turkey, caramelized onion and apple pizza

Just when you thought you had a whole weekend of nursing your turkey hangover I come and give you a reason to not settle with your cold turkey sandwiches or your mashed potato pancakes — seriously Meg, what are you trying to do here? Well, first I should applaud you if you were planning on gobbling up all those leftovers that seems to stick around in the fridge for weeks, because if there is one known fact about Thanksgiving it’s that there is always too much food — two types of stuffing, three kinds of bread, a smorgasbord of meats — cold-cuts, ham and of course the big bird — and the mashed, gratined, casseroled, scalloped varieties of potatoes — which leaves you with approximately 28.3 days to finish those turkey legs before the next big party — Christmas. Geesh!

If you are not eating leftovers, then you are probably like me — the one who notices the gelatinous film on the day old turkey or the watery wave of condensation that washes over your food once the plastic wrap is peeled off (yes, I can be very dramatic observant). But after stealing the entire food section out of my in-laws Sunday paper I read about a pizza that required leftover turkey and a single apple from the bushels I bought for an apple pie take two and I could from that point think of nothing else.

What are your favorite ways to eat Thanksgiving leftovers?

Turkey, Caramelized Onion and Apple Pizza
Adapted from The Washington Post

Makes 1 medium pizza, about 8 slices (In our case, serves 2; in normal cases, serves 4)

Dough:
6 tablespoons warm water (may need a few tablespoons more)
3 tablespoons white wine
3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon honey
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Pizza:
1 cup shredded cooked turkey
1 large Vidalia onion, finely sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 medium Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and cut into thin slices
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella

Dough: Whisk together the wine, water and yeast in a medium bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer) until the yeast has dissolved. Add honey, salt, oil and stir. Add flour and work with your fingers (or you can use the dough hook attachment on medium speed) until it forms a ball. If dough is dry and not coming together, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until it starts to come together. The dough should not be wet or sticky.

Sprinkle flour on a clean, flat surface and knead the dough for 1 – 2 minutes.

Wipe out the bowl the dough was mixed in, and coat with olive oil. Place dough in bowl and turn the dough several times in the bowl, making sure every side of the ball is covered in oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise for 1 – 2 hours, or until it is doubled in size.

While dough is rising, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat until the oil shimmers. Add sliced onion, balsamic vinegar, thyme and salt to hot pan. Cover with lid and slowly let the onions caramelized, stirring every few minutes to prevent sticking and/or burning. Once caramelized remove from heat.

When dough has doubled in size, turn the bowl over on a flat, clean surface sprinkled with flour. Gently deflate dough with the palm of your hand. Form it into a ball and cover with plastic wrap or an upended bowl. Let it rest for 15 – 20 minutes.

Adjust oven rack to the lowest position. Preheat oven to the highest temperature it will allow — usually between 500 and 550 degrees as well as your pizza stone, if using.

Roll dough out into a large circle that will fit onto your pizza stone or baking sheet. Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the dough then top with apples, turkey and onions. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes, but start checking half way through. Once pizza is done, remove, slice and serve.