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Ingredients
  

  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 Tbsp olive oil divided
  • 1 medium cooking onion cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
  • 4 thick slices bacon
  • 1 yellow or red pepper cored, seeded, pith removed and thinly sliced
  • 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar for peppers
  • 10 kalamata olives pitted and torn in two
  • 1/4 lb cremini mushrooms cleaned and thickly sliced
  • 1 medium tomato chopped
  • 1 cup steamed chopped kale
  • 2 or 3 small cooked potatoes cut into 1/4-inch slices
  • 4 Tbsp pesto
  • 2 cups grated Parmesan
  • 2 cups grated cheddar or mozzarella

Instructions
 

  • Combine half the garlic and half the olive oil in a small bowl and set aside.
  • Caramelize the onions: heat one tablespoon oil in a medium-sized frying pan over medium heat. Add onions, stir and cook until onions begin to brown. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook onions slowly, stirring occasionally, until soft and uniformly brown, about 40 minutes. If the onions start to stick and burn, add a splash of water or white wine. Add 1 tablespoon of garlic near the end. Once cooked, transfer onions to a small bowl.
  • While onions are cooking, prepare the bacon, mushrooms and peppers. Place the bacon in a cold cast-iron frying pan and turn the heat to medium. Cook until crisp but still juicy. Remove from the pan and slice into bite-sized pieces when cool. Transfer to a small bowl
  • Add mushrooms to the same pan. Cook over medium heat until just beginning to brown, adding more oil as necessary. Toss with a teaspoon of garlic and a pinch of salt, remove from the pan and transfer to a small bowl.
  • Add peppers to the same pan. Cook over medium heat, adding oil as necessary, until softened and beginning to brown. Turn heat to high and add balsamic vinegar, all at once, and toss to coat. Remove from heat immediately and toss with a teaspoon of garlic. Transfer to a small bowl.

Notes

Assembly
  1. Gather all your bowls of ingredients, the oil-garlic mixture, the pesto and the cheese. Brush each pizza crust with the oil-garlic mixture. Spread two crusts with 2 tablespoons each of pesto. Scatter caramelized onions over all four pizzas.
  2. Mix and match the remaining ingredients to your liking—try bacon, chopped tomato and cheddar; mushrooms, peppers, olives and Parmesan; mushrooms, bacon and potatoes; or kale, potatoes and a mix of Parmesan and cheddar. Make sure each pizza has a good covering of cheese—use it all!
  3. Bake pizzas at 400 F for 18 to 20 minutes, until tops are bubbling and just beginning to brown. Cut each pizza into 4 or 6 slices and serve immediately.
Makes 4 thin-crusted pizzas, serving 4 to 6 people.