Fall Harvest Flatbread Pizza
When we moved into our house last year, we quickly became friends with our neighbors, Matt and Katie, who lived across the street. They welcomed us into the neighborhood with cupcakes, brownies, and open arms, and we quickly became friends with them and their two adorable kids. Nash even got a girlfriend out of the deal after meeting their puppy and falling instantly in love. In a perfect world, we would have been neighbors forever, but a few months ago they moved into an even more gorgeous house than they had before, (don't worry, they're still only five minutes away!) so of course we had to help break in their new place with dinner, drinks, and a few very intense games of Go Fish. To top it all off, Matt had previously promised to make a recipe from my blog for dinner that night, and when we got there he had not one, but two pans of my Garlic + Herb Smashed Potatoes sizzling away on the stovetop!
Whenever we're going to someone's house for a party, I'll almost always bring some form of flatbread pizza as an appetier for everyone to share, and after I made my Cranberry-Apple Chutney earlier in the week, I knew that I wanted to try it as a pizza topping. Brie and cranberry is an obvious flavor combination for this time of year, so I decided to take it up one notch by using Robiola and adding a few extra fall flavors into the mix. I'm not typically someone to brag about things I've made, but in this case I feel it's necessary to emphasize just how freaking delicious this pizza was. Seriously, we all loved it. You can make this as an appetizer for Thanksgiving and it would be incredible, or get creative and see how many leftovers you can fit onto it the day after Thanksgiving.
And don't forget, when you get lucky enough to have neighbors that genuinely make your life better, it never hurts to show them how much you appreciate them, especially when it's with something delicious!
Fall Harvest Flatbread Pizza
Makes 1
1 TB olive oil
1 leek, trimmed, rinsed clean of any sand or dirt, halved lengthwise, sliced
¼ of the neck of a small butternut squash, peeled, small diced
Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper
1 store-bought grilled pizza crust (I love these ones from local company, The Pizza Gourmet)
½ wheel (2.5 oz) Boursin Garlic + Herb Cheese, room temperature
9 large sage leaves, divided
4 oz Robiola or Brie, sliced, cut into ½-inch pieces (this one from Luigi Guffanti is my favorite)
Cranberry-Apple Chutney
fresh-grated nutmeg
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a small non-stick skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add leeks and squash, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until soft and lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes. Cool.
Place crust on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Spread crust with an even layer of Boursin, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge. Top with cooked squash mixture, tear two sage leaves into small pieces, and add those as well. Top with pieces of Robiola and small globs of chutney.
Toss remaining sage leaves in a bit of olive oil and arrange over the top of the pizza. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper, and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown and crispy. Cool a few minutes before cutting and serving.
What's your go-to appetizer for easy entertaining?
Cheers! Alex
