White Pizza with Balsamic Glaze

This pizza is my signature pizza. While my husband's signature topping combo is pepperoni, pineapple, and banana peppers (which is phenomenal, by the way), my go-to is caramelized onions, goat cheese, chicken, red pepper flakes, and balsamic glaze. All of the flavors are pretty strong, but somehow they still complement each other in the best way.

The caramelized onions are the perfect embodiment of sweet-meets-savory. Throw in a little tangy creaminess from the goat cheese (not to mention mozzarella and salty Parmesan), a touch of heat from the red pepper flakes, and top it all off with a drizzle of tart and sweet balsamic glaze (reduction), and you've covered all your bases! I usually add shredded chicken too (a great way to use up a rotisserie chicken!) but I've also skipped it when vegetarian friends are around and the pizza is just as delicious.

This recipe is also VERY easy and weeknight appropriate if you use leftover or rotisserie chicken and store-bought pizza dough (which I did here)! The caramelized onions take about 30 minutes, but it's really just occasional stirring, ain't nothin' too bad. And the balsamic glaze is basically just whisking and you've got yourself a decadent syrup (OMG PUT IT OVER BRUSSELS SPROUTS TOO).

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White Pizza with Balsamic Glaze

by Saucy Jocey's Kitchen August-3-2016

Balsamic glaze, three cheeses, caramelized onions, and shredded chicken come together in a decadent take on white pizza.

Ingredients

• 1 medium yellow, sweet, or Vidalia onion
• 1 chicken breast, cooked
• 12 - 14 inch pizza crust
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp white sugar
• 4 oz goat cheese
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 6 oz shredded mozzarella
• 1 Tbsp grated Parmesan

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat a large pan over medium low heat.2. Slice the onion and shred the chicken breast. There should be about 2 cups of sliced onion.3. Add sliced onions, butter, and 1Tbsp olive oil to the pan and stir every 2 minutes for 10 minutes. 4. Turn the heat in the pan up to medium. Stir onions every 2 minutes for another 20 minutes. If the onions start to char, turn the heat back down to medium low and continue.5. Grease the pizza pan with a little olive oil and add rolled out pizza dough to the pizza pan. Swirl 1 Tbsp. olive oil over pizza dough. Add all ingredients (except balsamic vinegar and sugar) to the dough.6. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 – 18 minutes.7. While the pizza is baking, whisk balsamic vinegar and white sugar in a small pan over medium heat. Whisk the bubbling glaze every minute or two until it thickens and has reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Turn the heat to low and whisk occasionally until the pizza is done. If the glaze tightens to the point where it’s no longer pourable, whisk in a tsp of balsamic vinegar at a time until it loosens a little.8. When the pizza is done, remove it from the oven and let it sit for 2 minutes. Pour balsamic glaze over the top, slice, and enjoy!

Details

Prep time: Cook time: Total time: 1 hour Yield: 3 - 4 servings

Steps 1 - 2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat a large pan over medium low heat. Slice the onion and shred the chicken breast. There should be about 2 cups of sliced onion.

Step 3. Add sliced onions, butter, and 1Tbsp olive oil to the pan and stir every 2 minutes for 10 minutes. Butter for the flavor, olive oil for the higher smoke point. *thumbs*up*

Step 4. Turn the heat in the pan up to medium. Stir onions every 2 minutes for another 20 minutes. If the onions start to char, turn the heat back down to medium low and continue. 

Step 4. continued: After 30 minutes you'll have beautifully soft, caramel colored (and flavored!) onions, all brought out by their natural sweetness!

Step 5. Grease the pizza pan with a little olive oil and add rolled out pizza dough to the pizza pan. Swirl 1 Tbsp. olive oil over pizza dough. 

Step 5. continued and step 6: Add all ingredients (except balsamic vinegar and sugar) to the dough. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 – 18 minutes.

Step 7: While the pizza is baking, whisk balsamic vinegar and white sugar in a small pan over medium heat.

Step 7. continued: Whisk the bubbling glaze every minute or two until it thickens and has reduced by half, about 10 minutes.

Step 7. continued: You can tell it's thickened enough when it doesn't fall back into itself right away as you're whisking, as seen by the streak in the pan here. When there's about half as much liquid as when you started, you're done! Turn the heat to low and whisk occasionally until the pizza is done. If the glaze tightens to the point where it’s no longer pourable, whisk in a tsp of balsamic vinegar at a time until it loosens a little.

Step 8: When the pizza is done, remove it from the oven and let it sit for 2 minutes. Pour balsamic glaze over the top.

Then just slice and enjoy! This pizza is definitely decadent, but there's a balance to it. No ingredient overwhelms the next, you just get a little bit of everything. Sweet, salty, cheesy, tangy, tart, and spicy. All together in perfect harmony!

SJK Approved - Vegetable Lasagna

I am SO excited to share my first SJK Approved post with you all. I'll be featuring recipes, restaurants, kitchen gadgets, and other foodie goodies which I have personally tested and approved and LOVE! Stay tuned and follow along at #SJKApproved for more!

First up is Vegetable Lasagna by The Pioneer Woman. This is one of those recipes I've made over and over again because it's just so darn good. Pasta? Check. Cheese? Check. Hearty veggies cooked in a spicy tomato sauce + a little wine? Check. Done and done. It's not heavy like some lasagnas I've had, and you don't miss the meat at all! Meatless Monday never tasted so good.

My husband puts in requests for this recipe! And while I'm usually cooking for just the two of us, I don't mind making a big batch because this lasagna freezes VERY well. I use a few zucchini in place of the mushrooms because Paul isn't a mushroom fan :( I'm saddened by this, but the veggie lasagna tastes amazing either way.

Can I also gush about how much I love Ree Drummond for a minute? She's so fun to watch on the Food Network because she's so cheerful! I love the personal touches she puts on her recipes, sometimes planning them with specific family members in mind. She's such a great story teller and you can see all of the love she puts into her food on the show! She's lovely and her recipes have never failed me. Two thumbs up for Ree Drummond.

You all NEED this vegetable lasagna in your lives! See the recipe and Ree Drummond's flawless step-by-step pictures here: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/04/vegetable-lasagna/

Alfredo Sauce

Want to know when my boyfriend stole my heart? It was when he made me this Alfredo sauce for our first Valentines day together :P Really though, I was all his long before this Alfredo, but it didn't hurt at all. The way to a man or woman's heart is through his or her stomach, and you can't help but fall in love with whoever puts this plate in front of you. The ingredients for Alfredo sauce crack me up! Butter, heavy cream, and Parmesan cheese. I really don't think it gets any better than that!

Alfredo sauce

Makes 3-4 servings (enough for about half a box of fettuccine)

Total time: 12 minutes

Ingredients

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup Parmesan

A sprinkle of pepper

1. Melt half a stick of butter in a saucepan over medium low heat. Pour in heavy cream and turn heat to  medium. Bring cream and butter to a boil.

2. Add parmesan cheese to cream mixture. Reduce heat to low and whisk for 2-3 minutes until the cheese gets incorporated with the liquid. Add a little sprinkle of pepper and serve over fettuccine. Enjoy!  

*Jaw drops* Look at these heavenly ingredients! Oh, and some pasta with it too. 

Melt half a stick of butter (I know) over medium low heat.

Whisk in the heavy cream, turn the heat to medium, and bring to a boil.

Add the Parmesan cheese and whisk for 2 or 3 minutes, until the cheese is incorporated. It will be very thick and cheesy!

Well talk about rich. This sauce is LUSCIOUS and lovely. And how could it not be with such decadent ingredients?! It's also oh so simple to make. It's practically just prepare some pasta, whisk sauce for a few minutes, and voila!

Italian Sausage, Spinach, and Heirloom Tomato Pizza

I'm VERY excited to share this recipe! I think it's the perfect balance of meat and veggies. I usually go for pepperoni and some veggies for pizza toppings, but I had a hankering for spinach pizza. And Italian sausage! And I was given MORE organic produce (I know, lucky lucky lucky) and tried heirloom tomatoes for the first time and they rocked my world! They taste like a flavor-concentrated version of regular tomatoes. Not only are they brighter in color, but I thought they tasted brighter in flavor too. I know they are expensive, but for certain dishes like this where tomatoes are one of the stars, I will definitely shell out a little extra cash for the heirlooms in the future. There is no sauce on this pizza! The diced heirloom tomatoes are the first layer of the pizza so you get a little burst of tomato with each chunk. And it's absolutely delightful! 

Italian Sausage, Spinach, and Heirloom Tomato Pizza

Makes 1 large pizza (4 servings)

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

Pizza dough for large pizza

1 2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2 Italian sausage links

3 heirloom tomatoes

10 oz frozen spinach (1 box), thawed

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Remove sausage from casing and cook over medium heat, breaking into small pieces. Cook until no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes. Place cooked sausage on a plate lined with paper towels to drain the excess grease.

2. Remove stems from tomatoes and dice. Wrap thawed spinach in 3-4 paper towels and squeeze as much liquid out as possible.

3. Roll out pizza dough. Top with the heirloom tomatoes. Sprinkle with garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle 2/3 cup mozzarella cheese over the tomatoes. Top with spinach, Italian sausage, and remaining cheese, all evenly spread in layers.

4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Enjoy!

I thoroughly enjoy sausage on pizza! Remove the Italian sausage from the casing and cook over medium heat, breaking up into pieces. Cook until not longer pink. This picture shows it's close to done.

Place the cooked sausage on a plate lined with paper towels to drain some grease.

Look at these beauties! I loved the colors of the heirlooms. I even had a few that were kind of magenta and purple looking! Remove the stems and dice the heirloom tomatoes.

Wrap the thawed spinach in paper towels and squeeze as much of the liquid out as possible!

Roll out the pizza dough and top with the heirloom tomatoes. Sprinkle the garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste. These chunks will be little tomato flavor explosions when you eat the pizza!

Add 2/3 cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese.

Layer on the spinach, sausage, and the remaining cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.

You get just enough of each ingredient in every bite. The fruity heirlooms act as your sauce and give you little bursts of tomato flavor each bite, there is enough spinach to make it still feel like a spinach pizza, and the Italian sausage is the perfect meaty addition. And of course all of this is layered in mozzarella. Mmm!!! Some of my best work. YOU WILL LOVE THIS PIZZA I promise.

Ricotta & Roasted Garlic Bread

I could honestly eat ricotta cheese straight out of the container. I happened to have some in my refrigerator, I was making spaghetti and meatballs and wanted some cheesy bread, and voila! This lovely combination of ricotta and roasted garlic came to me. Don't get me wrong, I love raw garlic as much as the next Greek girl, but I thought I would go with roasted garlic for this cheesy bread to give it a milder flavor considering this is a side dish. It's not overwhelming but this is definitely garlic bread. Try making this in place of bread sticks for a little something different!

Ricotta & Roasted Garlic Bread

Makes 10 servings (2 pieces each)

Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

1 loaf French bread

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 head of garlic

1 Tbsp parsley

1 Tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Peel back the first few layers of the garlic skin. Cut the head of garlic in half. Cut the tops off of the top cloves of garlic.

2. Drizzle olive oil on top of the cloves. Wrap in tin foil and bake at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes.

3. Squeeze garlic cloves out of the skin. Smash the garlic cloves with a fork to break them up. Mix garlic cloves, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.

4. Cut the French bread loaf in half lengthwise. Spread cheese and garlic mixture evenly over the two slices. Broil in the oven for 2 or 3 minutes just to toast the bread, watching carefully. Slice into individual servings and enjoy!

Mmmm I LOVE garlic. Peel back the first few layers of the skin and chop the head in half. Cut the tops off of the cloves.

Drizzle olive oil on top of the cloves, wrap in tin foil, and get ready for your kitchen to smell AMAZING as it bakes in the oven for 30 minutes.

The cloves become milder and kind of sweet after they bake. They squeeze out of the skin very easily. Give them a few mashes with a fork and mix them with the cheeses, parsley, salt, and pepper. Make sure to taste test the mixture here and add salt and pepper as needed.

Slice the bread loaf in half and spread the mixture evenly on both pieces. Broil for 2 or 3 minutes and KEEP CHECKING to make sure you just toast the bread and don't burn it. I've definitely done it before! I practically glue my hand to the oven door and check it every 5 seconds just to be sure!

This was a delightful side dish to my spaghetti and meatballs and it would go well with any meal you would eat breadsticks with. The ricotta stays creamy but the bread gets crunchy and then there's the warm garlic flavor. Oh man it's good!

Italian Beef Sandwiches

I remember the first time I smelled this glorious dish being cooked in the slow cooker... It was love at first whiff. This is my boyfriend's mom's recipe for Italian Beef Sandwiches and the first time I tried it I HAD TO HAVE THE RECIPE! I make it on a regular basis now and it really doesn't get much easier and tastier than this, folks. Throw everything in the slow cooker, let it cook and get super tender for 8 hours, melt some cheese on a sandwich roll, and stuff your face. That's what happens when this sandwich is on the plate in front of you - pure happiness and face-stuffing. And your house will smell FANTASTIC and did I mention it was easy? Ugh. Yum (*does happy-food-dance).

Thank you Mrs. E for sharing the recipe with me!!! :) 

Italian Beef Sandwiches

Makes 6 sandwiches

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Inactive Time: 8 hours

Total Time: 8 hours and 10 minutes

Ingredients

2 lb bottom round roast or chuck roast

1 onion

6 Italian rolls

6 slices provolone cheese

12 fl oz (1 jar) hot banana pepper rings

0.7 oz Italian salad dressing mix (dry packet)

Enough water to cover the roast in the slow cooker

1. Slice onion. Add roast, onion, banana pepper rings (including the juice from the jar), and salad dressing mix to the slow cooker. Add enough water to just cover the roast. Cook on high for 8 hours. (This can be done with a larger roast as well, up to 3-5 lbs. Add more onions and water to the slow cooker for a larger roast)

2. Shred beef with two forks and discard any fatty pieces. Slice rolls in half and put provolone cheese slice on one side. Broil to melt the cheese, about 2 minutes.

3. Use a slotted spoon to scoop Italian beef, onions, and banana peppers onto the rolls with cheese. Drizzle juice from the slow cooker over the beef or serve with a side of the juice for dipping. Enjoy!

Want to know how easy this recipe is? This is the hardest step - slicing an onion.

Put the roast, sliced onion, banana peppers with the juice, salad dressing mix, and enough water to cover the roast in the slow cooker and cook on high for 8 hours. Yay for setting it and forgetting it!

Oh my. Just look at how beautiful it is after 8 hours!

It is so tender that it falls apart when you take two forks to it. Shred it into small enough pieces for a sandwich.

Use a slotted spoon to scoop out the meat and onions and peppers but you'll also want to either ladle some of the juice onto your sandwich or get an extra little bowl of juice for dipping! 

Brown the sandwich bun and melt the cheese in the broiler for a few minutes, assemble the sandwich, stuff face. Mmmm warm, tender meat with very VERY little work. And whatever you do, don't let the delicious juice go to waste! Either drizzle some directly on the sandwich or have a little dipping bowl like above.