BLT Pizza

Because Bacon (Also because it’s apparently national pizza day).

When I was in high school about a billion years ago, a friend’s family owned a pizza place (I mean you guys it was pretty amazing. There was ALWAYS pizza). My favorite of pizza they offered was the BLT pizza. I loved that pizza. I think about that pizza all the time. I wanted to run away and start a life with that pizza. This is my (pales in comparison) homage to that pizza.

And now we’re going to make the pizza.

Ingredients:

-Store bought (yup store bought because who needs to mess with yeast) pizza dough.

NOTE: You can use the kind that comes in a tube or the kind that looks super professional that the store makes or my personal favorite Wewalka brand, which can be found near the Pillsbury dough.

-Olive oil (about a tbsp.).

-Mayonnaise (this can be full or low fat, but remember you’re using bacon, so does it really matter right now?).

- 6 oz. (or so, its cheese, we don't commit to cheese amounts on this page) shredded cheese of your choosing (I like an Italian blend mixed with a little cheddar for sharpness because I like my cheese like me, Salty).

-Bacon (OK. You can totally use uncooked bacon, and par-cook it which would be super good, but also time consuming OR you can buy that microwavable bacon which now comes in thick cut and use it and save so much time. This is probably the only time I am going to tell you to use this type of bacon because I’m a big fat snob, so I would jump on it now while you can).

-Shredded lettuce about 1 cup.

-Tomatoes (any kind you like. Sliced or diced it’s totally your call but if you want to do it the way I would, which is going to be the best looking way, use sliced multi colored cherry tomatoes. Remember, appearance is everything in this world). Use as much or as little as you would like, just be sure you have enough to spread evenly. But if you NEED a number, 1 large diced or about 10-15 sliced cherry tomatoes should do.

Instructions:

• Preheat your oven to 425 degrees (or whatever the package of dough you bought because you don’t take my advice, says).

• Roll out the dough on a sheet pan or round pizza pan (you can even use a pizza stone if you have one. If I am being honest though, I hate using mine. It’s impossible to clean and that makes me hostile… more than usual).

• Brush your dough with the 1 tbsp. olive oil (you may not use all of it. We just want to lightly coat the dough. No need to slather it like sunscreen. I get the compulsion to do this though. I often say my skin resembles pizza dough, it’s simply instinct at this point).

• Spread the 6 (or more because come on) oz. cheese on the dough evenly.

• Place the bacon on top of the cheese evenly. DO NOT SCRIMP ON THE BACON. You need to cover the whole pizza with bacon. This is not a joke!!! Just do it. If you're using the microwave kind you will use the whole package.

• Bake the pizza in your preheated oven according to the instructions on the dough package (incidentally, dough package is another accurate description of my skinny jeans). My favorite brand takes about 15-18 minutes.

• Remove the pizza from the oven and allow to cool until it is just warm (Yes. This seems counter intuitive for pizza but we’re about to add the mayo. I have uncomfortable feelings about hot mayo and since I’m the condescending and controlling one, this is what we shall do).

• Spread a heaping tbsp. of mayo on top of the bacon, covering as much area as possible. If you need to add more do it (Don’t be bound by the restraints of my made up measurements. You won’t mess this up. …I hope… but good luck and all).

• Sprinkle the cup of shredded lettuce over the top of the pizza and place your multi colored sliced cherry tomatoes (I assume you caved in and bought them because you know it needs to be pretty) all over the top.

• Cut into pieces using a large knife or pizza cutter (yup, another thing I think you should own because I’m bossy).

• Pour a big fat glass of wine because you deserve it.

Now you can celebrate National Pizza Day like the cool kids. Or at least like me in high school, who was obviously SO cool and not at all a super nerd or anything.