Christmas Notebook

Timing for supper was off a bit as DD had volleyball practice and DH got home sooner than I thought he would. So we waited to eat until after practice. I had planned to make pizza dough, but decided to use the last of the flatbread for pizzas, instead. These make quick and easy pizzas. DH said he prefers them over commercial pizzas (i.e., Dominoes, Caseys, Pizza Hut…the ones available in our town). And they are way cheaper to make than pizza is to order!

Preheat oven to 425*. Begin by placing the flatbread on a cookie sheet lined with no-stick foil. Or spray regular foil with vegetable spray. Or use a pizza stone. Or set them on parchment paper (I’m out…it’s on the grocery list). Bake the flatbread for four or five minutes. Prebaking the crust helps keep it crisp while baking the finished pizza.

While the flatbread is baking, spray a pan with vegetable spray and saute any veggies or cooked meat you want on your pizza. I used what we had on hand: lean ham, grape tomatoes, and fresh spinach. I’ve used green onions, zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, bacon bits, and cooked hamburger before, to mention of few. Go with anything that sounds good to you. Sauteing the veggies/meat before baking the pizza keeps the baking time short.

After the meat and tomatoes had seared a bit, I added 2 cloves of minced garlic and sauted for another minute or so. Then I added diced spinach leaves. Use about twice what you think you will need as it wilts by a lot while cooking. Toss the spinach with the other ingredients until well mixed, then remove from the heat. Set aside until needed.

Remove the flatbread from the oven and spread it with spaghetti or pizza sauce. I used leftover spaghetti sauce I had in the freezer. Sprinkle the sauce with some basil and oregano, if you like. I do, so I did.

Sprinkle the pizzas with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Spread the sauted toppings over the pizzas. DD likes cheese pizza, so I left one plain.

Top with shredded mozzarella or other cheeses of your choosing. Amount depends on your personal preferences.

Bake at 425* for about 8 minutes, until cheese just begins to brown. Let cool slightly, cut and serve. I had four flatbreads so I made four pizzas. Worked out fine, though one pizza per person is plenty, unless you’re feeding growing boys.

Very good, quick and easy. And for those of you counting Weight Watcher points, this is an easy meal to customize for a low point lunch or supper. It’s a fun meal for children, too, as they can make their own versions with available ingredients. Flour tortillas can be used in place of flatbread.

One tip, do line the cookie sheet or the shredded cheese will be hard to clean off the pan.

~~Rhonda