Name: Guinness Caramelized Onion & Mushroom Pizzettes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Yield: 8 pizzettes
Ingredients: 1/2 lb. pizza dough, homemade or store bought; 2 t. butter; 1 yellow onion, sliced thinly; 2 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced; 1/2 t. granulated sugar; 1 t. kosher salt; 1/4 t. black pepper; 3/4 cup Guinness beer; 1 t. fresh thyme, chopped; 1 cup Irish cheddar cheese, shredded; 1 t. extra virgin olive oil; Good quality aged balsamic vinegar for drizzling

St. Patricks’s Day and beer go hand in hand together. While I myself am not a beer drinker I do enjoy using it for cooking and baking, which is exactly what I did when I made these Guinness Caramelized Onion & Mushroom Pizzettes. The beer really adds depth of flavor to savory dishes similar to the way wine does.

You may be asking yourself what is a pizzette? A pizzette is actually just a cute Italian word for a small pizza. I first learned about them when I was watching one of Giada’s cooking shows. I thought they were so cute and bite sized, perfect for serving at a party!

Let’s just say you are having a St. Patrick’s Day party, these Guiness Caramelized Onion & Mushroom Pizzettes would be just the thing to serve at it. To make the pizzettes I started by thinly slicing an onion and two cups of cremini mushrooms. I sautéed the onion in a little butter and sugar (this helps with the caramelization) until it softened and started to caramelize, this took about 10 minutes. I then added in the mushrooms, salt, and pepper. I continued to cook them for another 10 minutes over medium low heat. Once they were soft and golden brown I added in the Guinness as well as a teaspoon of fresh thyme. I cooked them for about another 5 minutes until most of the Guinness had been absorbed and the mixture had thickened.

While the onion and mushrooms were cooking I rolled out my pizza dough and used a 2 inch round cookie cutter to cut the dough. I placed the circles on a baking sheet lined with a silpat and then brushed the tops of them with a little extra virgin olive oil. I topped each pizza dough round with a heaping tablespoon of the onions and mushrooms and then sprinkled shredded Irish white cheddar on top (it’s for St. Patrick’s Day after all).

Irish cheddar tastes similar to American cheddar in that it can be mild or sharp in flavor. I went with a slightly sharper version. I baked the Guinness Caramelized Onion & Mushroom Pizzettes in a 450 degree oven for about 10 minutes. As soon as they came out I drizzled the tops with a thick aged balsamic vinegar. This added the perfect amount of sweetness and acidity to cut through the sharpness of the cheddar and onions. These pizzettes were full of flavor and so easy to make! They will make a great addition to your St. Patrick’s Day spread, not to mention you can enjoy the rest of the Guinness you didn’t use while making them!

Yields 8 pizzettes

Guinness Caramelized Onion & Mushroom Pizzettes

Mini pizzas topped with Guinness caramelized onions and mushrooms make the perfect appetizer for your next party!

10 minPrep Time

35 minCook Time

45 minTotal Time

Save Recipe

Print Recipe

My Recipes My Lists My Calendar

Ingredients

1/2 lb. pizza dough, homemade or store bought
2 t. butter
1 yellow onion, sliced thinly
2 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 t. granulated sugar
1 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. black pepper
3/4 cup Guinness beer
1 t. fresh thyme, chopped
1 cup Irish cheddar cheese, shredded
1 t. extra virgin olive oil
Good quality aged balsamic vinegar for drizzling

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.
In a large saute pan over medium low heat melt two teaspoons of butter.
Add the sliced yellow onion to the pan with 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and saute the onions for 10 minutes.
Add the sliced mushrooms to the onions along with the salt and pepper, saute for another 5-10 minutes.
While the onions and mushrooms are caramelizing, roll out the pizza dough to about 1/4 inch thick and use a 2 inch round cookie cutter to cut 8 circles.
Place the dough rounds onto the lined baking sheet.
Once the onions and mushrooms have caramelized add in the beer and thyme.
Continue to cook the mixture over medium low heat until the beer is absorbed and the mixture has thickened.
Brush a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil over the tops of all 8 of the pizzettes.
Spoon about a tablespoon or so of the onion and mushroom mixture on the pizzettes.
Top the onion and mushroom mixture with some of the Irish cheddar cheese.
Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven and bake at 450 degrees for approximately 10 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.
Remove the pizzettes from the oven and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.
Serve warm or at room temperature.