Potatoes, Gruyere & Caramelized Onion Tart

Call it a galette and feel fancy or call it a tart and feel cute. Either way, this sucker was delicious. I used sweet potatoes, white potatoes, gruyere cheese, and caramelized onions tucked inside a not-fussy crust. This #MeatlessMonday plan was hatched when I was inspired after seeing some other posts around like a flaky crust when Eats Well With Others posted a galette with Asparagus & Gruyere  and I wanted all the cheese and potatoes when Bev Cooks posted these Cheesy Skillet Potatoes.
The Three Bite Rule - Potato Tart

We ate this on a drizzly night with a quick arugula salad. It absolutely hit the spot for me. The cheese is the perfect splurge and has perfect nutty meltyness for this. The rest of this is so super cheap so go for the good cheese! Shred it yourself, or slicing/dicing it is fine too!

Potato, Gruyere & Caramelized Onion Tart

Ingredients: (for 1 small tart, feeds ~3 for a meal, or ~6 for a side)

1 sheet pie crust (mine was a roll defrosted from the freezer)
1/2 – 1 small onion
1 sweet potato
1 white potato
~4 oz/1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese (sometimes labeled Alpine style if not imported from Switzerland/France)
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon each rosemary, thyme, garlic powder
salt & pepper

Directions:

Bring the pie crust to room temperature.
Slice the onion and add to a skillet over low heat with a drizzle of olive oil/butter. Stir regularly and cook for ~30 minutes until caramelized. (I did this the night before).
Peel the potatoes and cut in thirds. Boil for ~5-8 minutes, until the outsides are getting soft but not cooked all the way through. Then slice into thin disks. A mandolin made this faster (that was my tactic). Or, peel and slice into thin disks and roast in the oven for ~10-20 minutes at 350-degrees.
While the potatoes cook, shred the cheese.
The Three Bite Rule - Potato Tart
Melt the butter and mix in the rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, and salt & pepper.
Spread out the pie crust onto a sheet of parchment paper, baking mat, or baking sheet well sprayed with non-stick spray.
Leaving 1-2 inches around the outside, layer half of the potato slices, half the cheese, and a quarter of the onions. Sprinkle cheese over and drizzle half the butter/herb mixture.
The Three Bite Rule - Potato Tart
Repeat for another layer reserving a few potato slices to be the very top.
Working around the tart, fold crust inward then turn and fold more crust inward and repeat all the way around.
The Three Bite Rule - Potato Tart
Bake 20-30 minutes at 375 degrees. (I baked ~20 minutes when prepping in advance and baked another 10-15 before serving.)
The Three Bite Rule - Potato Tart
Let sit for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!
The Three Bite Rule - Potato Tart

I prepped this in advance, I know, story of my life. It comes together quickly but getting home on a weeknight with a toddler and two hungry dogs means dinner is really nice when mindless. I baked 20 minutes when I prepped it and another 15 to heat through before serving. I literally partially baked it and kept it on the parchment and covered it in the fridge for the day. Then I uncovered it and slid the parchment back onto a baking sheet that night.

Should we do a cost breakdown? Let’s! I haven’t in forever!

Cost Breakdown (for what was used)

Potato, Gruyere & Caramelized Onion Tart
1 frozen sheet pie crust = $1.59
onion = $0.89
white potato = $0.75
sweet potato = $1.10
Gruyere = $5.99 (used half) $2.99
= $7.32 or ~$2.44 for about 3 servings

Does that sell you on making this for dinner or your next gathering? It is so cheap!

Pear & Feta Flatbreads

I’ve never loved quick dinners as much as I do right now. Get ready for lots this month & next! These are super quick and could be adapted in any way that strikes you. I was really wanting the combo of sweet pear & salty feta. While Mr. J and I ate this for dinner, the little one eat some pear pieces! Perfect!
The Three Bite Rule - Pear & Feta Flatbreads

I grabbed naan which make for the best pre-made crust option and realized that not only do meatless meals make dinner come together faster, but cheaper. Win win! Check out the cost below. Spoiler: it is staggeringly awesome.

Ingredients:

2 naan (white, wheat, garlic all work great)
1 pear
1/4 red onion
1/2 cup feta
1 cup shredded mozzarella
2/3 cup balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375-degrees.
Bring the balsamic vinegar to a boil and boil for 5 minutes, or until syrupy. Then remove from the heat.
Chop the onion and saute over medium heat in just a little olive oil. Cook for about 5 minutes.
Add pear to the onion for either just a minute to warm or 3 minutes to cook/soften as needed. (Don’t cook too long or you’ll have pear mush!)
The Three Bite Rule - Pear & Feta Flatbreads
Put the naan onto a cookie sheet and top with mozzarella, then onion & pear mixture. Then bake for 10 minutes.
The Three Bite Rule - Pear & Feta Flatbreads
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with feta. Then drizzle balsamic reduction over.
The Three Bite Rule - Pear & Feta Flatbreads
Enjoy!

I loved this combo. These are such easy ingredients to have around and can be your starting point. For me, it was an easy few-ingredient meal. It has potential to be whatever you’re in the mood for.

Cost Breakdown:
Pear & Feta Flatbread (cost per quantity used)
naan: $3
pear: $0.75
feta: $2.50
total: $6.25 for 2, $3.12 each!

I overestimated the feta. I used really little so this could even cost less. Grab the feta from the salad bar if you won’t use the leftovers. It lasts quite awhile or use the remainder for Peach & Feta Salad or Quinoa Bowls or this quick Greek Dip with Hummus or Greek Meatball Wraps.

Asian Salad with Peanut Butter Chicken

This salad is sooo easy and only took a few special touches to make it something special. This Asian-inspired salad is the perfect meal to make dinner seem different. If you cook and shred the chicken in advance, this would be a 10 minute meal! I also might skip the chicken on the salad and grill some sesame garlic wing to go with this.

The Three Bite Rule - Asian Salad with Peanut Butter Chicken

Ingredients:

3 chicken tenders, each cut in half
8 oz Broccoli slaw
2-3 tbs sesame soy vinaigrette (bottled or 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tbs rice vinegar, 1 tsp soy sauce whisked together)
1/4 peanut butter
2 tbs soy sauce
1/2 cup edemame, shelled and cooked
orange segments (or packaged Mandarin oranges with no sugar added)
1/2 cup cashews
1/4 cup crispy wonton strips (found in the produce area, or make your own)

Directions:

Bring a pot of water to a low boil. Then add the chicken. Cook for about ten minutes. Check that it is cooked through, if not keep cooking.
Toss broccoli slaw with dressing in a large bowl.
The Three Bite Rule - Asian Salad with Peanut Butter Chicken
When cool enough to handle, shred the chicken.
In a small pot add the peanut butter on low, stirring occasionally until melted.
Stir in the soy sauce, and remove from the heat.
The Three Bite Rule - Asian Salad with Peanut Butter Chicken
Toss the shredded chicken into the peanut sauce to coat well.
The Three Bite Rule - Asian Salad with Peanut Butter Chicken
Top the salad with orange segments, edemame, cashews, crispy wonton strips, and chicken.
The Three Bite Rule - Asian Salad with Peanut Butter Chicken
I loved this. I could eat this regularly. The chicken feels kind of heavy and thick from the peanut butter, but the sharpness of the broccoli slaw dressing balances it. The sweet oranges are bright with lots of crisp texture from the nuts and wonton strips. The broccoli slaw was a welcome change from other greens. I love it.

This is such a cheap one, especially since it uses very little chicken.

Cost breakdown of Asian Salad with Peanut Butter Chicken:

(cost per quantity that was used)
broccoli slaw: $2.00
chicken tenders: $2.50
edemame: $0.25
packaged oranges: $1.00
cashews: $1.50
wonton strips: $1.00
total = $8.25 for 3 servings, or $2.75 per person

You might be able to grab the edemame from the salad bar, which would make it super cheap without any leftovers. The wonton strips aren’t totally necessary with the nuts so you could skip one or the other if you wanted to simplify a bit.

I’ll totally make this again.

Pasta Carbonara

I love pasta but try to limit it to quickie dinners or really good mac & cheese…otherwise I might want it nightly. I figured it was time to make some legit pasta. Carbonara is an easy one to whip up needing only eggs, cream, and bacon. Ohh, and lots of Parmesan. Don’t forget the Parmesan.

It is delightfully creamy but has a lightness to it. There are so few ingredients which is also awesome.

The Three Bite Rule - Pasta Carbonara

I used refrigerated pasta that makes a great impression for this dinner. I always can tell the difference but really, I don’t discriminate. Fresh obviously costs a bit more but when pricing out this dinner, you’ll see it was so cheap it didn’t really matter.

Ingredients:

9 oz package fresh fettucchini
4 slices of thick cut bacon
1/4 cup white onion, chopped finely
4 cloves of fresh garlic, minced
3 eggs
1/4 cup half and half (increase if making a pound of pasta)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 tsp garlic powder
salt & pepper

Directions:

Bring plenty of salted water to a boil.
In a medium flat pan, fry the bacon until crisp. Then remove and drain on paper towels.
Leave 1 tsp of bacon fat in the pan to fry the onion. Add garlic after 2 minutes.
The Three Bite Rule - Pasta Carbonara
Add eggs, cream, Parmesan, garlic powder, and a sprinkle of salt & pepper to a large bowl.
The Three Bite Rule - Pasta Carbonara
Boil the pasta according to the directions (fresh pasta = about 3 minutes; dried pasta = about 12 minutes)
The Three Bite Rule - Pasta Carbonara
Whisk together the sauce mixture.
The Three Bite Rule - Pasta Carbonara
Put a bowl underneath a colander, or ladle out a few cups of the starchy water.
Drain the pasta shaking it well, but do not run water over it. Then start tossing with the creamy egg mixture.
Spoon in the onions, garlic, and bacon.
The Three Bite Rule - Pasta Carbonara
Toss well and let sit for 5 minutes to absorb the sauce. If it is too thick, spoon in a little of the reserved starchy water.

I like the simplicity of this dish. The fresh pasta is a huuuuge addition in this dish. The creamy sauce is light, the bacon is crisp, the Parmesan is salty. It is such a perfect combination. I love pasta carbonara and it doesn’t have to just be reserved for restaurants.
The Three Bite Rule - Pasta Carbonara
I didn’t add peas, because I don’t like ’em. I had some flatleaf parsley for freshness but I forgot it. This is the perfect reminder that some of the best meals are really very easy. I really loved this in any way it sat before me.

Cost: 
fresh pasta: $3.29 (mine was 9oz, not a pound)
4 slices of bacon: approx. $2.66
3 eggs: approx. $0.70
half & half: $0.50
Parmesan: $0.80
total cost = $7.95 for 3 servings or just $2.63 per person

Maple Peanut Butter Granola

I cringe every time I see the price of granola at the grocery store. It’s like $4-something per box, and that box is definitely smaller than the Cheerios! I googled around to see if there were any tricks for granola. Turns out, it is just super easy. Wait till you see the price per serving!

I went with peanut butter, maple syrup, salted sunflower seeds, and oats. I was hesitant to use lots of pricey nuts until I figured out cooking times…next time! I loooove all things peanut butter. I got some maple peanut butter for xmas and it wasn’t my favorite brand on it’s own so I thought I’d amp up the maple-ness with it for granola.
The Three Bite Rule - Maple Peanut Butter Granola

I can’t wait to try some other variations. It was the perfect not-too-sweet granola to top coffee greek yogurt!
The Three Bite Rule - Maple Peanut Butter Granola

Ingredients:

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups oatmeal (not quick cooking)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup brown sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325-degrees.
Over medium low heat in a small pot, melt peanut butter and maple syrup together. Stir occasionally.

The Three Bite Rule - Maple Peanut Butter Granola
In a large bowl, mix oats, cinnamon, brown sugar, and sunflower seeds.
The Three Bite Rule - Maple Peanut Butter Granola
Add the vanilla into the maple peanut butter and remove from the heat.

The Three Bite Rule - Maple Peanut Butter Granola
Mix the peanut butter mixture into the dry mixture with a spatula. Combine well.

The Three Bite Rule - Maple Peanut Butter Granola
Spread onto a baking pan lined with a baking mat or lined with parchment paper.
The Three Bite Rule - Maple Peanut Butter Granola
Bake for 15-20 minutes. I did 15 minutes and let it cool. (It wasn’t the crunchiest it could be so, I’d bake for 20 minutes next time.)

The Three Bite Rule - Maple Peanut Butter Granola
Let cool completely and break into crumbled chunks. Store in an airtight container.

I love this. I didn’t make a huge batch because I needed to see how it went. Next time I might double it or increase it a bit. I do like the idea making small batches different each time to test ’em out. The peanut butter with cafe latte Greek yogurt was great. I loved it with coconut and vanilla Greek yogurt too.

The Three Bite Rule - Maple Peanut Butter Granola
It’s pretty good for a sweet treat in addition to breakfast. I’d love some chocolate chunks or mini chips and more nuts next time!

cost breakdown: 
2 cups of old fashioned oats = $0.53
1/2 cup sunflower seeds = $0.42
1/2 cup peanut butter = $0.40
1/2 cup maple syrup (I don’t buy the real stuff) = $0.50
total = $1.85 for about 6 servings or $0.30 per serving.

that’s insane. THIRTY CENTS per serving. annnnd you know what’s in it. It could go up a lot depending on what goes into it. But I’d love walnuts or almonds and a 1/2 cup of those is not going to put this close to a $1 per serving. I think I’m likely to end up with more like 8-10 servings since it’s just a sprinkle onto of my yogurt. Case closed. I’m making my own from now on.

Chicken Marsala

Chicken marsala is actually easier than I thought it would be. Somehow I was thinking it would be a lot of steps. I’m not sure why. I guess since it is kind of a “restaurant food” to me I thought it would be more involved. This would be a great Christmas Eve meal or holiday dinner party meal. Early December is a great time to give a new item a dry-run if you want practice. It is honestly easier than it seems. Check it out at the bottom. It’s super cheap to make too.

The Three Bite Rule - Chicken Marsala
I served it over some egg noodles and it was a super easy dinner plus, the sauce was really great even as leftovers.

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts (or chicken tenders)
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt & pepper
2 tbs vegetable oil
2 slices of prosciutto, chopped
4 tbs butter
8 oz. mushrooms, halved, quartered, or sliced (I used button, but baby portabella would be good too)
2 tbs garlic, chopped
1 cup Marsala wine
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 pound wide egg noodles

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300-degrees.
Lay the chicken on plastic wrap with another piece of plastic wrap on top. Pound the chicken out with a meat mallet (or a heavy skillet, can of soup, or something equally heavy) until even in thickness.
Mix flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a flat dish with sides, like a baking dish or flat bowl.
Heat a large pan to medium-hich heat with the vegetable oil.
Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture on both sides and shake off the excess.
Pan fry the chicken for about 5 minutes per side, in batches if it doesn’t all fit in the pan. Or use a meat thermometer to get the chicken to about 160 degrees (it will cook a bit more later so it will get to 165 by the end).
The Three Bite Rule - Chicken Marsala
Remove the cooked chicken and set inside the oven to keep warm.
Boil water for pasta if serving over egg noodles.
In the same pan, without the chicken, reduce the heat to medium and cook the prosciutto for about 2 minutes.
Add in the butter and button mushrooms, cooking for about 5 minutes until the liquid has reduced.
Pour in the marsala wine, 2 tbs butter, garlic and chicken broth. Let the wine cook the alcohol out for about 5 minutes at a low boil.
The Three Bite Rule - Chicken Marsala
Add the egg noodles into the boiling water pot.
Add the chicken back into the pan and cook for another 3 minutes, flipping once.
chick_marsala_pan_590_390
Serve over egg noodles & enjoy!
The Three Bite Rule - Chicken Marsala

I really love the wine and garlicky flavors in this. It is a light but flavorful sauce and it is a great variation to some of my recent dinners.

I forgot prosciutto but it makes it even better. It’s super cheap to get just a few slices at the deli counter if you don’t mind waiting for it. I usually am not using a whole package whenever I add it to something so I’ve frozen a few slices for occasions such as this where it’ll be cooked. I forgot to check for some this time. Oops.

This would be a nice dinner for guests. You could have the chopping and the chicken cooked in advance then just the sauce would need to come together.

Cost breakdown:

chicken: 3-4 breast pieces $2.99
mushrooms: $2.00
2 slices prosciutto: $3.00
marsala wine: grocery stores here have it without alcohol for $3.00 per bottle or it’s closer to $7 at liquor stores.
garlic: $0.25
egg noodles: $0.75
total: $11.99 for 4 servings, or $2.99 per person. Take that restaurants!

Quick Spinach and Artichoke Pasta

I was craving spinach and artichoke dip and remembered thinking it could pretty easily be a pasta dish. Last year I made a 1-dish pasta that cooked in it’s own liquid. This time I tweaked the original thought and went with creamed spinach which is totally decadent and such a perfect secret ingredient . Shhh! I once used it in deep dish pizza and it was the best I ever made! I figured the beauty of this dinner is the speed!

Ingredients:

8 oz frozen artichokes
8 oz frozen creamed spinach
8 oz dried pasta
2 chicken sausage links, sliced
1 tsp garlic, minced
6 oz swiss cheese

Directions:

Boil water for pasta.
Defrost creamed spinach and artichokes in a large pan over medium-low heat.
spin_art_ingred_590_390
Cook pasta until aldante.
Drain and reserve some of the cooking water (about a cup).
Add the pasta, sausage, garlic, salt, and pepper to the spinach and artichoke.
spinart_pasta_pan_590_390
Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, adding a splash of cooking water and stir well. Add more cooking water to loosen depending on your preference. Sprinkle with a little cheese and toss before serving.

I liked this one. It was so fast and really easy.
spin_art_plate_590_390
This could be tweaked. Add cream cheese to make it thicker. Add fresh spinach for more texture. Add mushrooms, chicken, or onions. Add a roux and some cream for a truly thick sauce. Swap out the creamed spinach and make your own if the prepared part isn’t your thing.

I was going for speed and ease, but you get to make that call. I also avoid oily artichoke hearts but again, go for what you like!

Other spinach and artichoke hankerings? I made spinach and artichoke pockets in puff pastry. I made spinach and artchoke nachos. I made spinach and artichoke calzones.

Cost Breakdown: 
8 oz frozen creamed spinach: $2.19
frozen artichokes: $1.45
2 chicken sausage links: $2.00
1/2 box pasta: $0.75
Total = $6.39 or about $2.13 per person for 3 servings

Tomato Ricotta Pie

Summer is the best for being up-to-your-eyeballs in fresh tomatoes. All our tomato plants are doing really well this year. Hallelujah. The cherry tomatoes seem to produce a handful per day and the larger tomatoes thankfully ripen just a few at a time. My rents have a bumper crop of cukes and tomatoes which we’ve “helped” to consume.

Sometimes on an ‘anything goes’ night our mystery ingredient is…surprise, tomatoes. I had a few large ones at the same time so I wanted to plan something that would really highlight tomatoes. I adapted a Cooking Light Tomato Ricotta Pie which was more about the shredded cheese and Martha Stewart’s Tomato Ricotta Tart which uses breadcrumbs for the base/crust.

Three Bite Rule - Tomato Ricotta Pie

Ingredients:

1 pie crust, thawed (or made from scratch)
3 tomatoes, sliced
1 cup whole-milk ricotta
2 eggs
½ cup grated parmesan
¼ cup light alfredo sauce (optional)
1 tsp chopped garlic
salt & pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Gently unroll pie crust into a pie dish sprayed with non-stick spray, poking a few holes into the crust with a fork.
Bake for 10 minutes.
While crust is pre-baking, whisk together ricotta, eggs, parmesan, alfredo sauce, garlic, salt and pepper.
Three Bite Rule - Tomato Ricotta Pie
Remove crust from oven and pour the cheese mix.
Lay the tomatoes over the top slightly overlapping.
Three Bite Rule - Tomato Ricotta Pie
Sprinkle with extra sea salt or fleur de sel.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Three Bite Rule - Tomato Ricotta Pie
Optional: broil for the last 3 minutes to give the tomatoes more color.
Let sit for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
Three Bite Rule - Tomato Ricotta Pie

I liked that this was light but filling. It was kind of along the lines of quiche, but less eggy. I am pretty obsessed with ricotta so I enjoyed this. It could easily pretend to be brunch food too. I liked the leftovers too.

I didn’t happen to have any fresh basil but a little bit of that would be good. I absolutely don’t think this would have been the same with grocery store tomatoes. Quick! Find a farmer’s market near you!

Maybe I’ll try the breadcrumb as crust idea for a zucchini pie next.

Cost Breakdown:
crust: $1.84
tomatoes: free! (or about $2 at a farmer’s market)
ricotta: $2.19
eggs: $0.32
alfredo sauce: (half of a jar) $1.34
parmesan cheese: $1.19
total: $6.69 (serves 4 as a meal ($1.67 per person), or 6 as a meal/brunch accompaniment ($1.11 per person)

Can’t beat that price per person!

Restaurant Recreation: Pork Pizza with Mustard Beer Sauce

A few weeks ago I had dinner at Salty Pig and got a pizza. It was too dark for pics but I loved every bite of it and knew instantly that I had to recreate it at home. I made a recreation of Salty Pig’s pizza “today’s pig parts” mustard and pale ale caramel. Sold! I tweaked mine a bit and it was a success!

Follow me on twitter @threebiterule to see the restaurant’s response leaving me feeling HONORED that they responded. Yay!
pork_pizza_done_590_390

Ingredients:

pork butt/shoulder roasted and pulled
2 tbs butter
1 large white or yellow onion
pizza dough
1 bottle beer (I used blue moon)
1 cup mozzarella cheese, sliced or shredded
1 cup fontina cheese, sliced or shredded
1 tbs garlic, chopped (optional)
2-3 tbs whole grain mustard

Directions:

Roast the pork in advance. I used a small one that went into the crock pot overnight for 6 hours.
In a large skillet, add onion slices over medium to medium low with 1 tbs butter. Cook until caramelized (about 20 minutes for just 1 onion).
pork_pizza_onions_590_390
While they are cooking preheat oven (and pizza stone if using one) to 400 degrees.
Empty the beer into a small saucepan over medium-high heat. This should come to a medium boil for about 10 minutes.
Put the pizza dough onto the stone (or pan) and poke a few holes into it with a fork. Cook for about 10 minutes. This is just to get it started to be cooked though so it will be crispy.
While the dough is pre-cooking pull the pork with a fork, and slice/shred the cheeses.
Turn the beer to low to keep reducing it.
When the pizza dough is partially cooked, take it out to top it with a little olive oil then with mozzarella, garlic, pork, onions, and fontina.
pork_pizza_topped_590_390
Return the pizza to the oven for another 5-10 minutes.
Add 1 tbs butter and mustard to the beer to make it a bit creamy. Whisk it until smooth and keep cooking on low to get it smooth.
pork_pizza_sauce_590_390
Take the pizza out of the oven once the cheese has all melted and the crust is crispy enough to your liking.
pork_pizza_closeup_590_390
Drizzle with mustard beer sauce.
pork_pizza_plate_590_390

I loved this pizza. I sprinkled a few chives on top to add a touch of color and freshness without overpowering any of the flavors. The pork, onions, and mustard beer sauce are strong flavors but they go so nicely together.

The pork needs to be cooked in advance. While you’re at it, caramelizing onions takes for-freaking-ever. I should have done a double batch some other time. It is a good thing to put on the stove and stir every-so-often when you’re not in a hurry. You can’t hurry a caramelized onion but they’re worth the wait.

Let’s talk about how cheap and easy the pork is. I put it into the crock pot (much like this pork in the crock pot) but minus the brown sugar & tomatoes since this wasn’t a bbq one. I eyeballed it adding some vinegar, veggie stock, garlic, and herbs. I discard the cooking liquid afterwards and then had super tender pork. I didn’t want to run the crockpot all day because I’m afraid it drives the pups bananas to smell delicious pork when nobody is there. I set it before bed and it was ready when I woke up.
pork_pizza_done_590_390

Mine was little and had the bone out. I think it was just a regular one cut and packaged smaller. I read the cooking instructions on it and I cost about $9. We ate it on this pizza (4 servings of pizza) then I mixed it with bbq sauce and onions for pulled pork sandwiches (2 servings) and I have another 2-3 servings I froze. They’ll likely be tacos. That’s about 8-9 times we will have eaten this tiny $9 pork butt. $1 per. serving. Even if I graciously let you count the pizza has really only having 2 servings over the whole thing that’s 6 servings, or $1.50 per serving. Stop. It.

This pizza was hands down one of my favorites. I love everything on it and think nothing overpowered anything else. Each bite was interesting and memorable.

Grilled Bruschetta Pizza

People always tell me that pizza dough is hard to work with. I swear by my pizza stone, but I also wanted to be sure to make some pizzas with alternative crust options. I’ve made french bread pizza and Greek Pita Pizza too if pizza dough isn’t your thing.

I grabbed some ready-made crusts and think they’re a fool-proof option. I did one grilled flatbread and some naans as crust for lunch ones.
grill_pizza_naan_590_390

Ingredients:

1 flatbread (or 2 naan)
1 cup tomato sauce (or my fav Kitchen Ready Pastene)
8 oz shredded mozzarella
1-2 medium tomatoes
4 oz fresh mozzarella
4 leaves fresh basil (don’t substitute)
salt & pepper

Directions:

Grill flatbread on hot grill for just a few minutes, flipping once
Top with tomato sauce, shredded mozzarella and chopped tomato.
grill_pizza_layered_590_390
Gently lay slices of fresh mozzarella on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
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Grill for just a few minutes, until the cheese has melted.
Remove from the grill and immediately top with fresh basil.
grill_pizza_plate_590_390
Let sit for about 3 minutes before cutting.
Enjoy!

This pizza is ready in just a few minutes. It seriously takes less time than pre-heating the grill (or oven). I made the flatbread on the grill and made the naan in the oven to be lunch the next day.

The flatbread was chewy and got a touch crisp from the grill. The naan was thinner and I liked the slight sweetness of the wheat dough. This bruschetta pizza requires so few ingredients I strongly urge you not to skip the fresh mozzarella and the fresh basil. These two ingredients make the pizza flavorful.
grill_pizza_plate2_590_390

This is such an easy way to whip up pizza. The naan was perfect for individual servings and I loved something different off the grill! Who’s excited for the Bachelorette finale? I totally called last week’s action and I’m curious what this next one will be. I can’t imagine a 2 hour finale to have her pick nobody. It can’t take 2 hours to break up with 2 guys. We’ll see what shakes out with this last rose and if they announce the next Bachelor. I don’t think it’ll be Brooks. He can’t express himself. Mr. J hears it in passing and a) wants nothing to do with it and b) thinks this guy will be the next one. All this being said, I’m reading a 700-something page book right now so that my head doesn’t turn to mush with this trash & RHONJ. #guiltypleasure

Bruschetta Pizza Cost Breakdown
This breakdown is for either the flatbread or the naan. There would be enough sauce, cheeses, and basil to make both!
crust: $3.30
tomato: $0.50
shredded mozzarella: $2.50
fresh mozzarella: $2.00
fresh basil: $1.00
total = $9, serves 2 for $4.50 each