Try This on Tuesday!

I found this recipe in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine a while back for "Sweet Bacon and Pear Pizza."




Wait, I better tell you now about my recipe obsession. I hunt recipes. Some people hunt wildlife, or hunt for a bargain. I scour magazines, newspapers, other people's recipe boxes, and the Internet for recipes. Not just ordinary recipes, but the non-conventional recipes, ones that use more than ground beef and noodles. Don't get me wrong, I can whip up a mean casserole with those two ingredients and a few spices. I just prefer the ones that make me husband raise an eyebrow as he takes a cautionary first bite. And so it is with the bacon and pear pizza. Not too outlandish for our kitchen, but unique just the same. It can be made for an appetizer or eaten as a meal. Plus, pears are one of the ingredients.

My recipe book, which I'll post about later, is a smattering of once-prepared dishes, desserts, and drinks. I usually can't bring myself to make the same thing twice, as I have so many recipes we've yet to try, but this one, I've prepared three times. It's that good. If you are looking for an app to bring to book club or a light dinner to wow your family, put down the ground beef and give it a try.

Here is the recipe for you cautious clickers:

Ingredients:
-nonstick cooking spray
-5 slices bacon
-1/4 cup brown sugar
-1/4 tsp. chili powder
-1 pear, cored and sliced
-1 tsp. lemon juice
-1/2 an 8-oz. tub cream cheese
-1/4 cup chopped green onions
-1 12 in thin pizza crust
-1/3 cup chopped pecans
-1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
-1/4 cup fresh basil and honey (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Line bottom of rimmed baking pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. Arrange bacon slices on pan; set aside. In small bowl stir together brown sugar and chili powder. Generously sprinkle brown sugar mixture on bacon slices. Bake for 15 minutes or until browned; remove and set aside. Increase oven temperature to 450 F.
2. In small bowl toss together pear slices and lemon juice; set aside. In medium bowl stir together cream cheese, onions, and black pepper to taste. Place pizza crust on clean baking sheet Spread cream cheese mixture on crust. Chop bacon and evenly sprinkle on cheese mixture. Arrange pear slices on bacon. Top with pecans and feta cheese.
3. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until cheese begins to brown. Sprinkle with basil and pass honey for drizzling. (We skipped this step.... it looked so good we couldn't be bothered to garnish)

-Original recipe by Lynda Cameron-Bayer