Are you ready for a taste of fall? This meal will have you reaching for a mug of apple cider and a fuzzy sweater as it bakes and sends the smells of fall wafting through your house!
At each Brood Farm Cheesemaking Workshop, I serve a few creations using the cheese so that folks can taste and see how to use it in their cooking. This was one of the dishes I put together for last night's Fall Cheesemaking Workshop. Attendees requested the recipe, so here it goes!
Photo credit: Lauren W.
FALL HARVEST PIZZA
· 2 Tbs. olive oil
· 4 c. butternut squash, cubed
· 1 Tbs. honey
· 1 tsp. chili powder
· 8 oz. raw goat milk mozzarella, grated (or some other lackluster store-bought substitute ;)
· 2 Tbs. preserves (I used coffee jelly, but that is hard to come by. I’d recommend molasses as a substitute.)
· 1 Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced
· ½ c. Parmesan cheese, grated
· 3 oz. bacon, cooked and crumbled
· Pumpkin seeds, toasted (optional for topping. I forgot to put these on! They’re still in my pantry!)
· ½ tsp. thyme
· ¼ tsp. sage, ground
· 1 tube Pillsbury thin crust pizza dough (or make your own, you over-achiever!)
1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Spread butternut squash out in a single layer on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, honey, chili powder, salt, and pepper; stir to coat. Roast until squash is tender, 20-25 minutes, stirring mid-way through. Remove from oven. Using a potato masher, smoosh up the butternut squash a bit for easier spreading later and set aside to cool a bit.
3. Reduce oven heat to 400°.
4. Referring to the package directions on your chosen pizza dough, prepare your pan (I use a spritz of olive oil and a toss of cornmeal to keep the crust from sticking), roll out dough and place on the prepared pan.
5. Prebake crust for 8 minutes. Remove from oven.
6. Spread/brush preserves on to the crust. Spread butternut squash evenly. Add the apples, mozzarella, Parmesan, and bacon. Sprinkle on thyme and sage. Salt lightly and add several cracks of fresh pepper.
7. Return to oven and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes or until cheese has melted.
8. Remove from oven and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds (or forget, as I did, and it will still be super tasty)
9. Slice and enjoy the taste of FALL!
