Strawberry Balsamic Bacon Pizza

When I stumbled across this recipe on Annie's Eats, I thought, Wow, now there is an intriguing combination! Strawberries on pizza?

And in that moment, I knew it was something I wanted to try.

Oh and also...

I am currently in love with balsamic vinegar.

Especially the little bottle of Tahitian vanilla flavored balsamic vinegar I got at a cool store in Seattle.

They had a tasting room- how cool is that??

Flitting from one end of the store to another, drinking straight vinegar from little plastic cups- sounds like a good time, right?

Okay, maybe it sounds a tad weird, but trust me, it was awesome. Take it from a cynic.

My personal favorites were the dark chocolate, the Tahitian vanilla (obviously), the strawberry and the espresso. If you've never had the joy of a vinegar and olive oil tasting room, find someplace in your area that does it. It's quite the experience.

But, I'm getting off topic a little, aren't I?

I have heard (and now know by my own experience) that strawberries and balsamic vinegar are a good match (you should try them on ice cream sometime!), and with pizza and bacon involved, what better time to give it a try?

I have this bad habit of not thoroughly reading recipes before I decide to try them, therefore I didn't even know this pizza had chicken on it too until I started making it.

Oh, well.

At any rate, I ended up pan frying the chicken in the bacon grease, and well, you just know that turned out amazing.

In fact, the whole pizza was amazing! I just had a leftover piece for lunch and seriously, every bite bursts with flavor! From the sauce made from strawberry jam, balsamic reduction and chili sauce to all the sweet and savory toppings, it is an experience I will no doubt soon be recreating.

Strawberry Balsamic Bacon Pizza

(printable version)

adapted slightly from Annie's Eats

makes 1 large pizza

Sauce:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup strawberry jam or preserves

1 tsp sweet chili sauce (can be found in the Asian food section)

1 recipe pizza dough (use mine or your own favorite!)

1 cup shredded or diced cooked chicken (if desired, cook in bacon grease)

4 slices smoked bacon, diced and cooked until crisp

1/2 cup thinly sliced yellow onion

4 oz. mozzarella cheese

2 oz. grated Parmesan cheese

2-3 TB minced fresh cilantro

1/2 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and diced

Heat balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan over med-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and let cook 4-5 min. or until reduced by about half and thick and syrupy. Watch carefully so as not to burn! 

In a small bowl, combine the balsamic reduction with the jam and chili sauce. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 500. 

Roll out pizza dough onto lightly greased pan. Spread balsamic-strawberry mixture in a thin layer over the crust. Layer with chicken, bacon, onion, cheeses, cilantro and strawberries (in whatever order you like).

Bake until crust is lightly browned and cheese is melted and bubbling, about 12-14 min. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before slicing.