Ham, Apple, & Brie Pizza with Caramelised Onions & Balsamic

I think we all need a good pick me up today - if you're from the prairies anyway - because we've got a nice big storm coming through just to finish off the winter. So, what better way to do that than pizza? I created this recipe to help everyone solve the decision on what to do with their leftover Easter ham. Of course, you can enjoy this recipe anytime before or after Easter too.

Brie is one of my favourite cheese because it's so mild but so creamy, making it easy to pair with almost anything. The ham and apples go so well with the brie and to add a little flavour, I caramelised the onions with butter, whisky, and thyme and topped the whole thing off with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and arugula (that makes it healthy right??). The oils and juices from everything make for an acidic, buttery, and perfectly sweet combination. Very delicious and worth a try!

Serves: 6

Prep time: 30 min

Cook time: 25 min

Ingredients:

Store-bought or homemade pizza dough (see below for homemade dough instructions)

1 1/2 cup ham, shredded

175 g of Brie cheese (about half a large wheel)

1 apple, cored & sliced

1/2 medium yellow onion

2 tbsp salted butter

1 oz whisky (this can be swapped for maple syrup or honey)

1 1/2 tsp thyme

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tbsp oil (for the pan)

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 handful arugula

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425.

2. Shred the ham, cut the apple, slice the onion, and slice the brie.

3. Bring a small saucepan to medium heat. Add the butter, onions, and when the onions start to get fragrant (about 2 minutes), add the whisky and 1 tsp thyme. Caramelise the onions until the whisky and butter create a thicker sauce and the onions are softened (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat.

4. Oil a sheet pan with 1 tbsp. I do this with my hand so that they're all ready to work the dough into place. Then, place the ball of dough onto the pan and start pushing it out to the edges, creating dents in it with your finger tips as you go to ensure that it stays put.

5. Once the dough is fully spread across the pan, add the onions mixture to it and spread as a base layer. Then, add the apples, ham, and brie. Sprinkle the remaining thyme and red pepper flakes on top.

6. Place in the oven to bake for 20-25 minutes - until the crust is golden. You may have to turn the pan around to ensure it gets cooked equally.

7. Once done, remove from the oven onto a cutting board. Then, drizzle over the balsamic vinegar and add the arugula on top. Cut into preferred slice sizes and serve immediately.

8. Enjoy!

Homemade Pizza Dough:

3 cups flour

1 tsp salt

3/4 tbsp fast-rising dry yeast

3 tbsp oil

warm water (approximately 1 -1/2 cups, maybe more)

Directions:

1. Mix dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the oil and 3/4 cup water to start, then mix together using a large spoon. Add warm water (1/4 cup at a time) until you have a sticky dough - but not too sticky. Cover and let rise for 20 mins in a warm place. Then, spread out onto a greased pan.

Of course, everyone loves pizza and it's pretty easy to make, especially if you buy the pizza dough. If you're a bit intimidated by the pizza dough, I encourage you to try it out! It's very simple, you just slowly add water or flour after the main ingredients to the mixture until you get the texture you want. I used to be scared of trying bread or pizza dough before because of the kneading aspect but I just start and I'm slowly learning. You never know until you try!

Give this a try with your leftover ham and let me know how it goes or send me a picture! I love seeing other people's twists on my recipes.

If you want to see this recipe in action, I'm posting a video of how I make it on Facebook and Instagram so go check it out! Also, if you haven't checked out my Pinterest yet and want to have my recipes a little more accessible, follow me on there and pin the recipes you like!

Thanks for reading, have a great day!