Shrimp+Cocktail Sauce+Cheese= Pizza Goodness

Some of you may find this recipe strange, others may think it perfectly normal. When I first attempted to introduce Buppy to it, he was definitely skeptical. But I have other friends from my previous place of employment who have grown up with such a food and love it as much as I.

I was first introduced to this dish at Shooters, a.k.a The Party Capital of the Universe. This is a supper club in Plover, WI with great food, an amazing owner and a good crowd of regulars. I started working there as a bartender while in school at UWSP; this happens to be where I developed my mad-crazy bartending skills and love for the job. The homemade chicken soup (with homemade noodles or dumplings, depending on the day) is out of this world. Really good salad bar. Broasted chicken that kicks butt and will burn your face off if you eat it without allowing it to cool off at all (trust me on this one.) They also have this sandwich that I just can't get enough of. In fact, when I visited WI this summer to see family, I made sure to stop at Shooters to see friends . . . and to eat this sandwich. It's called an Oscar Exotica, but I digress. Today's post, should I ever get back on track, is about Shooters pizza. Specifically: shrimp pizza.

When I first told Buppy I wanted to make this, I couldn't seem to remember what type of sauce Shooters used on theirs. We talked about marinara, but I was sure that wasn't it. Then I suggested alfredo, but neither of us likes jarred alfredo sauce (and my homemade recipe is too thin to act as a pizza sauce and Buppy's is just too darn unhealthy.) Then it hit me --- cocktail sauce silly! (Well, the cocktail sauce didn't actually hit me . . . ) This, my friends, is good stuff.

Please don't be upset and get your panties all in a bundle because I didn't measure anything when I made this. It's simple, so don't stress.
Shrimp Pizza
Inspiration: Shooters, Plover, WI

1 pre-made pizza crust (We used Boboli, although I don't really care for that kind. I haven't made it with an un-baked or homemade crust, but as long as you cook the shrimp first to get the water content down, I'd think it would be ok.)
1/2-1 lb. uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
Fresh garlic, minced
Cocktail sauce
Raw onion
Mozzi cheese

Lightly saute the shrimp and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat until cooked, roughly 2 minutes per side. Please take care not to over cook, as I've already mentioned in a previous post how I feel about over cooked shrimp. Once cooked, remove from pan with a slotted spoon to take as little juice with them as possible; set aside. Chop some raw onion until it's the size you want it, or leave it out if you're not an onion fan. Spread cocktail sauce all over the pizza crust, as much as you'd use if making a regular pizza with marinara. Do get scared now. Top the cocktail sauce with the shrimp (roughly chopped is a good size) and raw onion, then dump on as much cheese as possible. I mean, as much as you'd like. We actually used a combo of mozzi and extra sharp and it turned out well. Toss that puppy into the oven according to your crust directions and wait. Once your crust starts to brown and the cheese is nice and melty, pull it out and dig in. Shooters also used to put on chunks of raw tomato too, but Buppy and I don't care for tomato cooked like that. Still, everyone else seemed to enjoy it. Play with whatever toppings you'd like and enjoy!