Mama Mary’s Pizza Crusts used to hold a national contest using their crusts to fill with an original recipe from the public. In the 1997 contest the grand prize winner was one of my cooking contest friends, Gloria Bradley from Illinois. She named her entry “Sizzlin’ Spicy Scampi Pizza.” It has been a family favorite ever since.
Late last night I was looking through my recipe box and came across my old printed out version that is all folded up and splattered with some of the ingredients. I wanted to post it today since it is “National Shrimp Scampi Day,” but it was too late to make and photograph, but it’s so good I wanted to post the recipe.
The pizza is definitely spicy, with flavorful Boursin cheese spread on the crust and topped with garlicky, lemony shrimp, and tomatoes, leeks, two kinds of cheese, and lots of crushed red pepper flakes for the heat. It’s so good and deserved the grand prize. It’s also easy to make so why not try it for dinner tonight and celebrate National Shrimp Scampi Day!
- 12-inch Mama Mary's Gourmet Pizza Crust
- 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 10 ounces uncooked medium-large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1-1/2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 large plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- ¼ cup chopped leeks or green onions
- 2 Tablespoons snipped fresh chives, divided use
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- ⅓ cup Boursin cheese (I use a 4.5 ounce container)
- ¾ cup shredded mozzarella
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (if you don't like very spicy use ½ to 1 teaspoon)
- Heat oven to 450 degrees. Heat 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add shrimp and sauté for 1 minute. Add lemon juice and cook until shrimp are pink and cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a medium bowl mix tomatoes, leeks or green onion, and 1 Tablespoon of the chives. Stir in remaining Tablespoon of oil. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Spread the Boursin cheese evenly over the pizza crust. Spoon tomato mixture over cheese. Top with cooked shrimp. Sprinkle evenly with mozzarella, Parmesan, and pepper flakes.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cheeses are melted. Scatter remaining chives on top.
I was a contestant at that event. My son William was my plus 1. We had such a great time and very much enjoyed hanging out with Gloria
and her husband.
Lisa, I didn’t know you competed in that contest! What was your recipe? Where was it held? It sounds like such a wonderful memory, especially to have Will with you. I wish they still held the contest.
IF you end up making it, please share one a photo of your beautiful plating! Did you participate in that contest too, Debbie?
Denise, I will make it sometime and then go back to the post and add the photo. No, I did not enter that particular contest. It’s too bad Mama Mary’s does not hold the contest anymore!
I’ll bet it’s a beautiful pizza! I’ll have to look for the Mama Mary’s brand.
Denise, if you can’t find that brand other 12-inch packaged crusts will probably be fine.
I forgot how I found your blog –oh I was reminiscing about the cooking magazines. What a fantastic blog! If you are on reddit and are not a member of r/old_recipes you should most definitely subscribe. People from all over sharing, well, old cookbooks and recipes. It is one of the nice, drama-free spaces online.
Iris, thank you for that information. I’ll go check it out! Thank you so much for writing.