Corn And Tomato Pizza With Bacon anD gruyere
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This easy bacon and tomato pizza is the perfect way to celebrate fresh summer produce! Fresh sweet corn and shredded gruyere cheese make this simple pizza feel rich and elegant. Make this recipe as-is or use it as a blank canvas for any extra veggies, greens, or toppings you have on hand.
This easy bacon corn pizza is the perfect combination of bright, summery produce and warm, cozy dinner vibes. Use your favorite homemade pizza crust (we also love this whole wheat pizza crust) or grab some store-bought pizza dough to keep things simple!
ingredients
This bacon pizza recipe is pretty straightforward, but we want to share a few notes before you jump in:
- Use any pizza dough you like. We used our favorite quick pizza dough here (this recipe is also great with our whole wheat pizza dough!)
- Fresh sweet corn kernels are best here, but you can use frozen corn in a pinch. If you have time, grill the corn before removing the kernels (like we do for our cilantro pizza!) for an extra layer of rich, smoky flavor.
- Cherry tomatoes are our top choice here. We love their bright, sweet, concentrated flavor. They also have a low water content, so they roast up nicely and don’t release too much liquid as the pizza cooks.
- Crispy bacon lends a smokey, salty element to this dish. Cook the bacon just before you assemble the pizza, or cook a few extra slices of bacon earlier in the week and store them in the fridge so you have this ingredient prepped and ready to go!
- Optional: Add a drizzle of hot honey or your favorite barbecue sauce to this pizza just after baking. The sweet/spicy combo is a perfect complement to the rest of the flavors here.
Variations and Substitutions
This recipe is very forgiving: It’s easy to customize with whatever you have on hand! A few of our favorite riffs:
- Add protein. Chicken (meal prepped shredded chicken, rotisserie chicken, or leftover grilled chicken), cooked sausage (Italian sausage, chorizo, or andouille work here), or pepperoni are great on this pizza.
- Swap the olive oil for fresh pesto (we love our pea shoot pesto, cilantro pesto, or arugula pesto!) or use a bit of alfredo sauce or homemade pizza sauce for a richer recipe.
- Replace some or all of the gruyere with shredded mozzarella (or torn fresh mozzarella cheese), white cheddar cheese, fontina, or havarti.
- Add toppings! Roasted garlic, sliced shallots, or caramelized onions are great additions to this pizza. Add any extra veggies you have on hand (bell peppers, artichoke hearts, zucchini, kale, spinach, or mushrooms all work here).
- Add a drizzle of hot honey, barbecue sauce, or balsamic glaze to this pizza once it’s baked for extra flavor. You can also add a pinch of red pepper flakes, a sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese, or fresh herbs as a garnish (we love cilantro or fresh basil leaves on this pizza!)
How to Make This Pizza
Once your ingredients are prepped, this recipe is really all about assembly.
Start by stretching your pizza dough out over a cutting board lined with parchment paper and drizzling it with a bit of olive oil (Image 1, below). The parchment makes it easy to slide this pizza in and out of the oven!
Top the pizza dough with an even layer of gruyere cheese (Image 2, above), then add the corn kernels (Image 3) and tomatoes (Image 4).
Finally, add the crumbled bacon (Image 5, below) and you’re ready to bake!
Once your pizza is assembled, slide it onto a preheated baking steel and bake until the crust is brown and the cheese is bubbly (Image 6, above).
The Best Way to Bake Pizza at Home
We love using a baking steel or pizza stone for a light, crispy, flavorful pizza crust! For best results, preheat your oven and baking steel for 30-60 minutes before baking to ensure the surface is nice and hot.
Assemble your pizza on a piece of parchment paper over a cutting board or flat baking sheet, then use the cutting board like a pizza peel to slide your pizza with the parchment onto your hot baking steel. Note: Don’t let the plastic cutting board touch your hot baking steel: it can melt.
When pizza is ready, use tongs to carefully pull it out of the oven and onto a cooling rack or cutting board.
This method can take a bit of practice, but it’s worth it for that ultra-crispy crust!
Home is where the flavor stays, In Simple Joys and Pizza days. Slice By Slice, we come together, To share a Good Food, Now and Forever.