A thin crust supports a gooey topping of crisp-tender brussels sprouts, smoky mozzarella, creamy goat cheese, and bright lemon. Gluten-free pizza at its best.
I’m in the throes of preparing for a dance performance, so I’ll keep this pizza post short and sweet. (If you’re in the San Francisco bay area and are interested, I’ve included show details below…and there’s a bake sale, too!)
I made a couple of these pizzas earlier this week, and we’ve been living off of the leftovers. (In hindsight, maybe pizza wasn’t the best choice considering I have to fit into a slinky black dress on Saturday, but oh well. That’s what Spanx are for, right?)
Leftover pizza slices are even better now that I know the secret to reheating them. When you reheat pizza in an oven, the cheese gets dried out and hard before the crust has a chance to crisp. But throw those slices in a cast iron skillet and place them over a low flame, and the crust slowly crisps up, gently warming the cheese up top until perfectly gooey. Et voilà – leftovers that are better than the real deal.
Some of you may be brussels sprouted-out by now, but since those tiny cabbages were never part of my family’s Thanksgiving, these are some of the first I’ve enjoyed this season. Thinly
sliced, they cook up crisp tender in minutes upon contact with the hot
oven air. They make this pizza feel a little bit healthy.
Since I still have a bazillion homegrown meyer lemons from Sarah, I’ve been tossing the sprouts with shavings of lemon zest and a bit of juice,
garlic, and olive oil to give them a hit of flavor. I layer them
over fresh mozzarella, smoked mozzarella, and goat cheese. Slivered red onion
and a few pinches of chile flakes add a burst of color and their flavors layer with the
sweetness of the sprouts. Crisp crust, gooey cheese, bright greens… what more could you ask for?
As for the dance show, my group puts together a showcase each fall, with all proceeds going to the Alliance for Lupus Research.
We’ve lined up twenty different Bay Area groups to perform an array of dance styles, including modern, hip-hop, ballroom, salsa, tango, and bellydance. Plus, I’m baking cookies. Tickets are available here.
I’ll be back soon to share more unsuitable food that I made this week that won’t help the slinky dress cause. Wish me luck with that… but for the dancing, wish me “merde!”
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One year ago:
Kale and Cauliflower Enchiladas with Potatoes, Shiitakes, and Goat Cheese
Two years ago:
Maple Bourbon Brown Butter Granola
Persimmon Cranberry Crisp
Three years ago:
Oatmeal Molasses Bread
Four years ago:
Triple Chocolate Chile Cookies
Five years ago:
Winter Squash and Sage Gougères
Coconut Cardamom Arroz con Leche
Smoky Brussels Sprout Pizza with Lemon + Chile {Gluten-Free}
The below quantities make one pizza. If you want two pizzas (since the crust recipe makes two crusts), double the recipe below and bake the pizzas one after the other. Leftover pizza is nearly as good as freshly baked if you reheat it as so: place a heavy (preferably cast-iron) skillet over a low flame and add the pizza slices. Cook until the cheese is heated through, 5-10 minutes. Devour.
Makes 1 (10 to 11-inch) pizza, serving 2
For the pizza:
1 (10-inch) par baked gluten-free pizza crust (or par baked crust of your choice)
1 medium clove garlic, crushed
1 T olive oil
thinly sliced zest and juice of 1/2 small (meyer) lemon
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
2.5 ounces / 75 grams trimmed and thinly sliced crosswise sprouts (1 c lightly packed)
4 ounces fresh mozzarella sliced and drained on paper towels
3-4 ounces ounces smoked mozzarella
3 ounces crumbled soft goat’s cheese
a handful of thinly sliced red onion
a few pinches red chile flakes
a few pinches flaky salt
a drizzle super good olive oil
Let’s make pizza!
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 500ºF. Put a baking stone on the rack if you’ve got one and allow it to preheat for at least 30 minutes. Place the par baked pizza crust on a piece of parchment paper and place on a pizza peel if using a baking stone; otherwise shape and bake the pizza on a (preferably rimless) baking sheet.Combine the garlic, olive oil, lemon zest and juice, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Add the sliced brussels sprouts, tossing to coat them in the goodness. Layer both of the mozzarellas over the par baked crust. Top with the brussels sprouts, goat cheese, red onion, and chile flakes. Use a pizza peel to slip the pizza, parchment and all, into the oven onto the pizza stone (or slide the baking sheet into the oven).
Bake the pizza until the bottom is golden and the cheese is bubbly, 4-8 minutes. Use a pair of tongs to grasp the crust of the pizza and drag it onto the peel. Slide the pizza onto a large cutting board, discarding the parchment. Drizzle with a bit of good olive oil and sprinkle with a few pinches of flaky salt. Use a pizza wheel or large, sharp chef’s knife to cut the pizza into sixths. Serve immediately.
I'm in love with the idea of using brussel sprouts on a pizza especially with some lemon brightness and chile heat – what a combination! Good luck with the show this weekend, I'm sure you're going to raise a lot of money for a great cause!
Thank you so much Kathryn!
I second London Bakes – I can actually taste the flavour combination in my mouth, and it's a great taste indeed. I am particularly enamoured with the smoky mozzarella. As for Saturday – Merde!
Aw! Thank you Ksenia for the kind words and wishes.
This pizza looks so good with those bright green brussels sprouts! Surprisingly, I've never tried that vegetable on pizza before. On my to-do list now. Your pizza re-heating hot tip is pretty revelatory too. Sending good luck for your dance performance! Aaaaand a high five for Spanx ;)
For real?! They work so well on pizza, I think you'll dig them! Thanks so much for the good wishes… or should I say "spanx?" ;)
I love these flavors and thanks for the reheating tip – I'll be putting that to use!
Thanks Laura!
oh my gosh, please invite me to every pizza party you ever have ever! i hope you have a great show on saturday. merde. ;)
Consider yourself invited! :D
Love the simplicity of this pizza. Delicious!
Thanks Katrina!
Good luck with the performance! I went through a phase of making homemade pizzas all the time, but I've gotten lazier and it hasn't happened in a while. This makes me wish I was having pizza for dinner tonight instead!
Thanks Genevieve! Yeah, I usually reserve pizza making for special occasions too. It's a bit of a production.
This is making me want to make some pizza! This looks amazing!
Thanks, Cathleen — do it!
I love your tip of reheating in the cast iron skillet – I've always tried popping it in the oven, but it takes so darn long to preheat and I get impatient and throw it in the microwave. With the slice of this DELICIOUS pizza you sent home with me, I tried your cast iron skillet method and it's forever what I'll do to reheat pizza. (PS. How do you STILL have lemons left?! That was so long ago!)
Oh no no no – this pizza would be terribly unhappy in the micro! I'm so glad you tried the skillet method – that's the best kitchen tip I've learned recently. And I'm slowly working my way through the lemons. I just put some in sauteed brussels sprouts. And I have my eye on a lemon marmalade recipe that sounds amazing.
What a great combination, yum. Will be definitely trying this out (and the reheat method, genius!). Good luck with the dance show, pizza is always a good way to get the energy, right…?!
Thanks Sophie! I heartily agree about pizza – dinner of champions. ;)
Ugh, I wish I lived closer to the bay- I would totally go watch you dance, girl! I'm in Reno and love taking trips to SF, but it only happens maybe once a year these days.
Leftover pizza is one of my faves! Pizza seriously becomes more flavor-infused and scrumptious after it sits for a hot minute/day or two. Love the brussels and lemon idea – just brilliant!
Oh please let me know if you come to SF – I'd love to meet you! I completely agree re: leftover pizza. I guess the flavors get a chance to meld that way.
Mmmm…I love brussels on pizza. Looks delicious. Can't wait to hear about the dancing!
Thanks Liz! It went really well. :)
Curse you, Alanna! I've been browsing your recipes for an hour now, looking for Xmas inspiration, and now it's almost 1pm, and I'm starving. Nothing I can whip up from my on-hand ingredients will satisfy the hunger you've awakened. I may have to drive across the bridge and eat your toes!
love,
Daria
Hahaha! You are so sweet Daria. I hope your hunger has been satisfied – I'm glad to say I awoke this morning with my toes in tact. :)
I've just stumbled across your blog and so I'm poking around, and wow I am impressed! :) Brussels sprouts have been a food I've been trying to love more and more, but to limited success–I might have to try it with some delicious cheese. One of the things that turns me off of not-raw cabbage that strong odor they can let off–is that an issue here?
Thanks for the kind note! I didn't notice a strong odor here, possibly because the sprouts don't cook for very long. You'll have to keep me posted if you try it. :)
The combination of the smokey cheese Brussel sprouts and lemon was unique and delicious ! I will bring for Easter
So glad you liked it! :)