Clams Casino Grilled Pizza

Inspired by a classic coastal appetizer, this tasty Clams Casino Grilled Pizza will quickly become your new go-to for backyard cookouts...

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of SeaPak. All opinions & text expressed below are 100% my own.

Let me introduce you all to new summertime obsession- grilled pizzas! Homemade pizza is usually on our meal plan rotation at least once or twice a month, but I usually pop them in the oven to bake. But with the temps (& humidity) rising more and more each day as we inch closer and closer to the official start of summer, I decided to try something new with our usual pizza night a couple of weeks ago. I left the oven off and cranked on the gas grill instead. I have to confess that I was totally nervous about grilling my first pizza. I was scared that I would burn it or that the dough would fall through the grill grates, or that I would scorch the outside of the pizza crust while the inside remained all doughy. But nope! It was crazy easy and just as quick if not quicker than traditional oven pizza baking. :)

This particular grilled pizza was inspired by a classic coastal appetizer that is said to have originated in 1917 at a casino (thus the name) in Rhode Island. Traditional Clams Casino consists of clams on the half shell that are topped with bread crumbs, butter, and bacon and then are baked or broiled. For this Clams Casino Grilled Pizza, I kept all of the traditional elements of the original recipe but threw it all on a pizza crust and added a homemade white pizza sauce and fresh bell peppers. Since the SeaPak Clam Strips come already breaded, there was no need to throw bread crumbs on top. I just love ingredients that can serve dual purposes in a recipe! :)

18 Out of the Box Grilling Recipes

From pizza to fondue to desserts, these 18 Out of the Box Grilling Recipes will have you rethinking those usual burgers & hot dogs...

With back to school peeking its head around the corner (my son goes back in less than 3 weeks!), we are all over here clinging on to these summer days as long as we can. Honestly, it just feels weird even uttering the words "back to school" near the end of July. But it is coming, folks. And it seems to come earlier just about every school year. Am I right on this one?

But that doesn't mean that I am ready to give up summer yet! I'm not going to pack away the beach balls and sunscreen and trade them in for back packs and school books just yet. 

Let's keep summer rolling just as long as we can with some lazy pool days, starlit evenings making s'mores around a fire pit, and backyard BBQ's. By now you may be tired of the usual burgers, hot dogs, and barbecued chicken, so let's flip the grilling script for these last few weeks of summer break with these 18 Out of the Box Grilling Recipes... ;)