Jalapeno popper everything!
Spicy jalapeno and melted cream cheese. It goes good with everything. So it was inevitable that I would try it on a pizza.
This recipe is pretty simple. It takes the jalapeno popper sauce I used on my jalapeno popper chicken sandwich, and spreads it decadently over a homemade pizza crust (that I also stuffed with more jalapeno, which is totally optional). Then it’s covered in bits of bacon and shredded cheese and baked to a golden, gooey perfection.
While experimenting with this recipe here are some notes and insights I learned along the way:
- If making a homemade pizza crust, get it as thin as you can. A sauce that’s 50% melted cream cheese is naturally decadent and rich, which contrasts perfectly with a crackery crunch of a thin crust pizza.
- You can opt for fat free cream cheese, but it really won’t taste identical to the real thing. If anything, maybe go half fat free half full fat cream cheese.
- Also, if the sauce is too thin, add a bit more corn starch to thicken up when it’s simmering.
The pizza is just another recipe in my ever growing list of jalapeno popper inspired foods. Check out the rest below!
- Jalapeno popper lettuce wraps
- Baked jalapeno poppers
- And jalapeno popper bean burgers
- Jalapeno popper hot dogs
- Jalapeno popper falafel
- Jalapeno popper mac n’ cheese
- Jalapeno pepper mashed potatoes
Time You Need
- Prep: ~20 minutes
- Cooking ~20 minutes
- Yields: 1 delicious pizza
What You Need
- ~1 pound of pizza dough (homemade or store-bought) (thin crust works best for this recipe!)
- ~3 ounces of room temp cream cheese
- ~1 1/2 cups Jalapeno peppers, diced (more or less for depending on how spicy you want it)
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- ½ cup of milk
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup white onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tbsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- Salt, to taste
- ~1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella (or parmesan)
- 2-3 pieces of precooked bacon, chopped* optional
What You Do
- Preheat oven to 425.
- Cook pizza dough for about 5 minutes at 425, then remove from oven.
While pizza is cooking prep the sauce. In a small saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat and cook onion, minced garlic, and diced jalapeno for about 5 minutes. Then add chicken stock, followed by whisking in the flour and corn starch. - Then add milk, cream cheese, salt to taste, and seasonings: cayenne, black pepper, dried basil, and red pepper flakes. Stir constantly until cream cheese is melted and forms a sauce. To thicken, add more corn starch. Let the sauce simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Then remove from heat. Brush sauce over the pizza dough.
- Top pizza with mozzarella cheese, diced bacon, and additional jalapenos if desired.
- Cook pizza for 15-20 minutes till cheese is melted and beginning to gold.
- Remove from oven and cool before serving.