke.
On a piece of foil, spread pecans and toast for a few minutes in the oven. Watch carefully as they burn quickly; chop into chunks
Core and slice pear very thinly
Cream together cream cheese, chopped green onions and pepper
When pizza crust comes out of the oven, let cool for a few minutes. Spread cream cheese mixture over the crust. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon. Lay the thin slices of pair over the bacon layer. Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Crumble the feta cheese over the pecan layer.
Bake in the oven (Pizza Pan 450 for another 10 minutes; pizza stone at 530 for another 5-7 minutes) Watch carefully. You only want to brown and heat, as the crust is already cooked.
Drizzle with warmed honey, maple syrup or a balsamic vinegar glaze. Top with chopped basil leaves