New Orleans Big Game Pizza Recipe

The Super Bowl playoffs have just started, but chef Mark Bello of www.pizzaschool.com has already been hard at work developing a pizza befitting of this year's host city-New Orleans. When the game gets underway, you will be celebrating in style with these unique pizza!

NEW ORLEANS: BIG GAME PIZZA 
recipe by Mark Bello • www.pizzaschool.com 
Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 10-15 minutes depending on your oven and desired doneness
Preheat: Oven to 500ºF

• 1 risen ball of Samuel Adams Boston Lager Infused Dough (approx. 16 oz.) 
• 5 oz. (about 1/2 cup) your favorite pizza sauce 
• 1 Tablespoon of your favorite Louisiana style hot sauce! 
• About 1/2 cup (2.5 oz.) diced yellow bell pepper 
• About 1/2 cup (2.5 oz.) diced red onion 
• About 1 cup loosely packed (4 oz.) shredded whole milk mozzarella 
• 2 Tablespoons (1/2 oz.) grated cheese (i.e.: example parmesan or Romano cheese) 
• 6 leaves fresh basil sliced into fine strands 
• Extra virgin olive oil plus more for oiling your cookie sheet, pizza pan or screen plus more for drizzling on finished pizza 

Directions
1. Mix pizza sauce and hot sauce. Set aside.
2. Stretch dough to desired diameter (12” thicker, 14” thinner), and lay on a lightly oiled cookie sheet, pizza pan or screen.
3. Swirl on sauce mixture to about 1/2” from the border of crust.
4. In this order: evenly distribute mozzarella, then yellow pepper, then red onion all to about 1/2” from the border of crust.
5. Evenly sprinkle on the grated cheese to the very border of the crust.
6. Bake for 10-15 minutes until your toppings are bubbling and the crust is golden brown.
7. Out of the oven, add basil and a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Let rest a few minutes, and then cut, serve and enjoy.

 NOTE: The concept behind this pizza is based on the classic Italian Margherita pizza: tomato sauce (red) + mozzarella (white) + basil (green) = the colors of the Italian flag
The colors on the New Orleans Big Game pizza: red onion (purple) + basil (green) + yellow pepper (gold) = colors representative of New Orleans and Mardi Gras.