With all the fabulous pre-made pizza crusts on the market, there's no sense NOT making your own. Throw some pepperoni slices and a bag of shredded cheese in your freezer, then put a jar of organic pizza sauce in your cupboard -- so you always have basic ingredients to top a crust. This recipe is for when you're feeling a little more artisan.
Ingredients:
1 pre-made Trader Joe's butternut squash pizza crust
5 oz. crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup roasted tomatoes (make ahead for easy use - recipe is on this site)
1/2 cup red onions
Balsamic vinegar
Butter
Olive oil
Preparation:
Heat oven and prepare crust to be "more crispy" as directed on box. Chop your cilantro and tomatoes. Cut onions into thin strips and caramelize.
To caramelize onions: Melt 1 Tablespoon butter in medium-low heated large pan. Add 2 Tablespoons olive oil and the onions to the pan, and stir to coat. Cook onions for about 30 minutes, checking and stirring every 5-7 minutes until onions get brown (but not burnt). TIP: Why not caramelize 1-2 onions while you're at it? Just double the butter and oil, and then have some on onions on hand to throw on a steak, mix into a salad, or top a burger. or sandwich.
Cook & Serve:
Evenly distribute tomatoes, feta and onions onto crust and bake in still-heated oven until edges of the crust are brown and toppings are hot. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cilantro. Drizzle with balsamic.
A Little Backstory:
God, I love pizza. I grew up on a mega-thin-crust hometown original, so greasy it would soak through the takeout bag covering it like an orange oil slick. And cheap, crappy frozen pizzas! I lived on them through high school, because that's what the families I babysat for always got for dinner. And then pizza delivery at college! We'd eat dinner in the cafeteria and then three hours later order a few meat-lovers or weekly specials -- usually with a fat, bready crust and always just $5 with our college IDs. Listen, I'm 40-something, and I just CAN'T EAT LIKE THAT ANYMORE. Mostly because of the gluten intolerance, but also because my metabolism and body can't handle that shit like it used to. So, moral of the story, friends -- upgrade your pizza. It's not difficult. And you're not a kid anymore.
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