The ingredients in these pies may be outrageous, but they work surprisingly well.

These days, it seems that no matter where you are there is a new pizza shop opening up on every corner, serving up pies hot and fast. Yet with pizza being as readily available as it is, it's a cause for celebration when you find a restaurant that is doing something extraordinary with its pies. One sure fire way for pizza chefs to distinguish their creations is to delight customers' taste buds with out-of-the-box topping combinations.

The pies included in this roundup have toppings that either lend a cultural fusion of flavors (crab rangoon or palak paneer) or add a unique sense of whimsy to the pizza-eating experience (corndog or cashew and cream cheese).

It has certainly been said that close to anything can be put on a pizza (anything edible that is; obviously car tires and sheet metal have no business topping a pizza), but some ingredients are simply more bizarre than others. The combinations listed are as outrageous as we could find, but if you know of a zany pie worth noting, please let us know!

Corndog

This delectable fusion of two favorite American dishes is available at the annual Minnesota State Fair. Festival attendees can head over to the food tent to taste this pizza topped with deep-fried corndogs.

Cashews and Cream Cheese

The "A Nutty Idea" pizza at Roma Restaurant in Greeley, Colo. is topped with cashews, cream cheese, pepperoni, mozzarella, and tomatoes. Nutty indeed.

Crab Rangoon

Fong’s Pizza in Des Moines, Iowa is known for topping pizzas with classic Chinese-American dishes. One of their most popular varieties is the crab rangoon pizza, which includes a cream cheese sauce, chunks of crab, and a sprinkling of chopped green onions and wonton chips.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Americans tend to do some pretty outlandish things with food in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day — such as adding green food coloring to beer and bagels and stuffing egg rolls with corned beef and cabbage. At Colony Grill in Stamford, Conn., they layer their famous pizza with this classic Irish dish in honor of the holiday.

Macaroni and Cheese

At the national chain, Cici’s Pizza Buffet, outrageous toppings are the name of the game. One of their most unusual (but certainly delicious) creations is the famous macaroni and cheese pizza (no tomato sauce).

Mashed Potato

Located in the American pizza hotspot, New Haven, Conn., Bar Pizza serves up pies with a wide variety of unique toppings. One of the most unusual is a twist on the classic Neapolitan potato and sausage pizza, swapping out the thin slices of potato for mashed.

Thanksgiving Leftovers

People are always looking for inspirational ways to use their Thanksgiving leftovers. The chef at La Bottega Italian Restaurant located in Manhattan's Maritime Hotel, Bart Retolatto, created a pizza that combines the best of the rest of the holiday meal. The pie is stuffed with turkey, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, and gravy.

Source:shine.yahoo.com