I love having a great go-to starter that is always a crowd pleaser. Over the summer, I could not get enough of flatbread pizzas. Trader Joe’s made it easy. You can grab a two-pack of rectangular, already baked pizza crust, at any of their locations all year round. Just add your own toppings, bake for a few minutes and it really becomes the simplest solution for light dinners, appetizers to serve your guests or a savory starter to share at a gathering.
With fall upon us, I feel like that me making these, will not slow down. They are perfect for a game day snack and a great precursor to serving a pot of chili.
With endless possibilities for toppings, I think it is fun to play upon the seasonal offerings. Fresh figs and truffle honey are a couple of my current favorites. So with that, I am going to share two flatbread recipes I am pretty sure you (and everyone else!) will love!
Flatbread Recipes
Prepping the Flatbreads
As mentioned the easiest thing to do is grab your pre-made flatbreads from Trader Joe’s. But I personally think you need to add one little step here. Because the crust is already cooked, I like to spread an herbed olive oil on before I add my toppings. That way, when you pop it in the oven again, it will not dry out before the toppings are cooked through.
Mix in a bowl:
1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
Chopped herbs of your choosing (oregano and/or thyme suggested)
Pinch of flaky salt
With a pastry brush, spread over top and bottom of crust before adding toppings
Caramelized Onions, Sausage & Manchego Cheese Flatbread
Ingredients:
- Prepared flatbread pizza crust
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 large red onion, halved, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup dry red wine
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 pound crumbled Italian Sausage
- 1 cup (packed) coarsely shredded Manchego cheese
- *Optional add fresh sliced figs
Directions:
- Heat vegetable oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until soft and deep golden brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Stir in wine, vinegar, and sugar. Reduce heat to low and simmer until almost all liquid is absorbed, stirring often, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to small bowl. Cool.
- Heat medium skillet over medium heat. Add sausage; sauté until cooked through and browned, breaking up with back of fork, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to small bowl.
- Take prepared flatbreads. Sprinkle 3/4 cup cheese over each flatbread. Add onions, then sausage, over flatbreads. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese over flatbread.
- Bake according to package directions, checking frequently.
- Remove from oven, cut and add fresh figs as an additional topping or serve figs on the side.
Four Cheese & Truffle Honey Flatbread
Ingredients:
- Prepared flatbread pizza crust
- 1 large head garlic
- 1 teaspoon, plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta
- One 2-ounce wedge Parmesan, finely grated (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 teaspoon finely minced fresh oregano
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, shredded (about 1 cup)
- 4 ounces fontina cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
- Truffle honey or honey of your choosing for drizzling
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Break apart the head of garlic to expose the individual cloves (leaving their skins intact), about 10 cloves total. Put the cloves onto a small baking sheet and toss with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Bake, turning the cloves over halfway through the cooking time, until very tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.
- Once cool enough to handle, remove the skins from the garlic cloves and use the back of a knife to mash the cloves on a cutting board. Transfer the mashed garlic to a large bowl and add the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the oregano. Stir to combine and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Reduce oven temperature according to package directions.
- Evenly spread the ricotta cheese mixture onto the flatbread. Sprinkle the mozzarella and fontina cheese on top. Bake until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes, checking often.
- Remove from oven and drizzle with honey. Cut and serve.
Bon Appétit!
You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest
Thanks for stopping by!
L, M