5 Out of this World Pizza Toppings for National Pizza Month

October is National Pizza Month, so we thought there was no better time than now to share some unconventional, mouth-watering pizza topping ideas! The great thing about pizza is that the possibilities are pretty much endless, so why just stick with the same old pepperoni and cheese over and over again? If you purchase some pre-made dough, available in the frozen food section of all grocery stores, it’s so easy to quickly whip up a pizza right at home. So, here are some fun and delicious topping combinations you should try out with your friends this month to satisfy your pizza cravings!

Orange Chicken

If you’re looking for something both refreshing and filling, this topping combination is right up your alley. The pairing of orange and chicken is not new at all; citrus-based glazes and marinades for barbecued chicken and Chinese takeout staple orange chicken are really popular, so why not incorporate these flavours into a pizza? There are many variations of this recipe online, some using fresh oranges that you peel and slice into rounds, while alternatively you can use canned mandarin orange segments. For the chicken, use leftovers from last night’s roast or you can grab a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and shred it up to top your pizza with. For the cheese, the options are endless, but something like a sharp cheddar would be great to balance out the sweetness of the oranges. If you’re already a fan of ham and pineapple pizza, this combination is similar as it also incorporates the sweetness of a fruit with a protein.

Bacon N’ Eggs

If you’re looking for a way to incorporate pizza into your Sunday brunch, look no further. Something that will really impress your guest is bacon and eggs on a pizza! You can have a lot of fun with this one, swapping out the bacon for ham or even sausage if you prefer. If you want to make it a bit healthier you can add some greens like spinach. The key part of this recipe is getting the eggs right. Top the pizza dough with all your desired ingredients, cracking the eggs on top last. After you put your pizza in the oven, keep an eye on it and monitor the doneness of the eggs. If you desire a runny, over-easy type yolk, it should be ready rather quickly. If you prefer a firmer yolk, wait until the eggs appear completely opaque.

Tex Mex

For a National Pizza Month appropriate Taco Tuesday, try out a Tex Mex inspired pizza! We all love the flavours of a taco–juicy meat, salty cheese, fresh tomatoes–and when you think of it, this isn’t too far off from traditional pizza toppings so it’s the perfect food mash up! You can use either ground beef or chicken for this, but make sure to pre-cook your meat of choice with your fave taco seasoning to really make this pizza authentic. After cooking your pizza with the sauce, meat and cheese, sprinkle it with diced tomatoes and shredded lettuce before serving for that taco-freshness. You can also experiment with any of your other favourite taco toppings like peppers, sour cream and diced onions.

Berries, Goat Cheese and Honey

If you’re looking for something a little sweet and classy to serve at your next cocktail party or wine tasting, this is the pizza for you. Combining the flavours of a classic cheese platter–fruit, high-quality cheese and honey–this pizza is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Best to make this one using a thin dough, so you get a crispier, almost cracker-like crust. Also, since this is a sweeter pizza, you of course would be omitting the tomato sauce for this one. You can use any berries that are in season, but the dark purple of blackberries and blueberries is particularly stunning and Insta-worthy against the white goat cheese. After baking and while still warm, drizzle the pizza with some honey for some added sweetness.

Chocolate Peanut Dream

This indulgent and sweet cookie-pizza fusion serves as a great dessert at a pizza party or as a substitute for a cake at a birthday party. There really is no other combination like chocolate and peanut. For this pizza, you’ll be swapping out the pizza dough for cookie dough! Use whichever kind you like–sugar cookie, chocolate chip, or even double chocolate. Roll out your cookie dough into a circle and then bake according to your personal recipe or the package instructions if you’re using store-bought. Now go crazy with the toppings! Add a layer of icing as the “sauce” and then add crushed cookies, peanut M&Ms, chopped peanuts, Reese’s Pieces, mini peanut butter cups, chocolate chips or any other peanut-chocolate cant you like. This would also be great for a Halloween party if you use black, orange and white candies as your toppings