Cast Iron Skillet Brussels Sprouts Bacon Pizza.
Oh my gosh. I’ve been waiting forever to tell you about this pizza.
And by forever, I mean three days. But in Jessica years? That is forever.
It’s pathetic, really.
The toppings? I’m over the moon. I don’t need to remind you how weird it is that I love brussels sprouts because well, I do that every single time I talk about brussels sprouts and isn’t getting old? Yes and yes. I know. And over half of my recipes with these darn brussels contain bacon, so throwing the whole combo on a pizza was second nature and wow… thank goodness it was. Brussels, bacon and cheese. Just go with it.
Also go with a little balsamic glaze if you want. Trust me.
What I really have been chomping at the bit to tell you about is THIS CRUST. Not even this crust, but this method. A freaking cast iron skillet, people! This method cooks your pizza in three minutes. No lie. THREE minutes. And it might be the best crust I’ve ever had. At least until I have the next best crust I’ve ever had.
I’m no pizza connoisseur – unless eating obnoxious amounts qualifies one as an expert – but this somewhat resembles a wood fire crust or something. I dunno. I might be making that up but it’s what it reminds me of. I used my go-to dough recipe, which is from our favorite garlic bread pizza crust. Since making that nearly one year ago, I’ve never made another dough recipe. Which is huge, considering I try out doughs like they’re going out of style.
Back in December, I had to take a little trip to NYC and conned my friend Bev into coming with me. No really, I pretty much verbally harassed her into coming. It was amazing. As we walked the streets of NYC, she told me about how she had made this incredible pizza in a cast iron skillet and how I had to try it. She also watched me emotionally break down when we didn’t make it to Crumbs before leaving for the airport and she essentially saved my life when I tried to jaywalk a few times, but those are stories for another day.
Oh! And coincidentally we ate slices of pizza around midnight after already eating a full dinner earlier, but we walked about five miles in between so that more than made up for it. Yeah, we should have had two slices. We inhaled negative calories.
Oh. Sidebar. You can make “normal” pizza too. I bet you can’t guess who requested normal pizza. I instagrammed this pizza and said something inappropriate.
It’s true.
Anyhew.
I swore up and down and right and left that I was making the pizza as soon as I got home. Then I came home and promptly forgot about the pizza because, hello, it was the holidays and I decided to start shopping ten days before. But! Last week I remember and… my world was forever changed.
A slight note: um, this method works really well with two people. Additionally, this method pretty much requires a pizza peel. Guess what? I was one person without a pizza peel. In other words, I nearly died while trying to make this pizza. (Note my makeshift “peel” up above, aka a flipped over, floured baking sheet.) I would have been okay with that though because IT’S THAT GOOD. And you know I’ve been trying to reel in the drama recently so if I’m saying it’s that good… it’s that good.
I love it. Big heart.
Cast Iron Skillet Brussels Sprouts Bacon Pizza
Ingredients
crust. [NOTE: this recipe makes TWO doughs for skillet pizza]
- 1 1/8 cups warm water
- 3 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
pizza. [NOTE: these ingredients are for ONE pizza]
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
- 1 shallot, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 pound brussels sprouts, stems removed and thinly sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces provolone cheese, freshly grated
- 4 ounces fontina cheese, freshly grated
- 2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
crust
- In a large bowl, combine water, yeast, honey and olive oil. Mix with a spoon, then let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add in 2 1/2 cups flour and salt, stirring with a spoon until the dough comes together but it still sticky. Using your hands, form the dough into a ball and work in the additional 1/2 cup flour, kneading it on a floured surface for a few minutes. Rub the same bowl with olive oil then place the dough inside, turning to coat. Cover with a towel and place in a warm place to rise for about 1 1/2 hours.
- After the dough has risen, punch it down and place it back on the floured surface. Sometimes I work in a few more sprinkles of flour if the dough is sticky. This amount of dough yielded 2 pizza crusts for my 12-inch cast iron skillet. If you’re using an 8-inch, you may get 3 doughs, but you also may just want to stick with 2 thicker doughs. Divide the dough evenly in half (or thirds). Place one dough on a well-floured pizza peel and roll into a round about the size of your skillet.
make the pizza + the cast iron skillet method
- Heat a large skillet (preferably NOT the skillet you are going to cook your pizza in) over medium heat and add bacon. Fry until crispy and fat is rendered. Remove crispy bacon with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to drain. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of bacon grease from the skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low and add shallot. Cook for 5 minutes until soft, then add garlic, sliced brussels, salt and pepper, stirring well to coat. Cook for 6-8 minutes, tossing occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.
- At this point, place an oven rack directly under your broiler and preheat your broiler to the highest setting. Additionally, place your cast iron skillet on the stovetop burner, turning the heat on high. You want to heat the skillet for 10 minutes. If it begins to smoke a lot, you can reduce the heat a bit. But you want it HOT.
- While the skillet is heating, begin placing your toppings on your dough. Remember, the dough MUST be on a well-floured pizza peel (or surface) so you can simply slide the entire thing into the skillet. Add about 2-3 ounces of cheese to your dough, then cover with the brussels sprouts mixture and the bacon. Top with the remaining fontina, provolone and parmesan.
- Place a potholder or thick towel on the handle of the skillet (it will be sooo hot). Carefully slide the pizza into the skillet, dough side down. Don’t worry if a few toppings or pieces of cheese slice onto the surface – it will be totally fine. After about 30 seconds, turn off the burner, grab the skillet and pop it in the oven, right under the broiler. Broil for 1 minute, the using the potholder, grab the handle and rotate 180 degrees, broiling for only 1 more minute. Remove immediately and place on the stovetop. Let cool slightly for about 5 minutes, then use a large spatula to remove the pizza. INDULGE!
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
Oh who am I kidding? Drama queen for life.
205 Comments on “Cast Iron Skillet Brussels Sprouts Bacon Pizza.”
You just changed my life. Doing this tonight!
sweet … um, what are words? I cannot even type them this looks so good! I have recently become infatuated with Brussels sprouts after swearing (yep, just swearing) all my life. I did not like them, now I do.
this WILL be happening this weekend. Grammy Pizza in a Pan.
This looks amazing. You and Bev, I can’t handle it.
Ohhhh MG. I LOVE Brussels sprouts and am wondering why I’ve never thought of this! It’s blizzarding outside right now and it’s supposed to keep coming down all day, but I’m strongly considering hauling myself over to the grocery store after work to buy all these ingredients!
I think brussels sprouts on pizza sounds so friggin fantastic. I can’t get enough of them.
This looks ridiculously good!! I’ve never heard of a cast iron skillet pizza before!
Dear god. Ever time I think I love you, you do something like this, and I love you even more.
I am drooling right now. The combination of flavors in this pizza are awesome! I have to admit that the “normal” pizza looks pretty darn good, too!
I read about skillet pizza somewhere on the web about a year ago. It sounded like the crispest crust that you can achieve in a home oven where your oven temps max out at 500 degrees. I have made pizza this way ever since I read about this method. It really makes for a nice, crisp pizza crust!
If that doesn’t look like Heaven, I don’t know what does.
Here I was, walking through life thinking I knew every way I could possibly make pizza. Thanks for proving me wrong and adding to my kitchen to-do list :)
Woah! I’ve been daydreaming about making pizza in a cast iron skillet but didn’t have the guts try. Thanks for taking one for the team and confirming it works!!
Oh this crust does look incredible!!!
a) I’m so glad you made it!
b) I’m also so glad you have fond memories of me, as opposed to the creepster Lisa Loeb serenading video I sent you last night.
c) Let’s go back to NYC already.
i tried for about 25 minutes to fit the lisa loeb video reference into this post.
This looks amazing–is the “normal” pizza (whose crust, I can’t take my eye off of) also made in the same method???!
Such a good idea to use a skillet, it probably acts the same as a pizza stone! :)
yep! by “normal” i just mean sauce, pepperoni, cheese. :)
I am guessing a pizza peel is the big wooden pizza-shifting things that we instead use to beat people? LOL! This pizza looks great.
hahaha yes! i need one too, for that reason.
YEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Pizza for dinner it is! I wonder if you could use a little cornmeal under the crust so it slides easier. And brussels sprouts on pizza… that’s a totally healthy meal :)
literally cracked up at “trying to reel in the drama lately”
I’m a little scared about brussels sprouts in my pizza but I bet after they’ve crisp’ed up in the oven they probably have a great crunchy texture and would be good. And if it has bacon… well bacon makes everything better!
Ha! I made pizza dough last night ( following your delicious garlic crust recipe) and I have it sitting in the fridge right now! I even told my husband that I need to find a good deep dish pizza recipe! Perfect! Thank you Jessica, you rock :)
Mmmm I feel like you are the pizza queen on Instagram. P.S. Does this taste like pizza hut pan pizza? I love that.
this really doesn’t, but the garlic bread pizza crust i linked above sort of does!
still skeptical of the brussels sprouts – but I am totally on board with this iron cast crust!! so amazing!!!
Ooo pizza. Looks yummy. I really like spinach and artichoke pizza, so I might have to give this one a try!
On an unrelated note, have you heard that there is a Girls nail polish set? http://store.hbo.com/girls-deborah-lippmann-limited-edition-nail-polish-set-of-4/detail.php?p=433303
yes!!
OOooo, I’m gonna try this method-minus the BS because BS=gross, for pizza and movie night tonight. I never thought to use my cast iron for pizza from scratch. I use it to reheat though. Duh, it takes me a while.
Ughhh I’m dying. This looks so delicious with the brussels sprouts and bacon and just yum! There is nothing ever wrong with making pizza, especially ones with bacon and brussels sprouts, ever.
Balsamic glaze on this would be divine!
omg, I am sooo making this pizza this weekend! Like, seriously. I’m drooling over here.
DOING THIS! Faster pizza = better pizza. Thanks for the notes in the recipe!
I’m pinning this to my “I LOVE PIZZA” pinboard! Looks amazing!
My boyfriend was a jerk about anything but “real pizza” for forever. Then he went out and tried some pizza with butternut squash on it–without me, may I add–and talked of nothing else for days, until I made him recreate it for me. It’s delicious. And it knocked him off the “real pizza” train.
This is embarrassing. I literally just moaned. I’m not kidding or exaggerating. I saw that first picture, and I moaned.
im all over this! I love brussels sprouts. and pizza. and everything in a cast iron skillet!
Oh my goodness, Jessica. This is awesome. I love any new reason to use my big cast iron skillet. THIS pizza is next!
This is TOTALLY LIFE CHANGING!!! I cannot wait to try this!
If only Mr. E hadn’t ruined our pizza peel by cutting with pizza ON it…that’s right….right into the wood, splinters everywhere. Or maybe I just need to look for a higher quality pizza peel. Either way…I’m making this!!!
I’m having trouble averting my eyes from the cheese on this page.
I think I need a cast iron skillet.
i have a giant cast iron skillet but have never made pizza in it. great idea!
Oooooooooooooooo Please like seriously … this is like the most amazing thing i ever saw … yummm!
Now THAT is a spectacular pizza.
Brussel sprouts & bacon are 2 of my favorite things in this world! Plus pizza! :)
Our cast iron skillet is my favorite way to make pizza, especially deep dish with lots of butter. Sadly, since we have a glass-top stove, I can’t use it on my stove top, but I can still use my cast-iron skillet in the oven!
I LOVE this! Genius! I don’t have a cast-iron skillet, but I do have an oven-safe skillet. Think that’ll work?
PS- I just made a shaved brussels sprout, caramelized onion, fresh mozz, and balsamic glaze pizza last week (okay maybe two nights in a row last week), and I’m obsessed.
unfortunately you really need a cast iron skillet for this method – a regular oven-proof skillet would never get hot enough.
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Is there nothing that cannot be done in a cast iron skillet?! And brussel sprouts rock…the shaved brussel sprouts at TJ’s, yum.
This is so weird. I was reading a new Martha Stewart cookbook last night with like 300 meatless recipes. It’s a vegetarian savory cookbook of hers that just came out and it’ a really big cookbook and of all the recipes I could have looked at, she has a shaved brussels sprout skillet pizza recipe that I bookmarked. Last night, Of all the other 299 recipes, that’s the one I chose. And now I see this. Crazy – a pizza like this is meant to be. And Brandon from Kitchen Konfidence is a friend and the nicest guy, another reason to make this!
I die. I just wish my boyfriend liked Brussels sprouts. And I guess it would help if I ate bacon. Blasphemy, I know.
yes, brussels + bacon + cheese + balsamic = heaven!
Totally trying this method and recipe… your lack of drama convinced me ;)
Looks so good!
Genius method and flavor combos! I can’t even imagine how delicious brussels sprouts, bacon and fontina taste together, but I will soon find out! Thanks for sharing Jessica :)
If I could eat through the screen to get to this pizza, there’s a really good chance that I would!
THis look amazing!! I don’t have a pizza peel though :-/ and the idea of transferring a perfectly assemble pizza to a hot skillet makes me anxious (like i’ll end up with a calzone instead of a pizza) do you think I could make the dough, roll it out, put the crust in the pan, and quickly place the toppings before shoving under the broiler to melt the cheese??