Harvest Pizza

I'm obsessed with butternut squash! Its so delicious and comforting and when you add it to a pizza you cannot go wrong.  My husband feels a little bit different about butternut squash.  Maybe its because I cook with it so often in the fall and winter. I don't know.  So last week my husband walked in from work and saw butternut squash out on the counter he rolled his eyes and asked, "What kind of butternut BS are you making me eat tonight?"

30-40 minutes later he was onto his FOURTH helping!! I did not want to say "I told you so" so I gave him the best "I told you so" look and he admitted that this pizza was "freakin' awesome!"

Yay Me!!

INGREDIENTS:

· 1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 2 cups)

· 1/2 medium red onion, chopped

· 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

· Pinch of salt and pepper

· 1 pizza dough (I used Pillsbury)

· 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Colby-Monterey jack cheese

· 2/3 cup (4 ounces) goat cheese, crumbled

· 1/2 medium apple, thinly sliced

· 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

· Sprinkling of grated parmesan cheese and/or crushed red pepper flakes, optional

COOKING DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 400°F

Toss butternut squash, onion, 1 tablespoon oil, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Then spread it on a baking sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until squash is tender, stirring once. Remove from oven.

Increase heat to 425°F (or whatever the instructions on your pizza dough read)  Roll out pizza dough onto a backing sheet and brush crust with remaining oil.

Spread butternut squash mixture to within 1 inch of the edge. Top with cheeses, apple slices and bacon.

Transfer to the oven and bake for 14-16 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbling.

Remove pizza from oven; place on a cutting board and let it cool slightly before cutting.

Serve with parmesan cheese and pepper flakes if desired.

Try making this with your family on the weekend.  Kids love to help make dinner when its pizza!

Enjoy!