One of my favorite memories with my inlaws is eating pizza while crowded around a couch in the basement. There were soda cans all over the table and napkins on the floor.
John is the oldest of six siblings. We joke about chasing a storm every time we meet with his family. It’s hard to tell where it is going and how long it’ll stay. Everyone seems to be trying to get in their way at every turn. They’re thankfully not destructive tornadoes, but more of the “come make things a bit messy and love you” kind. The kind I like.
Pizza is something that John’s family excels at. On one of my children’s birthdays, I had a great time. The birthday boy was allowed to choose what he wanted for lunch, and he chose pizza.
We all made our pans in true Shultz fashion since it was unlikely that nine hungry stomachs would agree on a single flavor. I’m fine with that. I like to pile on the vegetables, but not too much cheese. John loves pepperoni. A lot of it. Abby likes the more adventurous type, such as BBQ chicken. The other half seems to love cheese.
We all rushed into the kitchen and barely missed each other, with flour on the counters. Each of us pulverized their piece of dough. The sauce and spoons made red dots all over, and the cheese and toppings scattered everywhere looked like edible confetti.
After 20 minutes, our (very personalized) pizzas were on plates with knives and forks, cutting fresh slices as fast as they could before the cheese loosened its elastic.
Andy Griffith was playing, and his eyes were glued to it when he wasn’t slurping up steamy pepperoni and vegetables and crust. In the midst of chaos, I couldn’t help but feel grateful that I was part of this small group, this family.
Many people are unhappy with their inlaws. They may have a valid point, but for me, I’m lucky. I’m a fan of any family who serves personal pan pizzas with soda on Sunday afternoons.
I usually make a standard veggie pizza, but after purchasing goat cheese and flatbreads for another recipe, I couldn’t resist experimenting.
Flatbreads that are crispy and thin, covered with tangy goat’s cheese and sweet caramelized onions. This pizza is already delicious, but a drizzle of balsamic vinegar makes it even better. Let’s not even begin to talk about the fresh basil that we can add.
Ingredients
- Use a 10-inch flatbread or small pizza crust. (I used the Flat Out brand whole wheat – use gluten-free if you are GF)
- One medium white onion (cut in thin rings).
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil or butter for sautéing
- 3 ounces goat cheese
- One splash milk
- Fresh basil or arugula is a good choice for topping.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. (204 C). Position a rack at the center of the oven. Place the pizza stone into the oven while it is heating up.
- Stir frequently while sautéing onions in olive or butter oil on medium heat. Salt and pepper to taste. If they start to look dry, cover them to retain moisture. Add a splash of water if the potatoes are getting too brown. Once cooked, set aside.
- After the oven has been preheated, brush the flatbread with oil. Place it on a pizza stone or baking sheet. “Pre-bake” for 5 minutes to make it crisp.
- Pour the goat cheese into a bowl, and then add some milk or water to make it spreadable. Whisk until smooth.
- Use less onions and save the rest if you like. Remove flatbreads from the oven. Spread with goat cheese.
- Bake for another 10 minutes or until the edges are crisp and the goat cheese and onions have heated through.
- Slice and serve. I chose a Balsamic Reduction with fresh basil.
