This pizza was inspired by a visit to *cough* Pizza Ranch *cough*. Our kindly host took one look at my husband John and declared, “I bet you’re a steak man! How about our new Steak and Onion pizza?”, as my not-a-steak-man-at-all husband looked away with that sweet, awkward gaze of his. “Nope, we’re vegetarians!” I said with gusto, waiting for the look of pity that almost always comes with that statement. “We’ll take the Roasted Garlic pizza instead,” to which the host gave a solid nod and an unspoken fist bump, clearly processing the fact that we didn’t just order the veggie supreme with its cold, raw, flavorless, mismatched vegetables. Blech.
Please, for the love of god, cook and season your vegetables before topping them on pizza. Shock and awe, but vegetables aren’t going to magically develop flavor just from sitting on top of a bunch of cheese. Think about the flavor combinations of the vegetables, pairing items that actually go together instead of throwing on the whole produce aisle. And don’t forget that red sauce isn’t the only sauce in town. Traditional red sauce is good for plain cheese and veggie pepperoni, but it doesn’t always compliment veggies like broccoli, spinach, etc (imagine a broccoli marinara sauce…yuck).
Lo and behold, the Portobello Mushroom and Grilled Onion Pizza w/ Blue Cheese was born. Pizza Ranch’s Steak and Onion pizza looked amazing, so the next night I came up with this. The blue cheese adds to the depth of flavor of the mushroom and grilled onion. It’s a grease-fest, but what good ol’ American style pizza isn’t?
Portobello Mushroom and Grilled Onion Pizza w/ Blue Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 packages Jiffy brand pizza crust (or make your own if you’re motivated)
- 2 large Portobello mushroom caps, large dice
- 1 large sweet onion, sliced thick
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 C Blue cheese salad dressing (I like Marzetti’s)
- 4 oz blue cheese, crumbled
- 4 oz mozzarella, shredded
- 4 oz provolone, shredded
- 1 T sliced scallions for garnish
Directions
- Preheat oven to 475.
- Mix pizza crust according to package directions.
- While crust is rising, add 1 T canola oil to fry pan. Saute onion on medium-low until slightly browned and soft, about 11 minutes.
- Add 1 T canola oil and mushroom to onions. Increase heat to medium and saute until mushrooms are tender and release their juices.
- Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.
- Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Take mixture off heat and set aside.
- Roll out pizza dough and transfer to greased half sheet pan. Press dough into sides to create crust.
- Prick dough throughout with fork. Parbake for 3 minutes in preheated oven.
- Remove pizza from oven. Spread blue cheese dressing on the bottom of the pizza.
- Top with cheeses.
- Evenly spread out mushroom and onion mixture. Add scallions for garnish.
- Bake for 9-10 minutes until cheese is slightly browned.
The Portly Vegetarian 