Did You Say Pizza for Breakfast?

Today is National Pizza Day. Now if you’ve been around a while (once again, thank you) then you know I’m no big fan of the traditional pizza.

As a kid pizza was something that came in a box from Chef Boyardee. No offense to the chef, but that was bad. It tasted like tin and preservatives. In high school I discovered the pizza found under the red roof of Pizza Hut. Wow – it was like magic to a teenager on a Friday night.

Fast-forward a bit, to my time as an social activist. Well, sort of. We promoted a political addenda that leaned to the left, but I was really all about the money. Citizens Action League was a grass-roots canvassing organization. We got people to do two things – sign the petition of the hour, and join our “movement” by becoming a member. There were dues and different levels of commitment. The higher your membership fees, the more committed you were and the more the organization got you involved in rallies, letter and phone campaigns. Here’s the catch – the person standing at your door (back then it would have been me) pocketed half the money collected. I could easily make three or four hundred dollars a night, working no more than four hours. Not bad. We moved from neighborhood to neighborhood, always meeting up at a pizza joint before hitting the streets. I ate so much pizza that summer, I swore I’d never eat it again.

That is right up until I discovered pizza need not be a red sauce with pepperoni. Give me a garlic infused crust slathered in a white sauce with chicken and red onions any day. Scatter some Feta over the top, even better. Yeah, that only happens when we go out for individual pizza orders. Hubby is a traditionalist with the red sauce, Italian Sausage and sliced Mushrooms. Kiddo is the Everything Piled High kind of guy. And I’m more the uppity gourmet consumer.

As you can imagine, when I came across a recipe for Scrambled Egg and Diced Ham Breakfast Pizza, I knew I had to give it a try. The original recipe had you buy a package mix for the Hollandaise Sauce. Blender Hollandaise Sauce is oh so easy, and oh so much better. Smooth and silky the way a good Mother Sauce should be.

Hubby thought this breakfast pizza was alright, but it wasn’t his favorite morning recipe. Kiddo and I loved it. Maybe you will, too. Oh, and next time I’m thinking Salsa, Chorizo and Eggs. Yeah!

Eggs Benedict Breakfast Pizza
2 (8 oz) cans refrigerated crescent Roll Dough
12 large Eggs, divided
12 tablespoons Butter, divided
Pinch Cayenne Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Lemon Juice
3 cups finely diced Cooked Ham
1 cup Monterey Jack Cheese

Heat oven to 400-degrees. Spray a pizza pan lightly with cooking spray, set aside.

Unroll crescent dough and place rolls on the pizza pan with points facing the center, overlapping slightly. Press seams together and press up sides of the pan to form a crust.

In a bowl, beat 9 eggs well with a little salt and pepper to taste. Separate 3 remaining eggs, with the yolk in a blender and the whites added to the rest of the eggs.

In a 2 or 4 cup glass measuring cup melt 11 tablespoons butter in the microwave. Begin blending the egg yolks in the blender. Pour hot butter SLOWLY into the blender until an emulsified sauce begins to form. Add a pinch of cayenne pepper and the lemon juice to the Hollandaise Sauce. Blend for about a minute longer. Spread the Hollandaise Sauce over the crust of the pizza, set aside.

Melt remaining tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the beaten eggs, cook to desired consistency, scrambling with a fork as the eggs cook.

Spread scrambled eggs evenly over Hollandaise Sauce, then top with diced ham. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake in the heated oven until bottom of crust is lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven, slice with a pizza cutter just like any pizza. Enjoy!

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Advance, O LORD, to Your resting place,
You and the ark of Your majesty.
May Your priests be clothed with justice;
let Your faithful ones shout merrily for joy.
For the sake of David Your servant,
reject not the plea of Your anointed.