Caramelized Onion, Pear and Goat Cheese Pizza

I wouldn’t ask this question except to a group of foodies, but have you ever developed a strange fixation with a specific food?

Onion Jam

My strange food fetish is onion jam.  I started buying it years ago, thinking I would make roasted vegetables in a sweet-savory glaze–doesn’t that sound good?  Well, in the end, the sugar caused the vegetables to over-caramelize (burn), and the idea got scrapped.  But I kept buying the jam.   Yup.

With one spoiled jar in the fridge and two unopened in the cupboard, onion jam was a perfect candidate for my Kitchen Cupboard Spring Cleaning Challenge.  I did an internet search to get ideas on what to do with onion jam and that is how today’s Caramelized Onion, Pear and Goat Cheese Pizza was born.  I even had the pears!

Pears

The pizza was a great success in our household–except for my  youngest who took just one piece, then ate it entirely with a wrinkled up nose.  Daughter #2 actually asked if I could make a second pizza, and declared that if I kept cooking foods like this, it would be hard for her to go away for college.  I told her that I’d be sure to make some bad things too.

Pizza, Served

If you don’t have onion jam in your pantry (doesn’t everyone impulsively stock onion jam?),  you can sauté a couple of sliced onions in butter with a little balsamic vinegar until golden, and season with salt & pepper for a simple home version.  Of course, if you should happen to have onion jam in your pantry or a sudden desire to start acquiring it, it makes the recipe super easy.

Caramelized Onion, Pear and Goat Cheese Pizza

Caramelized Onion, Pear and Goat Cheese Pizza

Makes 2 thin crust pizzas  that will fit on cookie sheets

Ingredients

• 1 lb pizza dough (prepared or make your own), divided in two
• 1/2 c onion jam  or 2/3 c homemade caramelized onions (1/4 – 1/3 c per pizza)
• 2 pears (1 per pizza)
• 7-8 oz goat cheese (I used a 3.5 oz crotin on each pizza)
• Olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar

Directions

1.  Roll out dough thinly into two pizzas, pricking each crust with fork (to prevent bubbles from forming).  Place crusts on parchment for easy transfer to oven.

2.  Top each pizza with about 1/4 – 1/3 c of onion jam or caramelized onions.  Slice pears thinly and spread evenly over pizzas.

Spread with onion jam, and add sliced pears

3. Top with pinches of goat cheese, then sprinkle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Sprinkle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar

4.  Bake in preheated 425 oven  for about 10-12 minutes or until pear edges are starting to bubble and crust is golden.

Done!

Tip:  Don’t have a pizza paddle to transfer a homemade pizza to the oven?   If you make your pizza on parchment, you can use a cookie sheet to slide it on to a preheated stone (or preheated cookie sheet).

Kitchen Cupboard Spring Cleaning Challenge Tally So Far…

1. Vegetable (Hearts of Palm) Dip
2. Super Simple Sugared Nuts
3. Blueberry Lemon Sugar Muffins
4. Rustic Rye Bread
5. Beef Liver

• ← Give Homemade Bread a Second Chance–Easy Rustic Rye
• Sun Dried Tomato and Spinach Quiche →