Above: Individual, whole wheat pizza crusts by Boboli.
Fun With Cheese
Yesterday I wrote a review of Alouette's Soft Spreadable Cheese. Here is an idea for an easy to prepare, gourmet pizza, featuring the sundried tomato with basil flavor of their spreadable cheese.
Above: A variety of toppings to add to gourmet pizzas.
Gourmet Pizza Ingredients
- Boboli, or other premade, individual pizza crust
- Alouette soft spreadable cheese
- Pizza toppings
- Parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil
Above: I used a perforated, metal pizza pan to make my gourmet pizza.
Gourmet Pizza Directions
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Spread the bottom of the pizza crust with a layer of spreadable cheese. I used Alouette's sundried tomato and basil soft spreadable cheese.
- Top the pizza with your favorite pizza toppings.
- Sprinkle a layer of grated Parmesan cheese on top of the toppings.
- Add a handful of chopped, fresh basil leaves to the top of the pizza.
- Cook in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, until the cheese has melted and is lightly brown on top.
- Cut into 4 pieces using a pizza wheel.
- Serve immediately.
Above: Spread a layer of cheese spread on top of the pizza crust.
Gourmet Pizza Toppings
Choose from your favorite pizza toppings to top your individual gourmet pizzas. Here are a few suggestions:
- Kalamata olives
- Green olives
- Capers
- Minced garlic
- Marinated mushrooms
- Anchovy fillets
- Sundried tomatoes
- Thin sliced green onions
- Feta cheese
- Crumbled bacon
- Diced Canadian bacon
- Fresh herbs such as basil, parsley, oregano
Above: Sprinkle the toppings of your choice on top of the pizza.
Pizza as Appetizer or Dinner
Serve individual gourmet pizzas as the main course for dinner. You can also cut up a couple of pizzas to serve as an appetizer.
Above: Hot, homemade pizza fresh out of the oven.
Salad Topping
I've seen a few chefs adding fresh greens, such as baby arugula, to the top of their pizzas, after they come out of the oven. I decided to give it a try, kind of a neat way to eat a salad along with your pizza.
- Mixed greens such as baby arugula, spinach and radicchio
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh ground black pepper
- Course sea salt
Above: Salad topping on top of individual gourmet pizza.
Sprinkle the greens on top of the pizza, as soon as you remove it from the oven. Then drizzle on a bit of good quality, extra virgin olive oil and top with a few grinds of black pepper and some course sea salt.
Above: Gourmet pizza, topped with salad greens, ready to eat.
Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva
