Pizza With Caramelized Leeks Pear And Blue Cheese Recipes

PIZZA WITH CARAMELIZED LEEKS, PEAR AND BLUE CHEESE

Steps:

• Trim off and discard the root ends and the dark green portion of the leeks.
• Cut them in half lengthwise and discard the toughest outer layers.
• Rinse thoroughly between the layers to remove any grit.
• Pat the leeks dry and slice them crosswise into thin shreds.
• Preheat the broiler.
• Melt the butter in a heavy saute pan and add the leeks, rosemary, and salt.
• Saute, stirring occasionally, until tender and nicely browned, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the sherry and stir until the liquid dissolves.
• Slice the pear in half lengthwise and cut out the core section.
• Slice each half thinly and gently toss the slices with the lemon juice.
• Transfer the leeks to the pizza crust and spread them out evenly, leaving about a 1-inch border all around the outside free of topping.
• Arrange the sliced pears in a single layer on top of the leeks.
• Evenly distribute the blue cheese over the pears.
• Sprinkle on the paprika.
• Bake the pizza 4 inches from the broiler until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
• Cut into wedges and serve.

PEAR AND BLEU CHEESE PIZZA WITH HONEY DRIZZLE

Steps:

• Defrost the pizza dough and follow instructions on package for making a 12" pizza crust. Make sure ball is thoroughly defrosted and has had time to rest (about 1/2 hour in a bowl) as it will make the dough more elastic and easier to form into a pizza crust.
• Dust with flour and roll out dough into a circle. Put on a pizza pan and brush whole crust with a layer of olive oil.
• Sprinkle dough with garlic salt and Parmesan cheese.
• In a preheated oven (400°F) put the pizza crust into the oven and let bake for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt butter and about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a non-stick skillet on medium heat.
• Slice pear into thin slices. Gently sauté pear slices and walnuts for about 3-5 minutes until the pears begin to caramelize.
• Take crust out of the oven after baking for 5 minutes and sprinkles with mozzarella.
• Arrange pears and walnuts all over the top of the pizza and crumble the entire wedge of blue cheese on top of the pear and walnut mixture.
• Bake for an additional 8-10 minutes or until the cheese melts and the crust is browned.
• Lightly drizzle honey over the whole pizza and serve.
• Garnish with a sprinkle of finely chopped flat leaf parsley (optional).
• ***Added flavor: Fry some bacon until crispy and crumble real bacon bits over the top! My family loves the addition of the bacon.