I love blogger’s choice swaps. It means I get to spend hours (yes, hours) perusing another blog. The only downside is that it’s nearly impossible to just choose one dish to make. This time was no different. The blog I was assigned was Cookaholic Wife. Again, I ended up with over a dozen dishes I wanted to make. I generally lean towards desserts, but the jalapeno popper pizza caught my eye.

Jalapenos. All over a pizza. With a jalapeno ranch dressing. And bacon.

Yes, please!

I’ve been craving pizza ever since I made the BBQ Chicken Pizza and this one definitely hit the spot. If you can’t really handle the heat from the peppers, feel free to cut back on the amount you put on. I may or may not have put extra slices on mine because I love spicy foods 🙂

Jalapeno Popper Pizza
adapted from Closet Cooking via Cookaholic Wife

for the pizza dough:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 – .25 ounce package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup warm water (~110°F)

for the jalapeno ranch dressing:
1 jalapeno, seeds and membrane removed
1 green onion, ends trimmed
1 clove of garlic
1/2 lime, juiced
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup light mayo
1 tablespoon cilantro
salt and pepper, to taste
2 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, softened

for the pizza toppings:
2 jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 slices bacon, cooked and roughly chopped

1. To make the dough: Fit stand mixer with dough hook. Combine dry ingredients in mixing bowl. Pour in oil and water. Mix on low speed until dough pulls away from side of bowl and gathers around hook and is smooth and elastic. Place dough in a large lightly greased bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Set aside and let rise for 30 – 40 minutes.
2. To make the dressing: combine all ingredients except for the cream cheese using a hand blender, food processor, or blender. Mix until smooth. Mix in cream cheese until well combined.
3. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place pizza stone in oven and let it heat for at least 30 minutes.
4. Stretch prepared pizza dough into a circle 12″ in diameter. Fold edges over to create a crust.
5. Spread jalapeno ranch dressing over dough and sprinkle cheese on top. Top with jalapeno slices and bacon.
6. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes or until cheese has melted and crust is lightly browned. Serve immediately.

Thanks to Taste of Home Cooking for organizing! Make sure to check out the other recipe swap posts!