Cream Cheese Capers Pt. 2, Buffalo Burger Pizza

Jul

2010

Energized by the fun and the flavors of my first Real Women of Philadelphia Cream Cheese Recipe Contest Entry, the Peach and Strawberry Parfait, I quickly got down to business on my second entry and this time I went for the entree category. My second Cream Cheese Caper dish is a Three Cheese Buffalo Burger Pizza. This pizza seemed like a winner because of it's easy preparation, creative twist on old familiar favorites (buffalo bleu cheese burger and pizza), and a fat punch to the face of flavor in addition to its witty, tongue-in-cheek dish name for possessing both a traditional buffalo wing sauce and buffalo or bison meat. However, the cold hard truth of the world is 'seemed' like a winner, doesn't make it so. Paula and the RWOP crew passed over this pizza, but might I suggest you possibly giving it another look on a busy weekday night.

Using pre-baked crusts or pre-made pizza dough to make signature pizzas at home is an essential dinner go-to during the week for me. True, the mastery skill of cultivating your own special version of pizza dough will not be achieved but the ability to use the food items already in your home in very creative ways stimulates the mind, the belly, and the bottom line. Check out some of Tha Pizza Cutta's (my alter ego and alias that I made up myself, so it's not a huge cool factor contributor) greatest pizza hits: BBQ Buffalo Chicken Pizza, Creamed Onions Pesto Pizza, and Mini-Mexican Pizzas.

Not only did I put my all in this recipe pouring over every last step of my script, er um, I mean my recipe until it was perfect. I thought my next recipe video needed an entrance. So there. Don't say I didn't warn you. Now, for the Three Cheese Buffalo Burger Recipe and accompanying video.

Recipe, Serving Size-1 large pizza, 2-3 people.

1 Large Pre-baked pizza crust, try to get around 12"
1 lb buffalo or bison meat or lean ground beef
2 cups fresh baby spinach
3 oz. 1/3 Less Fat Philadelphia Cream Cheese
3/4 blue cheese crumbles
3/4 finely shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1 tbl Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp coarse black pepper
6 tbl hot sauce
4 tbl melted butter
1/4 wedge of a medium lemon
2 tbl olive oil

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Put 2 tbl of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
Season the bison or beef with the Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly with your hands.
Add the seasoned meat to the hot pan and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Turn the heat down slightly to medium and add the chopped red onion.
Cook for 4-6 minutes more.
Remove from the heat and using a slotted spoon, take the meat from the pan to a plate with a paper towel on top to allow the oils to drain.
Roughly chop the fresh baby spinach.
Take out the pizza crust and smear the 3 oz of 1/3 Less Fat Philadelphia Cream Cheese all over the crust evenly.
Cover the cream cheese with all of the chopped spinach followed by the cooked buffalo or beef burger, then the blue cheese crumbles, and finally the finely shredded cheddar cheese.
Be sure to sprinkle the cheddar cheese all the way to the edges of the crust binding all of the ingredients to the crust.
Place the pizza directly on the top rack in the 375 degree oven.
Be sure the bottom over rack is covered in tinfoil protecting the bottom of the oven from pizza debris.
Bake the pizza for 30 minutes.
While the pizza is baking, prepare the homemade tangy buffalo wing sauce.
Melt 4 tbl. butter in a small bowl. Add 6 tbl. hot sauce to the melted butter.
Juice the lemon wedge into the bowl and whisk the sauce together.
Transfer to a gravy boat or a salad dressing or condiment bottle.
Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer it to a board covered in parchment paper and let cool 5-10 minutes.
Slice up the pizza, drizzle some buffalo sauce, and commence enjoying!