Homemade pizza is one of my favorite ways to feed a crowd—especially a crew of hungry movers. (We’re in the process of relocating The Mouse House this week! More on that to come soon!) This particular pizza combines two of my favorite things: bacon and cheese. Think of it as a mouthwatering take on a BLT in pizza form.

Ribbons of fresh basil and paper-thin slices of ripe tomato provide a ton of fresh flavor—without making the pizza too wet. A few handfuls of shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan give the pie all the cheesy goodness you expect in a pizza.

And then, of course, there’s the bacon. I used Black Forest bacon from Whole Foods, but you can certainly use your favorite kind. (If you’ve been following The Hungry Mouse, you know I can’t get enough of this stuff. It’s deeply smokey and slightly sweet.)

Black Forest Bacon, crisp as can be

How to make the pizza dough

I used the basic dough recipe from The Bread Baker’s Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread, by Peter Reinhart.

I first made this dough for the Daring Baker’s October Challenge last year, and it remains one of my favorite pizza doughs. The dough needs to rest overnight, so start it the day before you want to make your pizzas.

If you don’t want to do the dough overnight, you can always use my Nice & Easy Pizza Dough recipe. For a thicker crust, try the dough from my Thick Crust Sausage & Cheese Pizza.

Or, use your favorite dough. As much as I love a good crust, this one is more about the toppings for me.

The dough recipe below makes three fairly large pizzas (maybe 16 inches or so in diameter). I used 2 of the balls for this Bacon, Basil & Tomato Pizza. I used the last to make a slightly smaller, thicker white cheese pizza.

Bacon, Basil & Tomato Pizza

Pizza Dough (Click here for step-by-step instructions for how to make the dough)
4 1/2 cups unbleached high-gluten (%14) bread flour or all purpose flour
1 3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. yeast
1/4 cup olive oil
1 3/4 cups water, ice cold
1 Tb sugar
Spray oil
Coarse cornmeal

Yields: Enough dough for 6 small pizzas or 3 large ones

Pizza Toppings
Shredded mozzarella
Grated Parmesan
1-2 large, ripe tomatoes
1/2 – 3/4 lb. Black Forest bacon (or any bacon you like), cooked and crumbled
Fresh basil, cut into ribbons
kosher salt
garlic powder

The night before, make the pizza dough according to these instructions. Divide the dough into 3 balls and refrigerate overnight.

When you’re ready to make your pizzas, take the dough out of the fridge and bring it up to room temperature. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees. Sprinkle your pizza pans with coarse cornmeal.

Roll out the pizza dough

Flatten each ball of dough out with a rolling pin or by stretching it across the backs of your hands. Put the dough on top of your prepared pans.

Add the toppings to the pizza dough

Sprinkle lightly with shredded mozzarella. This is to give your tomatoes a base to stick to.

Slice your tomato as thin as you can.

Spread the tomato slices out on top of the cheese. Cover the pizza without overlapping the tomatoes.

Sprinkle with crumbled bacon.

And another thin layer of mozzarella. (It may seem fussy, but I’ve found that layering the ingredients like this helps the all the toppings stick together better, and avoids pizza snafus…like when you take one bite and ALL the cheese comes off in one piece.)

Toss on the cut basil. Spread it out fairly evenly.

Sprinkle with a layer of Parmesan cheese. Then sprinkle on a light layer of garlic powder. Toss on a little salt if you like (there will already be a fair amount from the Parmesan).

Bake the pizza in a really hot oven

Slide your pizzas (pan and all) into your preheated 500-degree oven. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until your crust and toppings are nicely browned.

Cool your pizza for a few minutes on the pan, then slide it off onto a board and cut into wedges with a sharp butcher knife or pizza cutter.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

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What’s better than a bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich? How about a BLT loaded with thick-cut bacon, paper-thin prosciutto and peppery watercress—then slathered with thick, tangy homemade mayonnaise? Here’s how to build a nice, fat sandwich that not only tastes great, but is designed to stay together when you eat it.

Now, you’re going to laugh, but I’m kind of fussy about sandwich construction, because I hate eating something that falls apart after the first bite.

Alternating the slippery ingredients (prosciutto, tomatoes) with ingredients that provide a little traction (small leaves of watercress and crispy bacon), helps the whole thing hang together better.

Kind of silly? Sure. But it does help keep your lunch off your lap.

I used thick-cut bacon, cooked extra crispy in the oven. (Line a sheet pan with foil, set a rack on it, spread the bacon out on the rack, bake in the oven at 400 degrees ’til done to your liking).

For an extraordinary sandwich, get the highest-quality ingredients you can get your paws on.

Fresh watercress

It’s still too early for local tomatoes, but I managed to find a fabulous hydroponic tomato grown in Vermont. It wasn’t quite the same as one fresh out of the backyard, but it was miles away from an ordinary supermarket tomato. And, it was h-u-g-e.

Here’s a teaspoon, for comparison.

To take it over the top, make your own mayonnaise (more on that to come, tomorrow). It’s easy to do and adds a ton of flavor.

Peppery BLT with Prosciutto

1 thick slice of ciabatta, toasted if you like
mayonaisse
4 slices bacon, crisp and cool
4 slices prosciutto
8-10 watercress leaves
2 thin slices of tomato

Makes 1 sandwich

Split your bread in half. Spread one half with mayo.

Add the bacon on the side with the mayo.

(Mmmmm, bacon.)

Layer the prosciutto on the other half.

(Mmmm, prosciutto.)

Overlap the watercress on top of the prosciutto.

Top the watercress with thin slices of ripe tomato.

Put the sandwich together.

Press down on it a little to smoosh it together.

Inhale and enjoy!

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This is a fabulous way to feed a crowd on a budget.

Pork shoulder is a tough cut of meat, so it’s generally on the cheaper side. (In fact, this is the same cut of meat that’s often used to make pulled pork.) My pork roast was about 8.5 lbs. and was only 99 cents/lb.

Cooking it low and slow for a couple of hours coaxes amazing flavor out of the meat, turns it meltingly tender, and infuses the tomato sauce with rich pork flavor. This hearty winter meal will feed a whole family (and then some!) for short money—with plenty of leftovers.

How to buy a pork shoulder roast

If you have the option, always get a bone-in roast. The bone will add flavor.

Look for pork with rosy pink meat and creamy white fat. The meat should never have any gray spots.

Depending on where you live, this might be labeled pork shoulder, pork butt, or Boston butt.

Rustic, Family-Style Pork with Red Sauce

1 bone-in pork butt/shoulder, 6 lbs. – 9 lbs. (mine was about 8 1/2 lbs.)
2 Tbls. olive oil
salt
1 medium onion, diced
1 Tbls. fresh tarragon, minced
1 cup red wine
1 Tbls. garlic powder
3 Tbls. tomato paste
1 28-oz. can ground, peeled tomatoes
3 fresh bay leaves
freshly cracked black pepper
2 Tbls. Aleppo chili flakes
water
parsley and chive for garnish

Rustic, Family-Style Pork with Red Sauce: Prep the meat

Grab your pork roast. Give it a rinse under cold water and pat it completely dry.

Rustic, Family-Style Pork with Red Sauce: Brown the pork on all sides

Sprinkle the pork with a little kosher salt.

Put the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Set it on the stove over high heat.

When the oil is hot, add the pork to the pot. Your goal is to brown it on all sides.

When the bottom has developed a nice brown crust, flip the meat over. It’s heavy, so turn it carefully. Turn your heat down to medium-high, or lower, if your pot starts to smoke.

I use my big kitchen fork to get a good grip on it.

When the pork is browned on all sides, pull it out of the pot and set it on a plate for a few minutes while you make the base for the sauce.

Rustic, Family-Style Pork with Red Sauce: Make the base for the red sauce

If your pork let off a lot of fat, pour some off if you like. You want to wind up with a few tablespoons in the pot. Too much fat will make your sauce greasy.

Add the onion to the pot. Keep the heat on medium-high.

Stir to coat in pork fat. Cook for a few minutes ’til the onions start to turn translucent and brown.

Pour in the red wine. Raise the heat to high to start to bring the wine up to a simmer.

Toss in the tarragon.

Give the pot a stir. Scrape at the bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen any brown bits. (That’s pure flavor!)

Add the garlic powder.

Toss in the tomato paste.

Stir to combine well.

Pour in the can of ground, peeled tomatoes.

Give a stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium.

Add the bay leaves.

Toss in the black pepper and red pepper. Stir to combine.

Rustic, Family-Style Pork with Red Sauce: Simmer the pork

When you’ve made the sauce, put the pork back in the pot, fat-side up.

Now, the directions here are a little squishy. Basically, what you want to do is add the pork to the sauce, then add some water to the pot so that your pork is almost covered. Exact amounts will depend on how big your pot and your pork roast are.

I do it this way (rather than add the water, then the pork), to make sure that when I add the pork, my pot won’t overflow). It’s going to simmer for so long that it’s just fine and all blends together in the end.

Add enough water to the pot to bring the sauce up to *almost* cover the meat.

Stick a wooden spoon around the edges of the pot and give the water a stir to combine it with the sauce. Lift the pork up a bit with your spoon to let the sauce get under it.

Cover the pot and bring it up to a simmer over medium heat.

When it’s simmering (take a peek!), drop the heat to low.

Simmer covered for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.

Rustic, Family-Style Pork with Red Sauce: Serve and enjoy!

After about 3 hours, your pork should be tender and your sauce should be fragrant and infused with rich pork flavor.

Pull the meat out of the pot and transfer it to a platter. Skim any fat from the surface of the sauce and discard.

Cut large pieces of meat (or shred for sandwiches, if you like) and set atop a bed of linguine or rice.

Spoon some broth over it. Garnish with a little parsley, chive, and freshly cracked black pepper.

Enjoy!

Here are some of the best discounts and sales I’ve found this week.

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Copyright 2008-2009 The Hungry Mouse™/Jessica B. Konopa. All rights reserved.

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This dip was a hit this weekend when we had folks over to watch the fight.

I served it as one of the companions to my Crispy Sesame Chicken Nibbles.

The cold, garlicky ketchup was a perfect balance to the crunchy crust and moist chicken. A healthy dose of lime juice and zest give the sauce a really surprising brightness.

Flavored ketchups are super easy to make. Just start with a bottle of your favorite ketchup. It will already have a lot of flavor built right in. Then simply accent it with flavors you like.

A word of warning—most ketchups are already plenty salty. Add all your other ingredients first, then give it a taste to see if it needs a little extra sprinkle. (After all, you can’t get it out once you put it in.)

Serve with any kind of chicken fingers, or as a sandwich or burger spread. You can even thin it out with some olive oil for a flavorful salad dressing.

Spicy Chipotle-Lime Ketchup: A note on ketchups

I used Nature’s Promise Organic Ketchup from my local Stop & Shop, which I like a lot. It tastes great and is relatively inexpensive.

I also really like Stonewall Kitchen’s Country Ketchup, too.

Spicy Chipotle-Lime Ketchup

2 cups ketchup
4 cloves garlic, mashed
1 Tbls. chipotle chili powder
1 medium lime, juice and zest

Put the ketchup in a medium-sized bowl.

Add the mashed garlic and chipotle.

Zest your lime right over the bowl. Be careful to just scrape off the dark green rind—and avoid the bitter white pith beneath it.

Once you’ve gotten off all the zest, cut your lime in half. Squeeze both halves into the bowl.

Whisk your ingredients together until well combined.

Your finished ketchup should look about like this:

Give it a taste at this point and add a little salt if you think it needs it.

Transfer to a serving dish and enjoy!

***
Copyright 2008-2009 The Hungry Mouse™/Jessica B. Konopa. All rights reserved.

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I don’t know if this happens to anyone else, but when the weather turns colder, my inner eight-year-old starts to crave Campbell’s tomato soup and grilled cheese.

Here’s my grown-up version.

This frequently shows up on our table on weeknights when we don’t have a ton of time to cook. Because the recipe calls for canned tomatoes, you can get it on the table in just over a half an hour.

It’s warm, filling, and rich. All you need is a good bottle of wine and a loaf of chewy, rustic bread—or, of course, a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches made with gooey brie, fontina, or good old American cheese.

It makes enough for about two bowls.

Quick & Creamy Tomato Soup

2 Tbls. olive oil
3 fresh bay leaves
1 28-oz. can ground, peeled tomatoes
3 cloves of garlic, minced or put through a press
3/4 cup chicken stock
freshly cracked black pepper
2 Tbls. butter
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 Tbls. fresh parsley, minced + more for garnish
grated Parmesan cheese

Add the olive oil to a medium-sized sauce pot. Pick your pot up and tilt it around to coat the bottom.

Add the bay leaves to the olive oil. Saute the leaves for about a minute over medium heat. You just want to warm them up, not brown them. (If you substitute dry bay leaves for fresh, watch them extra close.)

Add the tomatoes to the pot.

Toss in the minced garlic.

Stir to combine.

Pour in the chicken stock.

Stir well again to combine. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring it to a simmer.

When it’s simmering, lower the heat to medium, and cover the pot. Crack the lid so that a little steam can escape.

Simmer like this for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If it feels like it’s sticking to the bottom of the pot, lower the heat a little.

After 20 minutes, uncover your pot and turn the heat off (to avoid splatters).

Your soup will have reduced a little, and should look about like this:

Give it a good stir so it’s uniform. It’ll be pretty thick.

Add a little freshly cracked black pepper to taste.

Toss in the butter.

Stir to combine and melt the butter completely.

When it’s melted, pour in the cream.

Stir to combine really well until the soup is uniform in consistency.

Your soup will be thick and creamy, with small bits of tomato in it. If you want a smoother soup, yank out the bay leaves and puree it quickly with a traditional or hand-held stick blender. I skipped this step tonight.

Cover the pot again. Crack the lid. Turn the stove on again with the heat on low. Cook like this, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes. If it feels like it’s sticking to the bottom, lower the heat a little.

After 10 minutes, turn the heat off and uncover. Stir well. Then add the parsley.

Stir to combine. It should look about like this:

At this point, taste your soup. Depending on the brand of ground tomatoes you used, your soup might be a little acidic. If that’s the case, add a little more cream or butter to balance out the tartness.

Ladle out into bowls and garnish with a little minced parsley and grated Parmesan.

Serve and enjoy!

***
Copyright 2008 The Hungry Mouse™/Jessica B. Konopa. All rights reserved.

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