Fall Veggie Pizza

Are you in the mood for a pizza? Fall vegetables? How about a Fall Veggie Pizza? Well good because that’s what is in store here. My Fall Veggie Pizza is loaded with butternut squash and kale, this is a great way to get your veggies, while also enjoying an American favorite. Fall is all about comfort food, getting into the season of giving and many times that means sharing food with friends and family. Right? This Fall Veggie Pizza is great for serving to guests. My (unbiased, not paid, I promise) taste testers gave me two thumbs up on this one.

Fall is when I have the hardest time fighting off the craving for pizza and other carb filled dishes. Filled with just the right mix of warm deliciousness, from the fresh baked bread to the sizzling cheese and then… the toppings, how can one keep self-control. I’m not quite sure how I decided on these particular ingredients. Maybe because the beautiful butternut squash at TJ's was calling my name, but mostly I just thought of things I like and voila. The combination of earthy veggies with a pesto base is fabulous. You’ve  got to try it! 

Price: 3 out of 4 on my price scale. About $15 total, which when you think about it, you probably spend that much when you order out anyway. You can make the dough yourself which will save money (as long as you have flour and yeast on hand). Pesto and feta can be found at Aldi for half the price of other grocery stores. If you don’t have an Aldi near you there may be one coming soon. Check their upcoming grand opening list here. Also if you buy a bag of kale, you will have leftover for salads. Remember its all about perspective. Hopefully I’ve turned someone into a kale eater by now and you are seeing the lettuce is greener on the other side. Oy!

Fall Veggie Pizza Recipe

Makes for two small pizzas or 1 large pizza

Pizza dough, about 2 cups or 16 oz

2 Tbsp. EVOO

1 Tbsp. Minced Garlic

1 Small Red Onion, chopped (about ½ cup)

3 Cups Kale

2 Cups Butternut Squash (cubed)

4 Tbsp. Basil Pesto (Aldi $1.99)

1 Cup Feta Cheese Crumbles (Aldi $1.79)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a greased baking pan/dish bake butternut squash. I recommend cutting the squash in half, then cook it for 30 minutes, remove from oven and then chop into small pieces. Place back into oven for 20 minutes or until soft. If you chop it into small pieces from the start, (not the cut in half method) cook for 45 minutes. While baking the squash, in a medium saucepan add 1 Tbsp. EVOO, 1 Tbsp. minced garlic, red onion and kale. Turn heat to medium high, until the ingredients start to sizzle a little. Stir frequently and cook for about 15 minutes. Remove once kale has reduced and onions are lighter in color.

On a greased baking pan spread out dough until it’s thin. Then add 2 Tbsp. basil pesto and spread. Add kale mixture, then butternut squash. Repeat if making more than one pizza. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-14 minutes, or as directed on dough package. Remove from oven when crust starts to brown, and add feta cheese. Slice and serve.

Cheat: You can also add Colby jack or mozzarella cheese to the pizza to beef it up. See photos below marked version two.

Just a heads up there is no secret to the dough Gimme Some Oven has a great recipe here.

Sauteing the Kale and Onions.

Chop the butternut squash into cubes and bake. 

Spread the pesto evenly across the pizza crust. 

Bam! Version 1 without melted cheese. 

Version 2 with some melted Colby Jack. 

Version 2

Give my Fall Veggie Pizza a try and let me know what you think!