Believe It: Peanut Butter Enhances Pepperoni Pizza
You've just discovered it here first! Pizza toppings spark endless debatesfrom pineapple and ham to lobster with corn or ranch dressing with cheddar cheese. Though some combos sound odd, they often deliver the most surprising delights. Enter Gabriela Rodiles' Peanut Butter and Pepperoni Pizzaa sweet, salty, spicy masterpiece that could become your summer go-to (and beyond).
Inspired by her favorite eatery, Gabriela starts with a properly oiled cast iron skillet and 1 pound of store-bought pizza dough at room temperature. "You want it soft enough so it stretches easily; if it's too cold, it snaps back," she explains in her Recipe Iseasy Kitchen session. Press the dough into the skillet to about 1 inch thick along the edgesthis prevents shrinking and ensures crispy, caramelized crusts.
Now for the twist: "Trust me on this one," Gab jokes, spreading a generous layer of classic peanut butter evenly over the dough. Top with 1 cup store-bought marinara sauce, a thick blanket of shredded mozzarella, plenty of pepperoni slices, and finely diced green jalapeos.
Bake at 20 minutes while prepping her house salada fresh contrast to the pizza's bold flavors. Using her salad bowl's base (a trick from Recipe Iseasy's Giada De Laurentiis), Gab whisks a vinaigrette: 1 garlic clove, splashes of red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add crisp chopped lettuce, sliced cherry tomatoes, pepperoncini, and thinly sliced red onion. Toss and customize endlessly: "Perfect for tweaking with whatever's in your kitchen," she says.
Out of the oven? Drizzle with spicy hot honey (or make your own: infuse honey with red chili flakes for 30 minutes). "The sweet heat balances my nutty, syrupy, spicy creation perfectly," Gab raves. Take that first biteyou'll be hooked and ready to fire up your oven!
