SCALLOPS AND BACON ‘DANCE THE SALSA’ PIZZA
I was chosen as 1 of 30 bloggers to compete in the Sam’s Fresh Salsa Blogger Recipe Challenge! I received samples of their mild, medium, and mango pineapple salsas to use in developing creative recipes for appetizers and entrees. The challenge is to really think outside of the box and leave the ‘same ole same ole’ chips and salsa in the dust!!
Pizza Pizza!! Using these yummy salsas as a sauce and topping for pizza was a no-brainer, but what would the rest of the flavor profile be? It’s scallop season here in New England right now and I love the pairing of scallops and bacon, so I created this umami rich pizza with a slight kick and bright finish from the Sam’s Medium Fresh Salsa!
Here’s how I made it! Note – you can also scroll to the bottom of this post to skip to the full recipe or click on the photos in this post which will link you to the recipe page as well.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place pizza stone in the oven to preheat for 30 minutes. Note – you can also make this pizza on a sheet pan (no need to preheat sheet pan).
Bring 1 pound of pizza dough to room temperature before forming. Form the dough into a 12” round.
Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of cornmeal on your pizza peel (or the baking sheet if you are not using a stone). Place your dough onto the peel. Top the dough evenly with 1 cup of Sam’s Medium Fresh Salsa, leaving about 1” of the dough exposed around the edges.
Top the salsa with ½ pound of bay scallops and season with salt and pepper. Spread 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the top of the scallops. Slide the pizza onto the preheated stone and bake for 10 minutes.
Remove and put 6 slices of raw bacon, chopped into ½” pieces, in an even layer over the top of the cheese. Drizzle olive oil over the exposed crust.
Turn the oven to broil. Slide the pizza back into the oven about 8-10” under the broiler. Watch it closely and turn the pizza occasionally if it starts to get too dark in one area. Cook for 4-6 minutes (depending on the heat of your broiler) until the bacon is crispy and the pizza is bubbly and browned. Remove and let rest for 5-10 minutes.
Sprinkle 1 cup of salsa and ¼ cup chopped cilantro over the top of the pizza.
Cut into slices and DEVOUR!!
SCALLOP AND BACON DANCE THE SALSA PIZZA
1 pound pizza dough, store bought or homemade (recipe below)
2 tablespoons cornmeal
1, 16 ounce container Sam’s Fresh Medium Salsa (drain any excess liquid from the container)
½ pound bay scallops (or sea scallops cut into ½” pieces), patted dry with paper towels
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
6 slices raw bacon, chopped into ½” pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place pizza stone in the oven to preheat for 30 minutes. Note – you can also make this pizza on a sheet pan (no need to preheat sheet pan).
Bring your pizza dough to room temperature before forming. Form the dough into a 12” round.
Sprinkle the cornmeal on your pizza peel (or the baking sheet if you are not using a stone). Place your dough onto the peel. Top the dough evenly with 1 cup of the salsa, leaving about 1” of the dough exposed around the edges. Top the salsa with the scallops and season with the salt and pepper. Spread the cheddar cheese evenly over the top of the scallops.
Slide the pizza onto the preheated stone and bake for 10 minutes. Remove and put the raw chopped bacon in an even layer over the top of the cheese. Drizzle the olive oil over the exposed crust.
Turn the oven to broil. Slide the pizza back into the oven about 8-10” under the broiler. Watch it closely and turn the pizza occasionally if it starts to get too dark in one area. Cook for 4-6 minutes (depending on the heat of your broiler) until the bacon is crispy and the pizza is bubbly and browned. Remove and let rest for 5-10 minutes.
Sprinkle the remaining salsa and the cilantro over the top of the pizza. Cut into slices and devour!!
PIZZA DOUGH
2 tablespoons olive oil (plus 2 teaspoons to oil the bowl)
1 tablespoon honey
1 ½ cups warm water (115-120 degrees)
1 packet yeast
2 teaspoons salt
3 ½ – 4 ½ cups flour
Place olive oil, honey, and water into the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir to dissolve honey into the water (so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the bowl). Sprinkle the yeast on top of the liquid mixture, stir, and let sit for 5-10 minutes until yeast becomes foamy. Add salt and 2 ½ cups of the flour. Mix using the dough hook attachment. Gradually add as much of the remaining flour as needed until a ball forms and pulls away from the bowl. Empty dough onto a floured countertop and knead for 8 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic adding flour as needed if sticky.
Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour until doubled in bulk. Knead dough briefly and divide into 2 equal parts and form balls. Let rest for 30 minutes under a clean kitchen towel. If you are not using both balls, refrigerate each ball in a plastic bag sprayed with cooking spray for up to 5 days.
#JustAddSalsa, #SamsFreshSalsa, #CheckTheLabel❤️, #samssalsarecipechallenge
You can purchase Sam’s Fresh Salsa at ShopRite, Acme, and Safeway. If they are not in your local store, ask them to carry Sam’s Fresh Salsa products! Also, check out their website and follow them on social media for product updates and recipes:
Website – https://www.samssalsa.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamsOriginalFreshSalsa
