buffalo cheddar pumpkin pizza
Who knew that pumpkin and buffalo could shake hands so cordially?
Well, now you do.
It’s a lovely day out, windy and clear, and I’m vibing in a coffee shop nearby with Little Miss Ba and a soy cappuccino, writing this here recipe to kick off your week of FMG goodies. I had a very eventful weekend that landed me in a zone of sleep deprivation, so I determined that today will largely be of a self-care nature. Which is why I’m treating myself to a sip out of my normal territory.
And I baked cinnamon rolls today, which you’ll see when I see fit. Tehe.
Saturdays are for pizza and rest, a motto I live by recently and why you see so many pizza recipes cropping up in this space. I saw a few pumpkin-themed pies floating around and decided to create my own because it sounded simple, fun, and refreshing from the typical tomato or pesto fixtures I often turn to.
Just warning you, I think I have three pumpkin recipes lined up for the week. Call me repetitive. Call me what you want otherwise. Don’t really care. Pumpkin is my muse currently, and I’m gonna fly with that gourd until I drop it and it smashes against the earth in a pitiful explosion of guts and goo.
Buffalo Cheddar Pumpkin Pizza. Every bit as unique, but not outlandishly so, as the name implies. A simple no-heat spicy sauce, jammy caramelized onions, lots of cheddar and blue cheese, and a crispy crust describe our humble pie best. A unique dish to add to your gameday spread, or enjoy on a casual weekend with a margarita. I, as a matter of fact, had two margaritas while I enjoyed my slices.
Because weekends have no rules, and neither should weeknights, really.
These Onions Are My Jam
Utilizing once again my quick caramelized onion technique. I know (and will continue to tell me that I know until the cows come home and leave again the following morning) that “low and slow” is the best for perfectly golden onions. But one does not simply always have time for “low and slow,” so we’re going quick and dirty here. And it’s still fucken good.
Melt down some butter, then toss in your thinly sliced yellow onions and some salt and pepper. Stir around a few times for a bit. Next, pour in some apple cider, letting the liquid reduce in between each pour. You’ll do this thrice for a total of 3/4 cup of cider. The onions by now should be well browned and juicy. If you wish, you can continue to let them cook for awhile for an even jammier result.
Buffal-oh My Gourd
While the onions cook, I do two things:
One…Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Starting early ensures a nice, scalding hot fucken oven that’ll crisp your crust and melt your cheese perfectly.
Two…Mix up the buffalo sauce. Like I said somewhere up there, no heating required here. Simply stir together some pumpkin puree (for the love of FUCK do not use pumpkin pie filling. Shit, that’d be nasty), buffalo sauce, honey, and lots of spices. The spices create a hot honey-esque profile to the sauce that’s delightfully complex.
Oh, and I guess three…Shred some cheese. Cheddar, to be exact. Unless you cheated and bought a bag pre-shredded, which is chill.
Bill Pie, the Pizza Guy
I usually make my own pizza dough nowadays, but I don’t shit on buying one premade. Whatever works for your time constraints.
Split your pound of flesh…erm, dough…in half, so you can make two nicely sized pies. Working with one at a time, plop onto a cornmeal-sprinkled baking sheet. Push, shove, pull, roll the dough into a circle.
Brush with a little olive oil, prick all over with a fork to prevent dough tumors, and parbake for a few minutes. This stabilizes the crust so it better holds up against the more moist toppings.
Then, assemble as follows: buffalo pumpkin sauce, caramelized onions, cheddar, and blue cheese. Bake for just a touch longer to melt that cheddar and get the crust a good, deep golden hue.
Repeat all that with your second crust. Alternatively, you can make one giant pizza with the whole pound of dough and ignore the halving of the ingredients when you assemble.
I like a little hint of fresh herbs atop, usually basil or oregano. You can also make some ranch dressing to drizzle overtop your slices, if you wish. I didn’t in this particular instance because I’m fucking lazy, but under normal circumstances not surrounding a weekend long run and a couple cocktails, I probably would’ve.
If ya’ll’ve got some pizza suggestions for me to experiment with, please let me know. I don’t think pizza Saturday is disappearing any time soon around my house, and so long as it exists, I’ll be flinging pies onto your computer screen. You’re welcome.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Recent pizzas to enjoy. Cos enjoy them you will:
Roasted Butternut Squash Harvest Pizza
Herby Mushroom Swiss French Bread Pizza
Sweet and Savory Cheddar, Apple, and Caramelized Onion Pizza
Fig, Brie, and Caramelized Shallot Pizza
buffalo cheddar pumpkin pizza
Ingredients
- 1 lb pizza dough, homemade or store bought
- 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3/4 cup apple cider
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup buffalo sauce
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/3 cup blue cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Sprinkle a bit of cornmeal onto a large baking sheet.
- In a skillet, melt the butter on medium heat. Stir in the onions and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. 1/4 cup at a time, pour in the apple cider and simmer for 5 minutes until the liquid largely boils off. Repeat until all of the cider is used. By then, the onions should be golden and very soft.
- In a bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, buffalo sauce, honey, smoked paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Divide the dough in half. Working with one ball, spread, push, and pat into a roughly 10 inch circle on the baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and prick all over with a fork. Parbake for 5 minutes, until lightly golden.
- Spread half of the pumpkin-buffalo sauce on the parbaked crust, then half of the onions. Top with half of the cheddar cheese and blue cheese. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the cheese melts and the crust deeply golden. Repeat with the second pizza crust. Slice and serve hot, with fresh herbs as desired.
