When I was a little girl, my dad would make little kitchen experiments. One of those experiments that I have always remembered was his bacon pizzas. I remember the first time he made them for us. He invited me into the kitchen to watch him cook. He took slices of bread and topped them with slices of cheese and sprinkled chopped leftover bacon on top and popped them into the oven. Within a few minutes, he served up toasty warm cheese and bacon pizzas. They were good, and I often asked him to make them for me when I was little. As I got older, whenever I would see leftover bacon in the fridge, I would make these. Usually, they were made on a slice of bread, but sometimes, they were made on english muffins. It was a fast and easy snack for after school or anytime I was hungry between meals.
Today, I was looking around my kitchen for something to grab for a quick lunch. I noticed that I had some leftover sour dough dinner rolls from the French Dip Sliders. I realized that if I didn’t come up with a way to use them, they rolls would probably sit there until they molded. There were only 4 of them left. I mentally inventoried what I had on hand in the refrigerator. I remembered that there was some bacon and cheese inside. I thought of my dad’s bacon pizzas.
First, I cut the rolls in half horizontally. When I thought about it, I realized that the sour dough rolls were dryer and tougher than either bread or english muffins, so I brushed the cut tops of the rolls with a thin layer of ranch dressing before topping them with chopped bacon pieces, and then cheese.
Once the pizza bites were fully assembled, I popped them into the broiler for 5 minutes until the cheese was melted and lightly browned.
We ate them ala carte. I served them up, and they were devoured in minutes. Of course, the smell of bacon and cheese wafting from under the broiler brought people out of their rooms to ask what was for lunch, so there were more people sharing them than I had originally intended. It was okay. It was an opportunity to tell them about my father, and how he made a variation of them for me one day, long ago. Everyone gave them the thumbs up. You can serve these with a cup of soup or a salad for a more complete meal. I really like them as a side for a creamy tomato soup.
Here’s the recipe. Thanks for visiting Patty Cake’s Pantry.
- 6 sour dough dinner rolls, split horizontally
- 6 tablespoons of ranch dressing
- 12 tablespoons chopped, cooked bacon
- 1½ cups shredded cheese
- Slice sourdough rolls in half horizontally and arrange on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with non stick spray with the cut side facing up
- Top each half roll with ½ tablespoon of ranch dressing
- Place 1 tablespoon chopped, cooked bacon on top of the dressing
- Top bacon and dressing with 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese.
- Place cookie sheet under broiler set to high for 4 - 5 minutes, checking after each minute
- Remove from oven when cheese is melted and begins to brown
- Serve immediately