Weekly Meal Deal: Caprese Pizza With Crispy Pancetta

by Amanda @ A Few Short Cuts on August 26, 2010

I thought that since I was at Baking with Betty this week. I would share one of the things that I made. This was the first recipe I made in the Betty Crocker Kitchens. It was in the breakfast category, which I don’t understand because this is more of a lunch or dinner to me.

I am going to be completely honest. When I saw this recipe I thought it would be just ok. I wasn’t sure about the pancetta or the balsamic vinegar. Plus, I had never made a pizza crust with Bisquick. I was a little unsure of how this would turn out. After following the directions, and baking this with my fellow bloggers, the time came to taste.

This pizza was amazing!!!! I am a sucker for warm gooey cheese when a pizza first comes out of the oven! I am totally making this the next time we have people over! It would make a perfect appetizer, lunch, or dinner! The taste is fabulous and the balsamic vinegar isn’t overpowering but just adds a little something to the taste. The crispy pancetta is like the “pepperoni, or Canadian bacon” on a regular pizza. It adds the meat factor.

Now, if the idea of this pizza doesn’t appeal to you and you are thinking you don’t like the ingredients, change them! Make this recipe your own! Go with a Mexican theme and use Monterrey jack and cheddar cheese, cilantro, and maybe some avocado. You could really change this recipe a number of ways. Just be creative!

Caprese Pizza with Crispy Pancetta

Recipe Courtesy of Betty Crocker

::1 Tbsp yellow Cornmeal	::3 Medium tomatoes cut into 1/4inch slices
::1 1/2 Cups Original Bisquick mix	::8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4 slices or shredded mozzarella
::1 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning	::2 oz diced or sliced pancetta or sliced bacon, crisply cooked
::1/3 cup Hot Water	::1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
::1 TBSP Olive Oil	::3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
::1/3 cup refrigerated basil Pesto

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 12 inch round pizza pan with cooking spray; sprinkle with cornmeal.

In medium bowl, stir Bisquick mix, Italian seasoning, hot water, and oil until soft dough forms. Place on surface lightly sprinkled with additional Bisquick mix; knead until smooth. Press dough in pizza pan and bake 10 minutes.

Spread Pesto over warm crust. Arrange tomatoes and mozzarella in circle on top of pesto, overlapping tomato and cheese slices. Bake 15-20 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with pancetta and basil. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

Makes 8 servings

Meal deal

We aren’t doing an official breakdown of this recipe this week, but this is very inexpensive to make!

This about the ingredients. Most are pantry staples. I know I always have a big box of Bisquick on hand. If you are lucky enough to have a garden, or have Basil growing in a planter, you know that it grows like a weed. You are probably wondering what to do with all of that Basil. Homemade pesto is a wonderful solution! If you need a recipe check out this one for Pesto.

To save money you could also use shredded mozzarella instead of fresh, and bacon instead of pancetta. This is such a wonderful go to recipe to keep on hand. It is a fabulous twist on a classic food!

General Mills paid for my entire trip to the Betty Crocker kitchens, but the experience, and opinions are 100% my own!

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Tagged as: basil, mozzarella cheese, pizza, recipes, tomato, Weekly Meal Deal

{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }

Jennifer S September 14, 2010 at 6:27 pm: I made this for diner tonight and it was good. I’ll skip the pancetta next time. I think it is over rated and will stick with the less expensive bacon.

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