This post contains affiliate links and may earn commissions on recommended products. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
One of the things that helps keep me sane with my busy schedule is planning our weekly menu. To some people it seems kind of weird but once you get into the groove of it, I find menu planning to be a lifesaver. We know in advance what we’re going to eat each night so we don’t have to spend 30 minutes each night opening and closing the freezer or pantry trying to decide what to eat.
Fridays are made doubly easy because it’s the same every week. Pizza.
Pizza is the one thing I allow us to have all the time. I’m strange in that I don’t want to be eating repeats during a given month. We might have pasta with tomato sauce twice, but only if I can’t come up with something more creative. At the end of the week, though, I love having pizza as our go-to. I make a bowl of dough when I get off work, prep toppings, and by the time 5 rolls around, we just need to have fun assembling.
But since we have pizza a lot, it was a bit hard to come up with a plan for Project Food Blog Round 5: Pizza.
At first I was determined to make pizza cones, something I had tried back in March but didn’t have success with.
Unfortunately, no success again. I just couldn’t get the dough pre-cooked enough to not be soggy in the final product.
I moved on, and somehow immediately thought of the leftover barbecue beef in the fridge. Because we bought a side of a cow, we always seem to have a lot of beef around, and a roast sure does make a lot of barbecue. And then of course I thought about all the fresh produce right now – oddly enough we’re still getting summer lovin’ from the eggplant and tomato plants.
These two-bite pizzas are perfect for appetizers or a light lunch. Or maybe as midnight snacks. Or as breakfast. However you do.
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star review below!
It means so much when you enjoy my recipes, so let me know how it goes and leave a comment if you have any questions.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces diced roasted Hatch peppers
- 1/2 tbsp flour
- 1 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1 polenta chub, cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 1/2 cup leftover barbecue beef, I used the recipe from Simply in Season
- Crumbled goat cheese
Instructions
- Preheat broiler.
- In a saucepan, heat peppers until starting to sizzle a little, then stir in flour until all mixed in. Slowly stir in broth. Heat on medium low, stirring occasionally, while preparing the rest.
- Spray a large frying pan with nonstick spray and heat over medium. Cook polenta slices for 3-5 minutes on each side, until golden. Remove to a parchment-paper lined cookie sheet.
- Spread a small amount of sauce onto each polenta slice, then top with barbecue beef and goat cheese. Pop under broiler for about 3 minutes, until heated through.
Recommended Products
Nutrition
Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate based on online calculators. Any nutritional information found on Stetted should be used as a general guideline only.
Garden Pizzas
1 eggplant, sliced into rounds
2 ounces pesto sauce
1 tomato, diced
Shredded mozzarella
Preheat broiler.
In a dry cast-iron pan (preferably grill pan) sear the eggplant for about 2 minutes on each side. Remove to parchment-lined cookie sheet.
Spread a layer of pesto on each round, then top with chopped tomato and shredded mozzarella.
Put under the broiler until heated through and the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes.
The tangy goat cheese plays off nicely with the hatch pepper sauce, and I love the meatiness of the eggplant. Plus this pizza combination is perfect to serve to others, because you can please both the carnivores and vegetarians. And no fussy yeast required.
About Megan
I learned how to cook by exploring seasonal ingredients, and you can too! Meal time shouldn’t be stressful or complicated, and with fresh ingredients and easy methods, Iโm here to help you enjoy the time spent in the kitchen.ย Read moreโฆ
I swear by my weekly menus they are how I get through the week. Our one constant is pizza as well its funny what a comfort is it to have that built in to the menu. Loving that texas pizza !
You bought a side of cow ? how amazing is that ! That’s what I’m longing to do but in Paris its really only a dream.
Good Luck !
Yeah Texas! Oh how I miss the BBQ… just isn’t the same out here in SF. Anyway, the combination of polenta/corn grits with BBQ brisket sounds just awesome and I also heart the idea of using eggplant rounds as a pizza base. Good luck!
I love these recipes. It looks great.
Both sound delicious, I’m definitely giving the garden pizza a try. Best of luck in the challenge! ๐
I like both of these ideas. The hardest part of being just a couple again is the scaling back of cooking quantities. Even a regular pizza dough is huge. This way, one can still have pizza, without all the overeating that my body is not wanting any longer.
Polenta lends itself to so many possibilities! And the husband loves anything that has anything to do with eggplant.
I love the polenta and eggplant “crusts”! Great job!
Well done! Lovely post!! I’m with Dana, the polenta and eggplant crusts sound delicious!!
Garden pizza looks awesome. I could eat that in one bite.
Growing up with my Mom and two older brothers, Pizza Friday was just as regular as church on Sundays. I’m talking from when I was a toddler all the way until I was a teenager leaving home, so I love and respect your go-to pizza thing. Secondly, I think pizzas at home are about using up those ingredients and leftovers that need to be eaten, not wasted. We vibe on pizza, so you are def getting my vote. Good luck!
Love these little bites, I bet they both tasted amazing. Great to serve for appetizers at a party.
LL
simple .but very delicious ..bust luck
Looks great, I love mini versions of all foods ๐ Bookmarked this page.