Breakfast Pizza...

No surprises here... it's Friday Night Pizza time! And yes, I was reminded bright and early what day it was before someone drove off to the office this morning - hmm, I wonder if this really was a good idea?

Unlike last week, this time I got to toss together our favorite whole-wheat pizza dough for this Breakfast Pizza dish! Once that was off and rising, I had plenty of time to get the rest of the toppings together.

If I were to ask Jeff what his favorite breakfast food would be, I would bet all my money on an ecstatic reply of "Bacon!". So, you can imagine how excited he was as the aroma of the smoky pieces raced up the stairs (followed by him running down to see what I was doing) soon after the skillet warmed up. Once the bacon was done, we removed the crispy bits and drained off all but one tablespoon of the intense drippings, giving us just enough fat to sauté a handful of chopped red bell pepper and green onion.

Once the dough was ready and stretched out into a rough circle (no need to be perfect), we gave it a quick pre-bake just to give it a head start. On top of the semi-set dough went a thick layer of herb-flavored cream cheese spread that we loosened up with a couple eggs. The cooked vegetables were strewn on top of that creamy layer, followed by hearty chunks of cubed ham. We slid the assembled pizza back into the oven to cook long enough to set the cream cheese and turn the bottom of the crust crispy and golden brown. What about that crispy bacon? Well, we saved that, along with a mound of shredded white cheddar cheese, to be scattered on top once the pizza was almost done so the cheese stayed nice and gooey.

Right before slicing, I scattered the top with fresh ground black pepper for a mild bite. While you could use a plain cream cheese spread, we thought the herb-flavored was a good choice to add another layer to the dish. That cheese layer was quite fluid as it went onto the crust, but the eggs helped it to set up well - kind of like a very thin and firm layer of savory cheesecake. Crispy crust (which was a pleasure as always to work with!), lots of salty bacon and plenty of cheese - I'd gladly eat this "breakfast" pizza anytime of the day... in fact, we have just enough leftover for both of us to enjoy a slice or two in the morning tomorrow. If you really don't want to bother with pizza dough or are short on time, a pre-baked crust you have in the pantry or which could be easily picked up at the market would be just fine instead (although, I do think you should give this crust a try!).

Recipes
Breakfast Pizza