Dinner, Lunch

Skillet Pizza with Corn, Bacon and Chives

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Easy cast iron skillet pizza with summer produce, bacon bits, and mozzarella.  This will become your favorite way to make pizza at home.

This one skillet wonder comes together in minutes for an incredibly delicious end of summer pizza that is perfect for lunch, dinner, or a snack on the beach or boat.  A quick white pizza gets a dose of flavor from bacon fat in the skillet, making every bite unbelievably good!

This recipe came to me after I purchased ingredients to make homemade corn chowder (that will come soon), and nobody wanted that.  So, I switched directions and used much of the same ingredients for this awesome almost-deep-dish pizza.  The cast iron skillet is one of my favorite ways to make pizza, as it gives the crust the perfect golden crunch.  The only drawback is I have to usually make two to feed my family – other than that, it’s one of the easiest dinners around – this one feeds 4, or 6 as a side or appetizer.  The best part is you brown the bacon bits and corn in the same skillet for baking the pizza, so the clean-up is minimal and the flavors are solid.  

Skillet Pizza with Corn, Bacon, and Chives

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Easy cast iron skillet pizza with cheddar cheese and fresh summer corn, bacon and chives.
Course dinner, Lunch
Cuisine Italian
Keyword pizza, skillet pizza, corn, bacon, white pizza
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Cast Iron Skillet

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb pizza dough at room temperature
  • 4 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
  • 1 ear fresh corn on the cob, shucked
  • 8 oz mozzarella cheese, grated NOT fresh mozzarella
  • 2-3 Tbsp grated Pecorino cheese
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
  • 1 tsp torn basil, for garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 500 degrees, with a baking rack set in the middle.
  • Heat a 11-12 inch cast iron skillet over medium heat, and add the chopped bacon to the pan to brown. As the bacon nears finishing, add the corn cob to the skillet, to sear it on all sides in the bacon drippings. If you have very fatty bacon, you can remove some of the fat before adding the corn - you don't want this to be oily.
  • Remove the bacon bits to a paper towel lined plate, and finish searing the corn on all sides until slightly cooked through and golden brown in spots. Remove the corn when finished, and set aside to cool. When the corn is cooled enough, holding the cob sideways on a cutting board, remove the cooked kernals for topping the pizza. I use a chef's knife, rolling the corn cob around to remove all the corn.
  • Leave the pan on a very low heat while you stretch out the pizza dough. If there is a lot of reserved fat in the pan, wipe some out, but a little oil or grease is part of the key to making this incredibly crispy crust.
  • Using the heat of your hands, stretch out the pizza dough. You may need to use a little flour to keep it from sticking. Alternatively, you can roll the dough out in a traditional way - I find my hands to do the trick with this one. You want a disk that fits in the bottom of the cast iron skillet - it doesn't have to be perfect, but stretch it out to the sides as best you can.
  • Make sure you have all of your toppings ready to go - this needs to be assembled fairly quickly as it starts to cook in the pan. When you are ready, add the pizza dough into the skillet (still with the bacon grease!), being careful to spread it out without burning yourself. The skillet is still hot!
  • Working quickly, add the shredded mozzarella, the red pepper flakes, and the pecorino, spreading the ingredients all the way to the edge. This cooking method lends to a big bubbled crust, and I like it to have cheese on top! You can let the crust cook for a minute or two over the low heat. Using pot holders, remove the skillet from the burner, and place it in the center of the oven, cooking for about 12 minutes. The pie will be puffed and golden brown when finished.
  • When done baking, remove the skillet cafefully with the pot holders again, topping the pizza with the crumbled bacon and chives. You can serve this pizzza hot right out of the skillet, or almost like a cheesy bread at room temperature. It should be very easy to lift out of the skillet, when you want to.

Notes

This pizza uses a method of cooking that almost fries the bottom of the crust, leading to a tasty finished dough all the way through - it works with all toppings!
 

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2 Comments

    1. I love that Sandy! Cast Iron Skillets are the BEST – super cheap and honestly nothing cooks better, but just don’t wash it with soap.