My Top Picks

Caramelized Onion, Bacon and Spinach Pizza

Source: Cooking Light

Can use pizza dough, Boboli crust or Flat Breads for crust.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb pizza dough (homemade or store bought), Boboli crust or 4 Flat Breads
  • 6-8 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped
  • 3 Tbls. olive oil, divided
  • 8 oz. baby spinach
  • 1 large red onion (2-1/2 cups), sliced 1/4-inch thick slices
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 t. white sugar
  • 1 Tbls. good balsamic vinegar (at least 18 year old)
  • 8 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 2 oz. parmesan cheese, finely shredded

Garlic White Sauce

  • 2 Tbls. butter
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 2 Tbls. unbleached all-purpose white flour
  • 3/4 c. milk

Instructions

Sauce: In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. While whisking, slowly pour milk into flour mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste and bring mixture just to a boil stirring constantly then remove from heat. Sauce can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until needed.

Onions: Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large non-stick skillet and set over medium heat. Add onions, season lightly with salt and sauté 10 minutes. Add sugar and cook until they begin to caramelize, about 5 - 10 minutes longer, adding a few tablespoons of water as needed to prevent them from drying and burning. Stir in balsamic vinegar and cook 1 minute longer, set aside. Caramelized onions can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until needed.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add spinach and sauté just until wilted. Transfer to several layers of paper towels and squeeze some of the excess liquid from spinach, set aside.

Pizza Dough: Shape pizza dough into a 12-inch round over a lightly floured surface, leaving a larger rim around edge of dough for crust. Brush top with remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and let rest 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Spread with sauce and toppings (see below). Using a pizza peel, transfer pizza to preheated pizza stone and bake in preheated oven 8 - 12 minutes until cheese is melted and crust is golden.

Boboli Crust or Flat Bread: If using a Boboli crust, place on a pizza pan. If using flat breads, place on baking sheets. Preheat oven (see below for temperature setting)

Spread crust choice evenly with white sauce over pizza, leaving crust uncoated.

Top with half of the mozzarella and half of the parmesan, then add spinach, bacon and onions.

Top with remaining half of the mozzarella and parmesan and bake accordingly.

Flat Bread Bake time: 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees
Boboli Crust Bake Time: 8-10 minutes at 450 degrees