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This Shredded Brussels Sprout and Bacon Pizza is an easy weeknight pizza that everyone loves. It’s that salty bacon on top that really seals the deal. Homemade pizza dough topped with a tangy, sweet, and spicy balsamic sauce, melty Havarti cheese, shaved brussels sprouts, and crispy bacon. All baked in a super hot oven until the cheese is melted and bubbly, the brussels sprouts roasted and just lightly charred, and the crust golden and perfect. Every last bite of this pizza is delicious. And all those sprouts on top make this pizza kind of like eating salad with a side of cheesy pizza!
Pizza for your Wednesday because it’s December, the end of the year…and really at this point, anything goes!
After all the Thanksgiving food last week, pizza was an obvious must. I love Thanksgiving and all, but let’s be real, it can be a lot. After days of leftovers, I’m ready for a change of pace. I started with Asian-style dumplings and now we’re moving onto cheesy pizza topped with my favorite vegetable and some salty, crispy bacon too.
And the best part? This is the easiest to recreate. I know pizza can be one of those foods that many of us think we need to order take-out for, but I love showing you that homemade pizza is actually so easy!
The inspiration?
I’m not sure if any of you remember my shredded Brussels sprout salad from a few years ago, but that salad ended up inspiring this pizza. I made the salad for Thanksgiving and had forgotten just how much I loved that recipe. The sweet, spicy, and tangy dressing paired with the sprouts and crispy bacon is the most delicious combination. It creates a salad that’s honestly delicious and one that everyone goes back in for seconds.
The leftover brussels sprouts in the fridge had no purpose, but the day after Thanksgiving I had this idea and started testing immediately. Brussels sprouts in cheese pizza sounded like the most delicious combination…and surprise, it doesn’t just sound good, it is good!
And with December here and all of us quickly becoming extra busy, time for cooking is limited. This means weeknight meals need to be simple and quick, but of course, they also need to be delicious.
Obviously, pizza is just that easy, yet delicious food we all need. It’s the perfect mix of comforting, that’s also quick and easy.
The quick and simple details.
Start out with fresh pizza dough. You can make your own (my favorite dough is in the HBH Super Simple Cookbook), or use store-bought.
The next step is key. Mix up a quick balsamic sauce, which is simply just a little balsamic vinegar, honey, thyme, and red pepper flakes. I wanted to create a white pizza, but a white pizza with plenty of flavor. This sauce is sweet, tangy, and perfectly spicy. It’s so good when paired with those extra savory sprouts.
Now, my best pizza making tip? Make sure your pizza dough is at room temperature before you begin to roll it out. If the dough is at all cold it will just spring back at you and not roll out easily. Room temperature creates a perfectly baked thin crust, with crisp edges and a soft center.
Spread the dough with that balsamic sauce, then add the cheese and sprouts. Bake until golden and bubbly. I love baking at a high temp to ensure the crust gets crisp and just lightly charred on the edges.
When the pizza comes out of the oven, the cheese is melty and the brussels sprouts have a nice little char.
It’s delicious just like that…but made even better once topped with crispy bacon. SO GOOD.
The combo of Havarti cheese, sprouts, and bacon is one that’s truly, melt in your mouth good. This is quickly going to become one of my go-to pizza topping combos because I often have the ingredients on hand. Which makes this pizza great for these crazy busy December days and long cozy nights at home.
And as I mentioned above, all those sprouts sitting atop this cheesy pizza really turns this dinner into a salad and pizza combined into one. Sooo, it’s totally healthy food…go with me on this. It’s December, and we need to be in agreement that just about anything goes this month.
And with that, I leave you with the perfect cheese and bacon pizza to livin’ up your Wednesday night. Enjoy!
Looking for other pizza recipes? Here are my favorites:
Easy Sheet Pan Tomato Herb Pizza
Artichoke Pesto and Burrata Pizza with Lemony Arugula
Lastly, if you make this Shredded Brussels Sprout and Bacon Pizza, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Shredded Brussels Sprout and Bacon Pizza
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 601 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound pizza dough, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- crushed red pepper flakes
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups shredded brussels sprouts
- 1/2 cup grated manchego or parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 cups shredded fontina or Havarti cheese
- 4 thick-cut slices of bacon, chopped
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 450° F. Grease a large baking sheet with olive oil.2. In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, the honey, balsamic vinegar, shallot, garlic, thyme, and a pinch each of red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.3. In a separate bowl, toss together the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, the brussels sprouts, parmesan, and a pinch of salt and pepper. 3. On a lightly floured surface, push/roll the dough out until it is pretty thin (about a 10-12 inch circle). Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet.4. Spread the dough with the olive oil/balsamic herb mix. Add the Havarti cheese, then layer the brussels sprouts over the cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the crust is golden and the cheese has melted.5. Meanwhile, cook the bacon until crisp. Top the pizza with the crispy bacon and freshly shaved parmesan. Slice and enjoy!
2020 has been the year of pizza at home but this was definitely one of the better recipes I’ve made. I love roasted Brussels sprouts so I knew this pizza had potential. It did need to bake it longer to get the crispy, charred sprouts I adore. I also found I only needed two slices of bacon. In all, a very good pizza that I anticipate I will make again.
Yes! I am really glad this turned out so well for you Rachel! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
Does it matter if the beer is room temp or cold for the dough recipe?
Hey Stephanie,
Room temp beer works best. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
This is an amazing pizza! The perfect combination of sweet and salty! 🙂 I’m a college student on a budget, so I just used the ingredients I had for this pizza in the fridge, but so happy this made for an affordable and tasty dinner! Thank you for sharing this one.
Thank you Kari! I am glad you enjoyed this one! xTieghan
I made this yesterday and just wow! I used a crust I have been making for years…so, I had to change the baking and assembly slightly, but let me tell you…my husband and I kept eating this. Loved it so much I had another tiny slice in place of my dessert…now that is saying something. Thank you so much for this wonderful pizza recipe that will be on repeat in this house…it is a stunner and is definitely impressive enough for dinner guests, once that can happen again. My husband was so taken, he had to make a FB post about it!
Wow that is so amazing to hear! Thank you for trying this one, Karen! I hope you continue to love this and others! xTieghan
This pizza is so good. I did use naan instead of pizza dough and mixed the bacon in with the Brussel mixture. Thanks for another great recipe.
Thank you Shannon! I am so happy this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Wow, this was INCREDIBLE! In fact, the first words out of my husband’s mouth was “oh my God, wow” and said it was the best homemade pizza he’s ever had. The only thing I had trouble with was how sticky the dough was after doubling in size, but I am thinking that is my own fault since I am not used to making doughs, not sure if I did something wrong. Any tips for how to make it less sticky would be appreciated 🙂 I didn’t want to use TOO much flour when handling, not sure how much is too much.
I will say that the dough cooked perfectly once I was able to spread it out on the pan, and we LOVED it! I will be keeping this recipe on rotation, it was truly amazing! Thank you Tieghan! Absolutely amazing.
Hey Lauren,
Thank you so much for trying the recipe, I am so glad you enjoyed! I am thinking just making sure your hands have flour on them and you and always sprinkle some over the top if needed. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
This pizza is dangerously delicious. Doubted it the whole time until I was eating it and was like “what the hell is happening here!” Btw added an extra tbs of olive oil to the balsamic mix, and at least half a cup of cheese at the end. Amazing stuff!
I am so happy you loved this recipe, Anna! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
I don’t think I ever need to eat another pizza! So good, so SO good!
Thank you so much Becca! xTieghan
The combination of Brussels and bacon on top of the sweet yet spicy glaze, unbelievable! We loved this pizza and will definitely make it again.
Thank you so much Kristi! xTieghan
Made this for supper last evening using your pizza crust recipe from the Super Simple cookbook. It was a hit! Delicious flavour combination! My new favourite pizza! Love your recipes. Thank you for sharing them!
Thank you so much Cathy! xTieghan
Made this pizza tonight after decorating the Christmas tree and enjoyed with a large glass of red wine. So so good! I used shredded mozzarella instead of havarti because I already had it and good thick cut bacon. Make this pizza, you won’t regret it! Also, made extra of the base to use for dipping the crust.
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you Rachael! xTieghan
Well I’m making this pizza tonight!! It really sounds amazing! I’ll keep you posted.
Thank you Buddy! I am glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Outstanding! Perfect Friday night meal!
Thank you Suzanne! xTieghan
Making your pizza on a cold rainy ny night…
You mention Parmesan cheese…… is this in lieu of the man he go?
Hey Ginger,
You can sprinkle with parm! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Made this last night with our Ooni pizza oven. SO delicious. The sweet vinegar sauce contrasted with the salty bacon was perfection. Did all the cheeses rather than the “or” and would do the same again.
Love your recipes!
Amazing!! Thank you for trying this recipe, Sue! xTieghan