Cheese steak pizza

I once interviewed a foreign exchange student from Sweden for a newspaper article. When I asked her what she missed the most about home, she answered "Pizza", and went on to say "At home we can get anything we want on our pizza. I can get a salmon pizza if I want. Here, you can only get a few things; pepperoni, sausage, onion, like that." While I was surprised to find out that Sweden was apparently on the cutting edge of pizza-making, it did get me started thinking about whether or not I was in a pizza rut. Since then pizza has been a whole different meal at our house. And yes, smoked salmon pizza is delicious!

Cheese steak pizza isn't a huge detour from the typical pizza road, but it isn't the everyday, either. My family likes it because there is no tomato sauce. This one is VERY cheesy, so I make the pizza crust from the everyday bread recipe posted last, hoping against hope that in a fight between the oatmeal in the pizza dough and the cholesterol in the cheese, the oatmeal wins...

Cheese Steak Pizza
Preheat oven to 400 degrees

1/2 pound thinly sliced deli roast beef
1 TBS olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup sweet pepper, chopped (Green, red, yellow, orange- the more color the better, I think)
3-4 medium sized brown mushrooms, sliced
4-5 slices American Cheese (yes, the plastic kind)

crust made from 1/2 recipe of Everyday Bread recipe (about 12-14 inch diameter round)
6-8 thin slices strong provolone cheese
1/4-1/2 cup grated mozzerella or packaged Italian Cheese Blend

Cut the roast beef into strips about 1/2 inch wide.
Saute the onion, garlic, pepper and mushroom in the oil for a few minutes, then add the beef. Continue to saute until the onion is slightly soft and starting to turn transparent. Tear the cheese into chunks, add to the mixture and lightly stir until the cheese melts.

Cover the crust with the provolone slices. I like Stella Old World Provolone, and I have the deli slice it fairly thin. Spread the meat and onion mixture over the provolone, cover with the grated cheese. Bake for 15 minutes, or until cheese is well melted. I usually turn the broiler on for the last minute or two to get a nice crusty brown on the cheese.

For an extra kick, add a little hot pepper- a jalapeno or anaheim to the meat and cheese mix. I have also been known to add a few handfuls of fresh spinach to the meat mixture for a different taste. And it's perfectly acceptable to use chicken instead of beef.