| Chile Pesto Mini Pizzas |
Author: Anita
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 12 mins
Total time: 27 mins
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp 505 Sweet N' Spicy Salsa
- 2 tbsp pesto *(see notes)
- ½ onion, sliced
- 1½ bell peppers (red, yellow, orange), sliced into strips or pieces
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ⅓ lb hot Italian sausage
- ¾ cup shredded Cheddar / Monterey Jack cheese
- 3 mini naan or pita (I used Stonefire mini naan)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Blend the 505 Sweet N' Spicy Salsa and the pesto in a small bowl or cup and set aside.
- In a medium skillet over medium heat, saute the bell peppers and onion in 1 tbsp olive oil until soft. At the same time, brown the sausage in a small skillet over medium heat, breaking the sausage into chunks as it cooks. Set both aside.
- Place the mini naan on a cookie sheet, spread each with 1½ tbsp salsa pesto mixture, and top with a layer of bell peppers, onions and sausage.
- Spread ¼ cup of shredded cheese on each naan. Top with a little more pepper and sausage.
- Bake for 12 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.
- For appetizers, cut each naan pizza into quarters and serve hot.
- Enjoy! ... To reheat, just pop into the microwave and nuke for about 20-30 seconds.
Notes
Any pesto will work fine in this (though the Trader Joe's Genova Pesto is exceptional)
The brand of mini naan and cheese probably doesn't matter.
The 505 Sweet N' Spicy Salsa does give a particular flavor balance that is noticeable. Using other salsa or just diced green chiles will also be good, but the difference in flavor will be noticeable.
Commentary:
Ready for that Super Bowl party? These are very easy to make, can be assembled ahead of time, and are really yummy! So far, this is my favorite quickie pizza recipe. Guaranteed to be a hit. They can also be reheated in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Plus this recipe can be doubled, tripled, or whatever to fit any number of people. As a matter of fact, as long as you have the salsa/pesto proportion about right, the rest of the proportions don’t matter much – it’s 2 parts salsa to 1 part pesto, and it will store in the fridge for about 2 weeks.
I used 505 Sweet N’ Spicy Salsa for this. I think it gives the right amount of heat and just a hint of sweet. If you are just using diced chiles instead, you might add ¼ tsp sugar for each tablespoon of chile. This also would be good with just chiles instead of the salsa, but it would taste a bit different. Any pesto will be good with this, but I used Trader Joe’s Genova Pesto. For the cheese, I used Costco’s Shredded Mexican Blend. Want different toppings? Knock yourself out.
The mini naan I used is Stonefire. It comes in 4-packs and an 18-pack that I got at Costco. You can also use mini pitas, but I prefer the mini naan. It’s softer and more flavorful; personally, I think pitas too often seem a bit like cardboard.
I think this is ideal for any Super Bowl party. You can give each person his own pizza or cut it into quarters (I recommend using a pizza cutter) for 2-bite sized servings. Got any suggested variations? Send them to me at anita@denvergreenchili.com, ok?
The brand of mini naan and cheese probably doesn't matter.
The 505 Sweet N' Spicy Salsa does give a particular flavor balance that is noticeable. Using other salsa or just diced green chiles will also be good, but the difference in flavor will be noticeable.
Commentary:
Ready for that Super Bowl party? These are very easy to make, can be assembled ahead of time, and are really yummy! So far, this is my favorite quickie pizza recipe. Guaranteed to be a hit. They can also be reheated in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Plus this recipe can be doubled, tripled, or whatever to fit any number of people. As a matter of fact, as long as you have the salsa/pesto proportion about right, the rest of the proportions don’t matter much – it’s 2 parts salsa to 1 part pesto, and it will store in the fridge for about 2 weeks.
I used 505 Sweet N’ Spicy Salsa for this. I think it gives the right amount of heat and just a hint of sweet. If you are just using diced chiles instead, you might add ¼ tsp sugar for each tablespoon of chile. This also would be good with just chiles instead of the salsa, but it would taste a bit different. Any pesto will be good with this, but I used Trader Joe’s Genova Pesto. For the cheese, I used Costco’s Shredded Mexican Blend. Want different toppings? Knock yourself out.
The mini naan I used is Stonefire. It comes in 4-packs and an 18-pack that I got at Costco. You can also use mini pitas, but I prefer the mini naan. It’s softer and more flavorful; personally, I think pitas too often seem a bit like cardboard.
I think this is ideal for any Super Bowl party. You can give each person his own pizza or cut it into quarters (I recommend using a pizza cutter) for 2-bite sized servings. Got any suggested variations? Send them to me at anita@denvergreenchili.com, ok?
Recipe by Denver Green Chili at https://denvergreenchili.com/recipes/appetizers/hors-doeuvres/chile-pesto-mini-pizzas/