Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Cherry Tomato Pizza Margherita

My latest #freesample challenge from Kroger was utilizing their new Simple Truth Organic Thin and Crispy Vegan pizza crust.  I had just bought Thanksgiving salad staples when the notice of the romaine lettuce recall came out, so I was left with some cherry tomatoes I wasn't sure what to do with. Decided I was in the mood for some Margherita pizza as a Thanksgiving appetizer during the Lions game. I will also make a basic cheese pizza with the second crust for my kids to have, since they aren't a huge fan of tomatoes. Problem solved.  Fulfill my challenge and use up the tomatoes :)

I am going to modify this Epicurious recipe, I will report back on how it goes!  

Ingredients
1 Simple Truth Organic Classic Thin and Crispy Pizza crust
1 Tbsp Olive Oil 1 12oz container cherry tomatoes, cleaned
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/3 cup chopped Simple Truth Organic fresh basil
balsamic vinegar for drizzling when serving.  

Directions
Preheat oven to 400.  Place pizza crust on a baking sheet.
Heat large skillet over high heat 2 minutes. Add oil, then tomatoes; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until tomatoes are charred and beginning to break down, about 5 minutes.
Transfer to large bowl. Mix in garlic, fennel, and crushed red pepper. Using back of fork, crush tomatoes in bowl, leaving large chunks intact. Season mixture with salt and pepper.
Toss cheese and chopped basil in medium bowl. Sprinkle cheese mixture evenly over crust, right up to border.
Spoon on tomato mixture in dollops, leaving some cheese uncovered.
Bake pizza for 12 minutes or until cheese is melted and starting to brown and bubble. Loosen pizza with slide onto board. Garnish with basil leaves and drizzle balsamic over top. Cut into squares for serving.

Here it is before going in the oven!

Turned out great!   Would do it again for appetizers.  Very crispy.