kale, bacon and caramelized onion pizza

I've never bought kale before.

Gasp.

I feel so slow on the uptake. Kale seems to be the darling green, making appearances in juices, soups, as chips, everything. It's downright cool. Kale is cool. Or kool? ...Nope, that doesn't work.

Forgive me if I'm behind on my trends (flashback to me in grade school), but I finally got some kale on my hands (from my wonderful farmers market haul) and was determined to do it proper.

So naturally I put it on pizza. It just felt right. 

This pizza was scrumptious. So scrumptious in fact, that when my husband asked me how I prepared the kale I didn't answer him for a good two or three bites. It was that particular kind of scrumptious where we made satisfied grunts or sound effects after almost every bite.

The sweetness of the onions acts as a perfect balance for saltiness of the bacon and the earthiness of the kale. 

And goat cheese is always a win. 

Kale, Bacon and Caramelized Onion Pizza

 Unbaked pizza dough of your choice (I made the same flatbread crust I used in this recipe. So good.)

4 pieces of bacon

1/2 medium-large sweet onion, sliced into approx. 2-inch slices

1 clove garlic, minced

3-4 cups of loose kale, torn or cut into bite-size pieces (approx 6-8 stems)

1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan or other similar cheese (I used parrano dutch cheese)

3 oz. fresh chevre

2 T. Olive oil

2 tsp. Honey

1 T. brown sugar

Salt and Pepper

Smoked paprika, optional

Crust:

Prepare crust and roll or stretch it out onto a greased sheet pan or pizza pan. Preheat oven to 400.

Toppings:

Fry bacon in a large skillet. Remove and drain on paper towels.  In the same skillet, add the onion, garlic, and brown sugar to the bacon grease over medium-high heat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté, tossing occasionally, until caramelized and golden, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the bacon. Add the kale to the caramelized onion mixture and give it a few tosses to coat it. Add the bacon and continue to toss the mixture until the kale turns a beautiful bright green and is just slightly wilted, about 1 minute.

Mix together olive oil and honey in small dish and brush onto crust. Add kale/onion/bacon mixture to crust and spread evenly. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and a little smoked paprika (if using). Sprinkle with parmesan or whatever cheese you chose. Crumble chevre on top, distributing evenly.

Bake at 400 for about 15 minutes or until the crust is golden and the kale has started to brown on the edges and the cheese is melty.

 

Kale success!