Autumn Butternut Squash, Goat Cheese & Bacon Pizza (AKA: The Pizza Real Italians Will Probably Side-Eye)

I’m at it again, my friends. There is nothing — and I mean nothing — about this that resembles a traditional pizza. Should I call it an Autumn Flatbread? Probably. Will I? Absolutely not. This is pizza in my book. And my book is delicious, indulgent, borderline chaotic and completely non-traditional, so I’m sticking with it.

Honestly, it’s almost not even a recipe — more of a “dump things on hot bread and pray” situation — but here we are, and I’m going to share with you exactly how to put this gourdiful baby together.

HOW TO MAKE THIS BEAUTY

First things first: the crust.
You need a sturdy base for this fall mountain of joy. I made a beer pizza crust and kept it nice and thick so it could hold up to all the toppings. Beer = flavor + vibes.

Next up: the squash.
Roast cubed butternut squash with olive oil, chili powder, cinnamon, salt, and a drizzle of honey. Sweet-spicy fall glory in a pan.

While that roasts: bacon.
Fry up some slices until crispy. Try not to eat all of it while you wait… which is harder than it sounds.

When the squash is done, let it cool a bit while you stick a pizza steel or stone into the oven and crank that thing to 500°F. No messing around.

ASSEMBLY

Press your dough out and rub the surface with olive oil. Then layer on:

• roasted butternut squash

• one Honeycrisp apple, chopped

• a handful (or two — I’m not here to judge) of shredded cheddar

• the crispy bacon

• dollops of creamy goat cheese all over the top

Slide that fall fiesta into the oven and bake 12–15 minutes.

Then? Cut it. Devour it. Pretend you’re only having “one slice.” Realize who you are and eat another.

AM I GETTING YELLED AT IN ITALIAN FOR THIS?

Potentially. Is that stopping me? Absolutely not. This is basically the best of fall in savory form and I may or may not have made (and eaten) it twice in one week. Don’t tell.

If you try it, report back — the Non-Traditional Pizza Society is small but powerful, and we have to stick together.

Autumn Butternut Squash, Goat Cheese & Bacon Pizza

Ingredients

• 1 thick pizza crust (beer dough if you’re living right)

• 2 cups butternut squash, cubed

• 1 tbsp olive oil (plus more for brushing)

• ½ tsp chili powder

• ¼ tsp cinnamon

• 1–2 tsp honey

• 4–6 slices bacon, cooked & chopped

• 1 Honeycrisp apple, chopped

• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar

• 4–6 oz goat cheese, dolloped

• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven 400°F.

2. Toss squash with oil, chili powder, cinnamon, honey & salt. Roast at 400°F for ~20 minutes.

3. Cook bacon while squash roasts; chop both when done.

4. Remove squash and cool slightly, add pizza stone or steel to oven and increase the oven temp to 500°F.

5. Press dough, brush with olive oil.

6. Top with squash, apple, cheddar, bacon & goat cheese.

7. Bake 12–15 minutes until golden.

8. Slice & eat immediately like the hungry fall gremlin you are.

Let me know if you join me in this seasonal pizza rebellion. I love finding out I’m not the only one who treats pizza like a blank autumn canvas. 🍂🍕