The Tangy Ingredient That Doubles As A Crunchy Pizza Topping

It might be worth taking a trip to a salad bar before making homemade pizza for more reasons than you might think. Apart from the time you'll save washing and chopping fresh ingredients for a side salad, you can also round up some pizza toppings like marinated mushrooms, cooked bacon, and most importantly, chopped pickles. While pickles have long been considered a tangy and convenient standalone snack, nowadays, they're being added to a wider variety of foods such as waffles, ice cream, and more savory foods like pulled pork and pizza.

Chilled pickles add a briny burst of flavor and extra texture to any pizza and serve as the perfect complement to every last ounce of rich and savory melted cheese. These crunchy snacks easily enhance the smooth consistency of classic tomato sauce and balance the heaviness of cooked meats like zesty pepperoni and sausage. Yet, to make crisp pickles the star of your next pizza, swap out your tomato sauce for a creamier sauce composed of sour cream, mayonnaise, pickle juice, and select herbs. Then all you need is a jar of thinly-sliced dill pickle coins, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, and your favorite pizza dough recipe.

Ready to give your next pizza the perfect amount of crunch? Instead of using chopped pickles as a last-minute topping, make an epic pie by incorporating two full layers of sliced pickle coins. To avoid accidentally adding too much moisture to your finished product, gently pat your pickle slices dry before you get started. Next, roll out your dough and cover it with the ranch-based sour cream sauce. Add a layer of pickle coins, followed by a solid amount of shredded mozzarella cheese and a sprinkling of parmesan. To finish, top your pizza with one more layer of pickle slices. Then all you need to do is bake this layered delight in a hot oven until nice and bubbly.

While you can certainly serve this unique delight as is, feel free to add extra ingredients for a more filling pizza. For example, top your pie with fully-cooked popcorn chicken or crumbled bacon. For a more nuanced upgrade, add some freshly chopped herbs like parsley or dill. In the future, instead of using a ranch-inspired pizza sauce, get creative and try more pizza sauces that shamelessly break flavor traditions. Use a garlic-infused béchamel sauce made of milk, butter, garlic, and flour or try Thousand Island dressing for a sweeter bite.