While everyone is talking about all things pumpkin and anticipating fall, here I am posting a recipe for a strawberry pizza. It's my second year experiencing a southern California "change of seasons" and quite frankly, it still feels like summer. This is okay with me, because technically is still is summer. But, I do miss the distinct switchover of seasons that we had while living in the Midwest.
We did, however, encounter a hint of fall weather this week when some storms briefly traveled in. And, this weekend I'm hoping to dive into some seasonal bookmarked recipes I've been waiting all year to try! I struggled with sharing this pizza recipe with you since it's end of the summer and hardly anyone has room in their minds for fresh fruit next to delicious pumpkin recipes! I thought about saving it for next year. But, we really loved this and since you can still get your hands on strawberries, why should I wait? With the sweet onion and the applewood smoked bacon, this is a great recipe to help transition us into the fall season.
The combination of this might sound odd, but it really comes together well. I was extremely tempted to eliminate the strawberries, especially when Ben gave me the side-eye as I started to toss them on. I'm so glad I didn't though. They incorporated the perfect sweet to the savory. It's been a few weeks since we last had this, and now that I'm writing about it I'm ready to enjoy the lasting sunshine here in SoCal and make it again! And, yes, this might just win an award for the longest.recipe.title.ever. 😉
Recipe Card
Balsamic Strawberry Pizza with Chicken, Sweet Onion and Applewood Smoked Bacon
Ingredients
- ½ cup strawberry preserves or jam
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sriracha chili sauce (or other chili sauce on hand)
- 1 ball prepared pizza dough , this recipe or store-bought
- Cornmeal
- ¼ onion , thinly sliced
- 1 grilled chicken breast , cut into bite-sized pieces
- 4 slices applewood smoked bacon , cut in 1 inch pieces, cooked and drained
- 1 cup shredded Italian blend cheese
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro , finely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh strawberries , diced small
Instructions
- Place the pizza stone in the lower middle of the oven and preheat to 500?F.
- Bring the balsamic vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce the heat and simmer until reduced to half and mixture thickens, about 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the strawberry preserves and chili sauce. Mix well; set aside to cool.
- Roll out the pizza dough to a 12 or 14-inch circle. Transfer to a piece of parchment paper lightly dusted with cornmeal. (For me, it's easier to pat the dough into it's circle while already on the parchment paper.)
- In a small bowl, combine the chicken with 2 tablespoons of the balsamic-strawberry mixture and stir to coat all chicken. Spread the rest of the sauce over top of the pizza dough, leaving about a 1-inch border around the edge.
- Sprinkle ¾ cup of cheese evenly over the sauce. Scatter the chicken, bacon and sweet onion over the cheese to distribute evenly. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
- Transfer the pizza with the parchment paper onto the hot pizza stone and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly for 1 to 2 minutes. Top with the fresh strawberries and cilantro. Serve hot.
- Source: Adapted from The Café Sucré Farine
