In case you haven’t figured it out yet…I LOVE PIZZA! I love all different styles and toppings on pizza. Wood fired pizza is definitely a clear front runner these days, but if someone asks, “If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life,” the answer is always pizza. There are so many variations of pizza that it would be crazy to pick anything else. We do all the usual toppings that you will find in every pizza establishment across the country…pepperoni, sausage, peppers, onions. We do use the highest quality versions of these ingredients, like those you would find at higher end pizzerias in your neighborhood. But some of our best pizzas have come from thinking (at least somewhat) outside the box. These are the top 5 ingredients you might not have considered putting on a pizza.
Rosemary
I would say this is the most popular unexpected ingredient in our house. From our daughter who does not like anything, to my dad who doesn’t try anything new, rosemary has been a unanimous success. Most nights there is one pizza dough left that we are not going to make for dinner and we offer to send it home with a guest. More often that not, that guest will ask for a pizza “sauced” with olive oil and topped with mozzarella and rosemary. We grow it on our garden so we have it fresh and available at all times.
Honey
Recently a friend at work mentioned a great pizza she had with honey drizzled over the pie. This triggered a memory that a bartender at Pizzeria Bianco had told us to purchase the McClendon’s Select honey if we saw it when we were shopping at the farmer’s market. I found it that weekend and purchased the Desert Blossom flavor. Now to decide what to top the pizza with before drizzling with honey. Sweet and spicy are always a great combination and I saw an Instagram post from @robertaspizza with a hunger inducing photo of the pizza they call the original “Bee Sting.” I was stung and had to try it. Mr. Fanatic wasn’t sold and thought I might be a bit crazy, until that spicy sweet combination touched his lips. You. Must. Try. This.
Eggs
This was born out of the desire to have a breakfast pizza. I don’t know that Mr. Fanatic has met a food that he does not think would be good or better “if you put an egg on it.” We have made many a breakfast and dinner pie with “an egg on it.” The best eggs are of course from your local farmer as they are so rich and delicious. Load your pizza with other flavorful toppings, put it in the oven to get it started, then crack a couple of eggs on top. If you can, remove a little of the white and put the rest of the white and all of the yolk on your pizza.
Asparagus
Asparagus is a vegetable star in my book. I can eat asparagus in pretty much any preparation… sautéed, grilled, roasted, as a soup. Or my favorite preparation of the moment, as a pizza topping! I like to use the tips primarily and we put them on the pizza raw. You can cut them into small pieces but I like my tips about an inch in length. There is something about that asparagus flavor, but also the crunch that remains even after the pizza has been cooked. I have to say I also really like to put raw onions and bell peppers on pizza for the same reasons, a little sweetness and texture.
Smoked Meat
Smokey meat is great on its own. Smokey meat is great on a sandwich. Why wouldn’t smokey meat taste great on a pizza??? We started with smoked jalapeño sausage from Rudy’s BBQ where we get takeout. That little bit of smoke made the pizza just a little bit different than other typical pizza meats. This led to taking our own pulled pork, prepared by us, and adding it to a pie. This is fun as a topping or even a BBQ pizza similar to the famous BBQ chicken pizzas everyone seems to love.
If nothing else, I hope this post encourages you to try something different on your pizza this week. What leftovers are in your refrigerator? Can you put them on a pizza? We even made an Indian pizza using leftover Chicken Tikka Masala. There is no wrong answer or topping. This also isn’t to say that I don’t love the traditional toppings that we use all the time, but it is fun to surprise your guests with something different, a topping they are unsure of, and knock their socks off with it!
If you want to see more amazing wood fired food, please like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @woodfiredfanatics. Please comment your favorite toppings below so that I can try them on future pizzas! I love new inspiration and eye opening new combinations of flavors.
Angela Barnes wants to educate fellow wood fired fanatics on cooking and technical aspects of wood fired ovens. 
