Beer Cheese Bacon Pizza | Cooked On The Pit Barrel Cooker

Elevate your pizza to the next level with some beer cheese pizza sauce as the main star of your next pizza. Throw some great toppings on top and get ready to impress your guests.

This recipe is quite simple and takes just about an hour from start to finish. It is even better when cooked over charcoal on the Pit Barrel Cooker!

Beer Cheese Bacon Pizza

Print

Simple, but yet amazing way to make pizza. Turn it up with some of your own favorite toppings to make it your own.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 tbs Unsalted Butter (divided)
• 1 Onion
• 2 tbs Flour
• 3 Cloves Garlic (minced or grated)
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Paprika
• 1/2 tsp Ground Mustard
• 1 Can of Beer
• 1 1/2 Cup Cheddar Jack Cheese
• 1/2 LB Bacon Pieces
• 1/2 LB Italian Sausage
• 1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• Pizza Dough (store bought will do, or make your own before starting this recipe)

Instructions

1. First you need to make your beer cheese sauce. Start by adding 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet.
2. After the butter has melted add 1 diced onion. Let it cook for about 15 minutes. After your onions are translucent, remove them from the skillet and set aside.
3. Now cook your bacon in the skillet. (Chop up your bacon before cooking). Once your bacon is crispy and brown, set it aside next to your cooked onions.
4. Cook your Italian sausage and set it aside next as well.
5. If your using a Pit Barrel as shown in this video, go ahead and light your charcoal and get it ready now. If using an oven preheat it to 400 degrees. It won't be long until we'll be placing the pizza in the oven!
6. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to your skillet and melt it.
7. Add the 3 cloves of minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute.
8. Add the spices (paprika, ground mustard and salt).
9. Add flour and cook for about 5 minutes stirring frequently.
10. Slowly add beer while continuously stirring. Don't rush it! Be patient.
11. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the heavy whipping cream.
12. Bring to a boil, then cook for 5 minutes.
13. Reduce to simmer and stir until it thickens.
14. Add cheddar jack cheese, then remove from heat. Stir and let it melt and mend together.
15. Spread the beer cheese sauce on your pizza dough.
16. Add the toppings of your choice (bacon, italian sausages, cooked onions).
17. Place in your Pit Barrel Cooker or oven and cook 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.

Choosing The Right Beer

When it comes to making beer cheese, there are only a couple of rules you need to adhere to when it comes to choosing the beer you will be using to make your cheese sauce.

• Use full-flavored beers. Sure, we all like a light beer occasionally, but this isn’t the time to go light. Use a beer that is full-strength. We’re not drinking it, we are cooking it!
• Think of your favorite tasting beer and start there. Get one that represents you, it’ll make your pizza shine. They say you can’t taste the beer, and maybe that is true. I, however, like Indian pale ale, and my pizza flavor seems to represent an IPA.

Elevation – Lighting Your Pit Barrel Cooker Properly

You need to set your bottom vent to the proper elevation for your location. First, determine how far above sea level you are at your location. A simple Google search will help you determine this.

Then sit your vent according to shown below:

• 0-2000 feet the vent needs to be about 1/4 of the way open.
• 2000-5000 feet the vent needs to be about 1/2 of the way open.
• 5000-8000 feet the vent needs to be about 3/4 of the way open.
• Anything above 8000 feet leaves it all the way open.

By setting your vent to the settings above, you will ensure that your PBC is cooking at the proper temperature throughout the entire cooking process without worrying about it getting too hot, or not hot enough.

No Rods For This Cook

While using the Pit Barrel Cooker I usually add the 2 rods that are used for hanging foods into the cooker. This helps keep the temperature a bit lower during the duration of the cook.

While cooking this pizza, however, I decided to not add either rod to give more airflow and to increase the heat so that the pizza would cook at a higher temperature.

You may need to experiment based on your elevation, pizza dough, and toppings by either adding only 1 rod, both rods, or neither to cook at your desired time and crispiness. Just keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn.