Balsamic Brussels Sprouts Bacon Pizza with Feta

Balsamic Brussels Sprouts, Bacon, and Feta Pizza is the latest chapter in my fierce, borderline obsessive Brussels sprouts love affair.

If I were forced to decide between saving my own birthday cake from falling on the floor or saving a pan of roasted Brussels sprouts from the same fate, I honestly don’t know which I would choose. I’m in deep. Way deep.

I accept that there are certain foods that are unpopular—lima beans, beets, anchovies—and while I can understand the reasoning for many, Brussels sprouts simply do not deserve their nasty reputation. To the sworn sprout-haters, I beg you let me serve you a bite of crispy, deeply caramelized oven-roasted Brussels sprouts, a forkful of this Warm Brussels Sprouts and Blue Cheese Salad, or best of all, a giant, cheesy slice of this Balsamic Brussels Sprouts, Bacon, and Feta Pizza.

Maybe it’s the bacon. Maybe it’s the feta. Maybe it’s the fact that I thinly sliced and sautéed the Brussels sprouts in balsamic vinegar and garlic until they turned into rich, caramely vegetable wonder-topping. It’s slightly sweet, satisfyingly savory, and unquestionably addictive. This is the kind of vegetable revolution onto which great dinners are built and greens are eaten with gusto.

The base of our Balsamic Brussels Sprouts, Bacon, and Feta Pizza is the easy-peasy homemade whole wheat pizza crust recipe I shared on Monday. It’s soft, fluffy, and the ideal vehicle for heaps of mozzarella cheese, the wonder Brussels sprouts, crispy bacon, and salty feta. I loaded on as many toppings as I could without the crust become soggy, so you can assure yourself that you are enjoying a nice serving of veggies with every bite (truly!).

Even Ben—who prefers to inhale his vegetables at the beginning of a meal in the way most adults take cough medicine and refuses to call anything without red sauce a “pizza” (all else is flatbread)—ate three large slices, then beat me to the leftovers at lunch the next day. When it’s a race to the fridge for leftovers, you know the recipe is a keeper.

Whether you are a Brussels spouts-skeptic, fellow sprouts lover, or share Ben’s definition of pizza (flatbread?), this Balsamic Brussels Sprouts, Bacon, and Feta Pizza will not disappoint. Just ask our empty Tupperware.

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Balsamic Brussels Sprouts Bacon Pizza with Feta

Yield: 1 (11x14-inch) pizza

Prep Time:

20 mins

Cook Time:

12 mins

Total Time:

35 mins

Brussels sprouts are caramelized with balsamic vinegar, then combined with crispy bacon, feta cheese, and mozzarella to create one fabulous pizza that even Brussels sprouts skeptics cannot resist.

Ingredients

• 1/2 recipe Weeknight Whole Wheat Pizza Crust — or your favorite pizza dough recipe—enough to yield a 11x14-inch pizza.
• 4 slices bacon — cooked
• 1 tablespoon olive oil — (plus 1–2 tablespoons additional for brushing the pizza)
• 3/4 pound Brussels sprouts, — stems removed and thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons teaspoons minced garlic — (heaping, about 3 cloves)
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 cups freshly grated mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Instructions

1. If necessary, cook the bacon according to these easy steps. Once cool, cut into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium low, then add the Brussels sprouts and salt. Cook just until beginning to soften, about 6 minutes, then add the balsamic vinegar. Cook 1 minute, until the vinegar disperses, then add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook 1 additional minute, then remove from heat and set aside.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll the the pizza dough into a 11x14-inch rectangle, working from the center. If the dough bounces back, simply let it rest a minute, then roll again. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or dust with cornmeal. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet, then brush the surface of the dough all over with olive oil. Top with 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese (1 cup), the sautéed Brussels sprouts, then the remaining mozzarella cheese, bacon, and feta. Bake the pizza until crisp and golden, about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 2 minutes, slice then serve.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: Balsamic Brussels Sprouts Bacon Pizza with Feta, Healthy Brussels Sprouts Recipe, Homemade Pizza

All text and images © Erin Clarke / Well Plated.

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More tasty Brussels sprout recipes:

• Warm Brussels Sprouts, Bacon, and Blue Cheese Grain Salad
• Gnocchi with Brussels Sprouts, Lemon, and Sage from Oh My Veggies
• Brussels Sprouts Bacon Hash from Food for my Family
• Steak and Brussels Sprouts from Oh Sweet Basil