Apple Butter, Butternut Squash & Bacon
Homemade apple butter, caramelized onions, roasted butternut squash, Swiss cheese, pecans, bacon
Recipe
Ingredients: 1 ball of dough flour for dusting
semolina flour for pizza stone olive oil salt & pepper 1 white onion, thinly sliced 1-2 teaspoons brown sugar 1-2 tablespoons butter dash of sherry vinegar 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeds scooped out & cut into 1-inch cubes 1 handful pecans ½ cup shredded Swiss cheese 2-4 slices bacon
*For the apple butter: 10 apples, peeled, cored & diced 1 cup packed brown sugar ½ cup honey ¼ cup apple cider 1 tablespoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground cloves pinch of nutmeg
*This will make at least a couple jars of apple butter, which is much more than you’ll need for the pizza. Feel free to adjust the amounts, though I highly recommend making it all and keeping it for later. It’s delicious.
Directions: The apple butter is going to be made in a slow cooker, so you’ll probably want to start that the night before (though you could start that morning if you’re pressed for time).
First, just combine all the ingredients in the slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 10 hours. Then, when the apples are very tender and your house smells incredible, use an immersion blender to blend to your desired consistency—I like it mostly smooth with a few small apple chunks here and there.
Increase the temperature to high and cook, uncovered, for another hour or two, stirring occasionally. The mixture should be fairly thick at this point. Spoon it into jars and keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.
When you’re ready to cook the pizza, preheat your oven to 400° F. Toss your butternut squash with some olive oil, salt & pepper and transfer them to a baking sheet. Roast for about half an hour, until just tender and golden brown. Increase your oven temperature to 550° F.
Meanwhile, heat some butter over medium heat and add your onion slices. Once the pan is hot, reduce the heat to low or medium-low and let the onions simmer.
After about 20-30 minutes, you can add a pinch of salt and a couple pinches of brown sugar, and a dash of sherry vinegar. Let the onions soften and caramelize for a while—I like to let them sit on the heat for at least 45 minutes total, if not longer.
Next, lay your bacon strips out in a pan a couple at a time and turn the stove to medium. They’ll cook best if you don’t preheat the pan ahead of time. Once they’re sizzling and turning brown on one side, turn them over and let them cook for a few minutes on the other side.
When they’re finished, take them out and let them drain and get crispy on a paper towel. Repeat with as many bacon strips as you like, then break them up into 1-2 inch pieces.
Now you can start preparing your dough, using the instructions on the right. Once you’ve baked it for a minute, take it out and brush it lightly with olive oil. Next, spread an even layer of the apple butter, followed by the butternut squash, cheese, onions, pecans & bacon.
Pop your pizza in the oven and bake until the cheese is melty and the crust is a nice golden brown. Then take it out and enjoy!