Garlicky Three Cheese Sausage and Crispy Mushroom Flatbread
This flatbread has become a signature meal in my house…almost a weekly thing. It’s quick and easy. A couple slices with a side salad makes the perfect dinner and if there is any leftover, it makes a lunch you will look forward to the next day.
This is a mish-mosh of 3 different recipes that I’ve picked and combined our favorite ingredients from but, honestly, this is one that you can easily customize! Don’t like mushrooms? Use brussels sprouts or kale. Vegetarian? Skip the sausage. Don’t have fontina cheese on hand? Use extra mozzarella or add sharp cheddar for a saltier taste. Make it yours. You can’t really mess this up.
I use a premade dough. I have bought it from Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and Bashas. They are all delicious but the one at our local Bashas is only $2 while the others are $5+. Yes, I have heard it is easy to make pizza dough but I just don’t have any interest in figuring that out as of now. Maybe some day!
Ingredients:
1 lb Pizza Dough, at room temp
1 Small Red Onion or ½ of a Large
2 Cups Mushrooms
3 Garlic Cloves
1 Italian Sausage Link
2 Tablespoons Honey
Mozzarella Cheese, torn into bite sizes
Parmesan Cheese, grated small side
Fontina Cheese, grated large side
Red Pepper Flakes
Olive Oil
Salt, Kosher
Pepper
Directions:
1. Place oven rack in the center of the oven, then preheat oven to 450 degrees F
2. Clean your mushrooms by softly rubbing any dirt off with a dry towel. If you wet them, they will get slimy and will not crisp up as quickly or ever.. Slice the cleaned mushrooms into equal thin slices. Heat up some olive oil in a skillet over medium-high and toss the sliced mushrooms into the skillet. Disperse them into an even layer and do not touch! Let them cook out all their liquids. Look for browning after about 5-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir and continue to cook for another 5-8 minutes until mushrooms have started to get charred bits here and there. Remove mushrooms from skillet and place into a large bowl. No need to wipe out the skillet.
3. Meanwhile, make the garlicky sauce. Mince or roughly chop the garlic and place into a small bowl. Grate some parmesan cheese, about 3 tablespoons, into the bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Pour about ¼ cup of olive oil over the mixture. Enough to mix up and create a spreadable sauce. Set sauce aside.
4. Thinly slice the red onion and add into the other side of the bowl with the mushrooms.
5. Cut the casing off the sausage and place in to the same skillet used for the mushrooms. Cook on medium-high. Continue to break up the sausage as it cooks through and browns, about 10-12 mins. Remove and place on a small plate or bowl.
6. On a sheet pan, drizzle a light layer of olive oil and spread in an even coat. Place the pizza dough in the center and begin to stretch it out towards the edges of the pan. If the dough is resistant, let rest for another 5-10 minutes. I usually allow my dough to rest on the counter for 3-4 hour prior so that it is easy to work with.
7. Begin the toppings! Evenly spread the garlic and parm sauce all over the dough. Make sure to get all those chunky bits! Leave about 1 inch of unseasoned dough along the edge. Disperse an even layer of the red onion, mushrooms, sausage and all 3 cheeses. Brush some left over olive oil from the sauce along the unseasoned edge and sprinkle with kosher salt.
8. Bake, rotating if needed, 12-16 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned and the cheese is melted.
9. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the honey, 1 teaspoon of warm water and as much red pepper flakes as you desire, 1-2 teaspoons, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be.
10. Transfer the baked flatbread to a cutting board. Let cool for 5-10 minutes. Cut into equal sized pieces. Drizzle with the honey sauce and enjoy!
