Roasted Red Pepper & Fontina Pizza

I realized it's been a little while since I posted a recipe from one of my favorite blogs, How Sweet It Is. Time to change that! I saw this post, and knew I had to make this ASAP because it looked super good. Not only is it spruced up with some Fontina and Parmesan cheeses, it also has fresh basil, caramelized shallots, bacon and a super tasty balsamic glaze that goes on top.

This was absolutely delicious. Perfect dinner for a Sunday after watching the Hoosiers pull off ANOTHER win!! Hoosh, our dog named in honor of IU's mascot, cheered the team on with us, and it was nice family time. However, she did get confused when we would shout "Hoosh!" or "Hoosiers!" at the TV. Poor thing.

On a final note, I have revised the recipe to show how I will do this next time. My pizza was ready before the balsamic glaze had really set - I set it for the minimal time but wish it had set for longer. So, I would reverse some steps to give you time to really get a nice, thick glaze. As you'll see in my pictures, mine could have thickened (and did!) with more time.

Roasted Red Pepper & Fontina Pizza
Recipe by How Sweet It Is
Serves 2-4 
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Ingredients:
*pizza dough (I planned to make my own but was too lazy so I just used store-bought)
*2 slices thick-cut bacon (I suggest the BEST bacon EVER from TJ's)
*2 shallots, thinly sliced
*2 roasted red peppers, cut into strips
*1 tablespoons olive oil
*2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
*6 ounces freshly grated Fontina cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)
*2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup)
*1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar
*3 basil leaves, roughly cut or torn (my addition)

Preparation:
*Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

*Heat vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Allow to come to a boil, then let simmer and cook for about 15-20 minutes until reduced to about 1/3-1/2 cup. Set aside to cool for at least 10 minutes to thicken.

*Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until crispy and fat is rendered. Remove with a slotted spoon, then add shallots and stir to coat. Cook for about 10 minutes over low heat, or until shallots begin to caramelize. Set aside.

*While shallots are cooking, make sure that red peppers are patted dry (if from a jar). If you’d like to make your own roasted red peppers, see here.

*Once pizza dough is ready to go, roll/press into desired shape and brush the surface with olive oil and top with minced garlic.

*Sprinkle on 1 cup of fontina cheese, then top with shallots, red peppers, and bacon.

*Sprinkle remaining fontina and Parmesan evenly on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or according to your pizza dough package instructions, until crust is golden and cheese is bubbly.

*When pizza is finished baking, drizzle glaze on top and serve.

mine came from a jar and were great

caramelized shallots

the BEST bacon EVER

ready for the oven!

pizza is ready! look how pretty it is!

cheesy

with balsamic glaze...see how it's not quite thick enough?

another

love how it cooks on a pizza stone!

one more shot. mmmm so good.