Forager Flatbread

This many-cheese flatbread is quick to put together with lots of customization options. It is kind of a brown meal, but, it is so so good. There’s a butter + parmesan + garlic spread, mozzarella, ricotta, mushrooms and honey drizzle. The earthy mushrooms and honey are such a great combo. Mushrooms not your jam? Italian sausage and honey would be a great combo too for a sweet and savory mix!

The Three Bite Rule - Forager Flatbread

Forager Flatbread
Ingredients:
(for 2)
1 pint mushrooms
2 flatbreads (I used naan)
2 tablespoons butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon parmesan
1 teaspoon cream or half & half
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
2 tablespoons ricotta
1/4 cup fresh mozzarella balls
1-2 teaspoons honey
pinch of oregano

The Three Bite Rule - Forager Flatbread

Directions:
Pan fry the mushrooms in some butter and olive oil to get them a bit caramelized around the edges.
Preheat the oven to 400-degrees.
Mix together the butter, parmesan and minced garlic then stir in just a drizzle of cream, adding more if needed.
Assemble the flatbreads by spreading the butter/garlic sauce onto the naan and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Top with shredded mozzarella, dots of ricotta, some mozzarella balls, and mushrooms.

The Three Bite Rule - Forager Flatbread

Cook for 5-10 minutes (10 will be crispy edges, 5 will be warm and soft).

The Three Bite Rule - Forager Flatbread

Drizzle with honey and sprinkle on some oregano.
Enjoy!

The Three Bite Rule - Forager Flatbread

I looooved this. It is quite a brown meal and I almost added arugula. The mix of cheeses and the mushrooms with sweet honey is delightful. I’m the only mushroom eater at home so these were lunch and I was very happy. It reheats fine (top with honey just before serving), but is definitely best fresh.

Pizza Beans

December neeeeds easy dinner ideas, right? Pizza beans are such a hit here – we get the flavors of pizza in a warm and comforting dish. This busy time of year seems ideal for dinners that are easy and minimal cooking required. There are lots of ways to customize these which helps be a crowd pleaser – or to use random leftovers with some pantry basics!

The Three Bite Rule - Pizza Beans

White beans and tomato sauce are the base with all the toppings you love! They’d also be a great option for a pizza spread for a gluten-free or custom dietary options.

Pizza Beans
Ingredients: (for 3-4)

2 cans white beans
1-2 cups tomato sauce
1 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon parmesan
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
pepperoni

Directions:
Cook the beans, tomato sauce, garlic, and oregano over low heat for ~10 minutes until fully warmed through.

The Three Bite Rule - Pizza Beans

Serve and top while hot.

The Three Bite Rule - Pizza Beans

Top with shredded cheese, pepperoni, and any other toppings.
Enjoy!

The Three Bite Rule - Pizza Beans


Toppings we love: crumbled sausage, chicken, roasted peppers, sauteed onions, chopped arugula, fresh mozzarella, dollop of pesto or alfredo, or whatever you like!

I love this. It is a great use for small amounts of cheese and tiny bits of any topping. It reheats well if packing for lunch or eating separately though beans aren’t always the best when frozen. The beans are filling and provide lots of fiber and iron. The kids love it – probably because it has familiar flavors and easy to chew.

This was a side-step from these Tomato Basil Polenta Bowls

The Three Bite Rule - Tomato Basil Polenta Bowls

Grab your beans and give it a Mexican twist with some roasted tomatoes, salsa, queso, roasted corn, etc – give it a Mediterranean twist with warmed beans mixed with caesar dressing, chicken, spinach, feta, etc. Add to your beans with ricotta and mini meatballs and call it a lasagna bowl! Bean bowls are fun – they just don’t have the same ring as some other names.

Hot Diggity Dog Pizza

Get ready for this. We put hot dogs onto pizza, swirled it with ketchup and mustard, and it was SO FUN!

The Three Bite Rule - Hot Dog Pizza

This is in the “special” pizza category – we make pizzas often and have 2 or 3 pizzas at a time so this was fun AND we had some more traditional ones because: balance.

Hot Diggity Pizza
Ingredients: (for 1 small, 14″ pizza)

1/2 pizza dough (to room temperature)
1/4 cup tomato sauce (or crushed tomatoes)
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1-2 hot dogs, sliced into thin coins
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons mustard

Directions:
Preheat a pizza oven or pizza stone.
Spread or roll out dough and top with tomato sauce, cheese, and hot dogs.

The Three Bite Rule - Hot Dog Pizza

Bake/broil until crust browns and hot dogs crisp (in our pizza oven that’s ~90 seconds, in a kitchen oven it would be ~20 minutes).
Drizzle with ketchup and mustard and enjoy!

The Three Bite Rule - Hot Dog Pizza

This was really fun. I probably wouldn’t make it all the time but it feels enjoyable on occasion, amongst a bunch of pizzas, and for that pesky hotdog package doesn’t match roll quantity conundrum.

Crab Rangoon Pizza

This is the epitome of fun pizza toppings as an out-of-the-(pizza)-box. It seems special but includes flavors we love with ingredients we had – crab, cream cheese, crispy wontons and duck sauce! I try to do this for the kids to see flavors in other formats but in all honesty, us grown ups were the most excited.

The Three Bite Rule - Crab Rangoon Pizza

Crab Rangoon Pizza
Ingredients:

pizza dough
2 tablespoons softened cream cheese
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 green onion (or chives)
3/4 cup crab meat/ imitation crab meat, finely chopped
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella
~1 cup crispy wontons (sold near croutons!)
1/4 cup duck sauce

Directions:
Let the dough come to room temperature, ~2+ hours from refrigeration or ~4 hours from frozen.
Preheat a pizza oven or oven (or grill – though maybe parbake the dough flipping once before topping it.)
Whisk together the softened cream cheese, heavy cream, green onion into a sauce.
Spread the dough out and top with the sauce, then mozzarella, then crab.

The Three Bite Rule - Crab Rangoon Pizza

Bake the pizza (ours went into the outdoor pizza oven for 60-90 seconds or in the oven it would take ~30 minutes at 400 degrees). Cook until the crust cooks through and the cheese melts.
Once it is cooked, top with the wontons and a drizzle of duck sauce.
Enjoy!

The Three Bite Rule - Crab Rangoon Pizza

We loved this one! This time it was using the filling of some crab rangoons we hadn’t baked yet. Each kid ate a slice though I don’t think they went back for seconds of this one. We usually make 2-3 pizzas from a ball of pizza dough (~12 inch pies) and our others were a veggie one and a sausage & ricotta one.

I’m sure we’ll make it again and I would use leftover crab for crab cakes. Using leftover crab rangoons from a restaurant might be more cream cheesy than crab flavored but go for it! Leftover crispy wontons are great on an Asian-Inspired Burger or Pineapple Coconut Rice Bowls or on soft tacos or onto salad/slaw.

Chicken Piccata Pizza

We love anything on a pizza so some leftover chicken breasts had me thinking of chicken piccata and what better way than on a pizza! It was a low-pressure way to cook it and to see who will like it and the chicken and lemon sauce and parsley flavors seemed summery to be on a pizza!

The Three Bite Rule - Chicken Piccata Pizza

It would also be wonderful as a sandwich – or into a panini. Go for it!

Chicken Piccata Pizza
Ingredients: (serves 4 for 1 large pizza or 3 small pizzas)

1 ball of pizza dough (or on 3 pieces of naan)
1 chicken breast, cut into 2-3 pieces
4 tablespoons flour + 1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt & pepper
2 tablespoons butter + 2 tablespoons butter + 3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:
Allow pizza dough to come to room temp – over a few hours.
Preheat a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of the butter & olive oil for pan frying over medium heat.
Pound the chicken out flat and stir together the flour, garlic powder, and salt & pepper.
Dredge the chicken pieces one at a time into the flour shaking off the excess then pan frying for ~3-4 minutes per side, flipping once. Check the internal temp with a meat thermometer – it should reach 165 degrees.

The Three Bite Rule - Chicken Piccata Pizza

Remove the chicken (without draining the pan) and set the chicken aside.
To the hot pan, add in the broth and lemon juice. Cook at a low boil for 5 minutes to reduce.
Add in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter + 1 tablespoon flour whisking continually over low heat for ~3 minutes then remove from the heat and let cool for 5+ minutes.
Chop the chicken.
Roll out the dough.
Assemble the pizza by spreading sauce onto the pizza dough (I used ~1/2 of the sauce). Then add the shredded cheese and then the chicken.
Bake (our pizza oven outside cooks pizza in ~90-seconds per pie, in the oven it might take ~20 minutes if the dough is par-baked, or 30 minutes from raw dough on a hot pizza stone).
Top with parsley & enjoy!

The Three Bite Rule - Chicken Piccata Pizza

We liked it! It was very, very lemony but bright and as pizza, it felt summery not being a heavy meal. The sauce was strong and while it wouldn’t be authentic (but I won’t tell anyone) if it was too much for you, you could also stir in a touch of cream or cream cheese or alfredo sauce (do that off the direct heat so the sauce doesn’t break).

The chicken was super juicy. That’s what a meat thermometer will do – no guessing to know if it is done! I know the 90-seconds in the pizza oven isn’t going to keep cooking, though 30 minutes in a high temp oven will!

We have enough sauce for another time. Or it would be good has a hot melty sub.

Honey Garlic Sauce on Pizza with Chicken

Back when we could go places, Mr. J and I had a date night to our now-fav local winery, Debevino for a wine tasting and then got dinner at Tavolino. We had a pizza we fell in love with. It had crispy chicken, bacon, smokes gouda, mozzarella and a roasted garlic-honey drizzle. I loooved it and actually asked if they sold the sauce- they don’t.

My pizza was a bit different than the restaurant version, but this sauce- ohh this sauce -is to die for. I plan to whip up some more sauce asap. We would love this sauce spread on a panini, as a bread dip, on a burger, or drizzled on pasta or over roasted veggies. For 2 seconds I felt bad that the sauce will take you 45 minutes. But seriously, when else will you have this much time?? Also, B, you’re just popping the garlic into the oven and setting a timer. I roasted it in the toaster oven for 40 minutes and mixed up the sauce. Then it chilled in the fridge until dinner time!

The Three Bite Rule - Honey Garlic Sauce Pizza

Honey Garlic Sauce Sauce on Pizza

Ingredients:

1 bulb of garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon butter
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
salt & pepper
pizza dough
3/4 cup mozzarella
1/2 cup shredded, roasted chicken
2 cups arugula
drizzle of olive oil, vinegar, or Italian dressing

Directions:

Slice 1/4 inch off the top off the garlic bulb, drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil and wrap in foil. Roast at 400-degrees for 40 minutes. (It should be super soft, add another 10 minutes if needed). This can be done in advance too.
Poke or scoop each garlic clove out into a small food processor or a bowl to beat with a hand mixer. Add in remaining olive oil, honey, butter, garlic powder, and a sprinkle of salt & pepper.
The Three Bite Rule - Honey Garlic Sauce Pizza
Blend until smooth. Chill until using.
The Three Bite Rule - Honey Garlic Sauce Pizza

Preheat a pizza stone, the oven, or grill – however you’re cooking your pizza.
Spread the sauce onto the crust then top with cheese and chicken.
The Three Bite Rule - Honey Garlic Sauce Pizza
Bake until the crust crisps and the cheese melts.
The Three Bite Rule - Honey Garlic Sauce Pizza
Top with arugula dressed in olive oil and vinegar or Italian dressing.
Enjoy!
The Three Bite Rule - Honey Garlic Sauce Pizza
We seriously swooned over this one. The chicken was from a rotisserie chicken that I had frozen. Pizzas are a great way to spread a small amount of the protein for topping! The sauce was flavorful, rich, and sweet. I love the raw crunch of the greens on a melty pizza. Some chopped parsley for some freshness and greens would be a great alternative.

Dark Cherry & Arugula Flatbread

I love the simplicity most about this flatbread. It has some special touches but is wayyy easier than it seems! The cherries were frozen- with the pits already removed! They can pretty much thaw on the counter while everything else is prepping! What a great way to get another color of the food rainbow in!

The Three Bite Rule - Cherry Arugula Flatbread

Cherry, Arugula & Parmesan Flatbread

Ingredients:

4 naan (I used wheat)
1/4 cup whipped cream cheese
3 cups baby arugula
1/4 cup shaved parmesan
1/2 cup dark cherries, frozen
1 teaspoon olive oil
salt & pepper

Directions:

The Three Bite Rule - Cherry Arugula Flatbread
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, or a toaster oven to toast the naan for 5-8 minutes, until crisping on the edges but still soft.
Toss the arugula in olive oil with salt & pepper.
Spread cream cheese on each piece of naan and sprinkle arugula, parmesan, and cherries on top.
The Three Bite Rule - Cherry Arugula Flatbread
Slice & enjoy!

This takes 10 minutes and I can picture munching it on a patio at a restaurant who’d ask $18 for it. I love the cherries contrasting the arugula and parm. The cherries are a great smoothie addition for leftovers or are fantastic on yogurt.
The Three Bite Rule - Cherry Arugula Flatbread
I use naan for the fastest weeknight pizzas ever. This week is nutty at work with an event this weekend so I planned some quick pizzas on naan for a weeknight meal and my Thursday night self thanks that Sunday planning self! Naan pizzas freeze well too if prepping in advance – not an arugula flatbread, but go for it with traditional toppings! I also found tiny naans that are a great kid size for lunches too!

Ham & Cheddar Pizza with Mustard Drizzle

Fastest pizza/flatbread ever! I thought about a panini but then wanted it to be a pizza. Wheat naan make the fastest pizza crust ever and I love the individual servings. The really good quality cheddar cheese makes this, and of course the caramelized onions don’t hurt either.

The Three Bite Rule - Ham & Cheddar Pizza with Mustard Drizzle

Ham & Cheddar Pizza with a Mustard Drizzle

Ingredients: (for 4)

4 naan
1 small white onion, cut into slices
2 tablespoons cream cheese
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
~2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar
2 slices spiral cut ham, diced
4 tablespoons honey mustard dressing

Directions:

Preheat the oven (and pizza stone if using one) to 400 degrees.
In a small pan, cook the onion in butter or olive oil over low heat for about 20 minutes, or until gently caramelized.
Mix together the “sauce” of cream cheese and dijon.
The Three Bite Rule - Ham & Cheddar Pizza with Mustard Drizzle
Spread it onto the naan.
Sprinkle cheese on top, then add the ham and onions.
The Three Bite Rule - Ham & Cheddar Pizza with Mustard Drizzle
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese melts and the naan starts to crisp. The naan stays mostly soft but the edges crisp a little.
The Three Bite Rule - Ham & Cheddar Pizza with Mustard Drizzle
Let cool for about 2 minutes out of the oven, then drizzle with honey mustard dressing.
The Three Bite Rule - Ham & Cheddar Pizza with Mustard Drizzle
I loved this! Outside the box pizza toppings are some of my favorites and this was the ideal leftover for some holiday ham slices that made their way into our freezer. Our pre-schooler is obsessed with honey mustard so it was my nod to him too. He ate about 1/3 of one, which I thought was a pretty solid quantity since he often likes his foods separate and meat isn’t always his go-to! It was a reminder too that 2 slices of ham went a very far way when chopped up to become 4 individualized pizzas!

This could be a fun brunch one too since topping it with a fried egg also sounds delicious!

Breakfast Pizza with Sausage Gravy and Eggs

Breakfast and pizza- the best of both worlds! The sausage gravy serves as the sauce on English muffins and then it gets topped with white cheddar, tomato slices, and scrambled eggs. So good.

The Three Bite Rule - Breakfast Pizza

Breakfast Pizza with Sausage Gravy and Scrambled Eggs (for 2)

Ingredients:

2 breakfast sausage links
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons brewed coffee
2 English muffins
1/4 cup white cheddar
2 eggs
salt & pepper

Directions:

Remove the sausage from the casing and pan fry the sausage until cooked through, about 5 minutes, breaking the sausage into very small pieces. Remove the sausage and leave the drippings in the pan. Add in the butter to melt over low heat. Sprinkle in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add in the 1/4 cup milk and coffee. Whisk until smooth. Sprinkle in salt and pepper then return the sausage into the pan.
The Three Bite Rule - Breakfast Pizza
Toast the English muffins and spoon the gravy over the English muffins. Top with cheese and return to the toaster oven or oven to melt the cheese.
The Three Bite Rule - Breakfast Pizza
While the cheese is melting, scramble and cook the eggs just until cooked and remove from the heat. Season with salt & pepper.
Slice the tomato and add on top of the cheese, then spoon the eggs onto the top.
The Three Bite Rule - Breakfast Pizza
Enjoy!

I loved the sausage gravy on these breakfast pizzas. It amps them up big time and takes so little to do so! The bigger chunks of sausage were trickier to layer on but the gravy only uses 2 sausage links, for 2 people! For a vegetarian version, mushroom gravy would be delicious! Use good quality white cheddar here, it is so worth it. I found the tomato freshness and acidity necessary.