Ingredients For A Fabulous Life
raising the bar on life, one post at a time...
Try serving Cold Herbed Cheese & Salad Pizza with a crisp white wine for a lovely Summer meal.
COLD HERBED CHEESE AND SALAD PIZZA
A garlicy crust slathered with a creamy herbed cheese spread and topped with a cool, crisp salad lightly dressed with a tangy vinaigrette. This Cold Herbed Cheese and Salad Pizza is the perfect al fresco Summer repast.
But, salad on a pizza, really? Yes! It’s one of those Summertime recipes that’s just so fabulous that you find yourself putting it on the menu all season long!
And it’s so easy when you use a store-bought ball of fresh pizza dough. Actually I love to make pizza dough, but I wanted this recipe to be a fast treat that can be tossed together in a half-hour or so.
True, the oven does need to be turned on, but it’s for less than 15 minutes total! I treat the dough just as I would when I make it myself, especially using cornmeal to keep it from sticking to the peel.
So, now let’s talk about what we’re putting on top of that lovely, crispy pizza crust.
THIS EASY PICKLED RED ONIONS RECIPE IS ALWAYS IN MY REFRIGERATOR!
Easy pickled red onions are always in my refrigerator, especially in the Summer!
You may not think of pickled vegies as an important item in the Summertime, but I do! Adding a little zest to my foods is so simple with these deliciously simple Easy Pickled Red Onions. There are so many ways to use them, especially as a “finishing touch”! They’re amazing on sandwiches and in salads too.
But they’re especially fabulous on my Cold Herbed Cheese and Salad Pizza!
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE: EASY PICKLED RED ONIONS
PANCETTA – TASTY TIDBITS OF PORK GOODNESS
So why is this little stick of pork so yummy? Strip bacon from the package can be too fatty and can crumble upon cooking. But, lardons of pancetta are perfectly juicy, salty sticks of cured pork. And that makes it a lovely, chewy addition to this fabulously fun pizza recipe.
I insist you pick up a piece of slab bacon from the grocer and slice the batons yourself. To cut them by hand, slice slab bacon into ¼” strips. Cook them slowly over medium heat until most of the fat has rendered out.
Stick around and keep an eye on them, because the difference between juicy lardons and bitter bacon bits is just a few moments away. I promise, you’ll be so happy that you used pancetta, the difference is amazingly delicious!
HERBED CHEESE SPREAD – You Can Customize It To Your Tastes
Even though this is an incredibly versatile cheese spread recipe, I do recommend that the base be equal parts cream cheese and chevre. It makes a very necessary rich and tangy component on this lovely Cold Herbed Cheese and Salad Pizza.
Another ingredient I feel is absolutely necessary is a few cloves of Garlic Confit. It’s a fabulous alternative to roasting heads of garlic, and renders lovely cloves that are tender, sweet and deeply flavorful.
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE: GARLIC CONFIT
As far as the the herbs go, makes sure you use a nice combination of several, but otherwise it’s totally up to you! Here’s some of the fresh herbs that will be perfect in this recipe for Cold Herbed Cheese and Salad Pizza:
- Parsley
- Rosemary
- Basil
- Thyme
- Chives
- Chervil
- Marjoram
- Cilantro
A few more seasonings and you’ll have a fabulously delicious “sauce” replacement for your Cold Herbed Cheese and Salad Pizza.
LET’S MAKE THIS COLD HERBED CHEESE SALAD PIZZA ALREADY!
Here’s How It Goes…
Once you have all the components ready to roll, it’s just a matter of putting it all together. Wait until just before you want to serve your Cold Herbed Cheese and Salad Pizza to assemble.
- First, once the crust has cooled for a few minutes, you can spread a nice thick layer of the Herbed Cheese Spread you customized.
- Then you’ll toss all the salad ingredients together in a bowl, keeping your pancetta separate. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, dress it, toss well to coat and arrange on top of your crust.
- Sprinkle the crispy pancetta over your salad pizza and serve with a lovely crisp white wine!
I hope you give this fabulous Summertime recipe a try. It’s a little “out-of-the-box”, putting salad on a pizza, but I think you’re going to love it. Just look at the crispy brown crust, flavored with the garlic oil you have from your Garlic Confit. YUM!
Cold Herbed Cheese Salad Pizza is indeed an addictive experience, but it’s a healthy one for a change!
Want unlimited access to all the fabulous printables in the IFAFL Subscriber’s Resource Library? Why aren’t you on our list yet?
Join in on the fun!
Fill out the form below and you’ll receive unlimited access to our Resource Library as a thank you for joining the IFAFL Email Subscriber List.
As a Ingredients For A Fabulous Life Subscriber, you’ll get instant access to all the fabulous printables in the IFAFL Resource Library and receive our weekly emails.
What are you waiting for? You don’t want to miss out on anything fabulous, do you?
There’s always something fabulous happening here at Ingredients For A Fabulous Life, don’t you want to stay in the loop?
And while you’re at it, come join the gang in our Facebook group and get in on the gabfest at, The Fab Life! That’s where we show off our triumphs and share our pursuit of “the good life” with each other all week long.
Cold Herbed Cheese & Salad Pizza
A garlicy crust slathered with a creamy herbed cheese spread and topped with a cool, crisp salad lightly dressed with a tangy vinaigrette. Try serving Cold Herbed Cheese & Salad Pizza with a crisp white wine for a lovely Summer meal.
Ingredients
- PANCETTA
- 6 oz. pancetta, cut into lardons
- PIZZA
- 1 lb. fresh pizza dough ball
- 2 Tbsp. Garlic Oil
- HERBED CHEESE SPREAD
- 6 oz. plain goat cheese
- 6 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 4 Tbsp. fresh herbs, chopped
- 2 cloves, Garlic Confit, spread into paste (see recipe in post)
- 1 tsp. fresh lemon zest
- 1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
- 2 tsp. Garlic Oil (see recipe for post)
- SALAD
- ½ cup pickled red onions (see recipe)
- 1 cup artichoke hearts, quartered
- ½ large red bell pepper, cut in thin strips
- 2 cups Spring mix, lightly packed
- 1 cup Arugula, lightly packed
- 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large nonstick skillet, cook the pancetta over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it’s browned and beginning to get crispy. Drain on paper towels and hold until ready
to assemble salad. (if making ahead, keep in refrigerator in a tightly sealed container) - Preheat oven to 475°F. Place dough on a rimmed baking sheet or pizza pan and drizzle with 1 Tbsp. oil; turning ball to coat. Stretch dough toward edges with your hands until it covers the entire sheet in a thin layer. If the dough springs back, let it rest a few minutes before finishing.
- Brush surface of the dough with garlic oil. Bake dough, rotating baking sheet once, until golden, puffed, and crisp all over, 10–12 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack.
- In a medium bowl, add cheeses, herbs, lemon
juice & zest, S&P and garlic oil. Mix until thoroughly combined. Keep covered in the refrigerator if making ahead, otherwise leave it out for ease of spreading. - Arrange salad on top of pizza crust. Sprinkle lardons of pancetta on top of salad. Slice pizza into squares or wedges.
Notes
The Herbed Cheese Spread can be done up to one day ahead and refrigerated in a tightly covered container.
Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 600Total Fat 44gSaturated Fat 15gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 25gCholesterol 54mgCarbohydrates 38gFiber 3gSugar 4gProtein 15g
Footer
