Today is gonna be a good day.
How do I know? It’s National Grilled Cheese Day!!! What could go wrong when we’re sandwiching our lives between buttery carbs and melty, gooey cheese?!…
Fontina & Prosciutto Pizza with Lemony Arugula Salad
Balance. It’s what we all strive for (or should strive for) with eating. In the dark depths of winter, this can be rather challenging. A cold green smoothie just hasn’t been cutting it these past couple months. Salad for dinner has been happening…well…it hasn’t been happening at all. Maybe for lunch. But not for dinner…after the sun has prematurely set and the bone-chilling cold sets in at full force.
All I want to do these days, as we work our way through freezing temperatures, icy streets, and another snowstorm, is curl up on the couch with a large serving of something warm, heavy, and nap inducing. Given that it’s March and we’re already in our fourth month of crazy cold temperatures, this sort of thing has been happening more often than I’d like to admit.
So, to make this luscious cheese and prosciutto pizza seem a little more BALANCED, I throw an arugula salad on top. And then top said salad with more cheese. Womp womp. Oh well, at least I tried!
This pizza is like one that you may see at your local Italian pizza joints. I find that most places in my area have some version of a white pizza with fresh arugula on top on their menus. It’s a go to for me, and it never disappoints.
My version starts with a ball of purchased pizza dough. Yes, STORE BOUGHT. Ever since I had the baby, making my own pizza dough hasn’t been high on the priority list. If you want to make your own, though, feel free (here’s my go-to at-home recipe). You earn extra points. Anyway, I roll the dough out super thin and top it with some of my most favorite melty cheeses: fontina and mozzarella. Then, for added punch, I sprinkle on some sharp pecorino romano cheese and thinly sliced red onion. It gets baked until it is toasty and melty and glorious.
Once it comes out of the oven, I layer on the sexiest ham on earth (yes, I just called ham “sexy”): prosciutto. Thin, buttery ribbons of yummy. That’s what I think of when I see/eat prosciutto. It adds the perfect saltiness and luxury to any ol’ pizza.
THEN, I top the whole thing with baby arugula simply dressed with olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and a pinch of sugar for balance (there I go, using that word again). The final touch is a few (read: many) shavings of Parmesan cheese over the top. And voila! You’ve got a killer pizza-and-salad meal all in one.
Whether you’re looking for more balance or just a damn good meal, this pizza is for you.
Fontina & Prosciutto Pizza with Lemony Arugula Salad
1 (1-lb) ball of pizza dough
½ cup shredded Pecorino cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups shredded Fontina cheese
½ of a red onion, sliced very thin
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of sugar
6 cups baby arugula
6 slices of Prosciutto
Shaved parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 475°F and place a pizza stone (if using) on the middle rack. Roll the dough out to desired thickness and brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Transfer to a pizza peel lined with cornmeal. If not using a pizza stone, liberally oil a baking sheet and place the rolled out dough on the sheet.
Mix the cheeses and the lemon zest together in a bowl. Layer the cheeses and red onion slices all over the top of the pizza. Transfer the dough to the pizza stone and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the bottom is crispy and golden and the cheeses have melted.
While the pizza is baking, toss the arugula with the lemon juice, olive oil, pinch of sugar, and salt and pepper. Remove the pizza from the oven and immediately top with the sliced prosciutto and the dressed arugula. Top with parmesan shavings, slice, and serve immediately.
Pizza with Roasted Brussels, Bacon, & Roasted Garlic Cream
Am I the only one who cannot wait for daylight savings?
I am in dire need of one more hour of daylight each day. Yes, it’s been better these past few weeks, but still! It’s depressing when the day ends at 5 pm. It makes me sleepy.
I’m looking forward to all things spring. Longer days, milder weather, the smell of food grilling away outside, and eating lighter.
In the meantime, I’ll continue to cozy up with the comfort foods we all know and love. This pizza is topping my list at the moment. It’s all my favorite things in one bite.
Dough, cheese, bacon, brussels, roasted garlic, and cheese. My kind of pizza.
I’ve already ranted on and on about my love of brussels, but really, bacon and brussels were meant to go together. I feel like each one makes the other better. How can anything make bacon BETTER, you ask? Try it with brussels. You can thank me later.
The roasted garlic cream is my way of changing up the tune of classic white pizza. Instead of using the raw garlicky flavor that we often associated with white pizza, I decided to roast the heck out of it to tone things down a bit. The sweet and savory flavor of roasted garlic is one of the best on this good earth, if you ask me. I love it deeply golden and super soft. So soft that you can spread it on bread. Yum.
I’m so in love with this pizza, I am half-tempted to run out to the store right now to buy more brussels so I can make it for dinner tonight. It’s incredible.
So good.
Pizza with Roasted Brussels, Bacon, & Roasted Garlic Cream (makes 4 servings)
For the Roasted Garlic Cream:
1 head of garlic, halved
Olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup of milk, warmed
½ cup freshly grated pecorino cheese
Salt and pepper
Pizza dough (I use the dough from this recipe)
1 cup of roasted brussels sprouts, halved
4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 cups grated fontina cheese
Fresh thyme, chopped
For the Roasted Garlic Cream:
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the head of garlic on a piece of tin foil, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and wrap up to form a bundle. Roast in the oven for 35-45 minutes, or until the cloves of garlic are soft and caramelized. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before handling. Raise the oven temperature to 475°F and place a pizza stone (if using) in the oven.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour and cook for a minute. Very slowly whisk in the warmed milk. Whisk constantly until the mixture begins to thicken. Stir in the cheese until melted. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of the skins and into the sauce. Whisk to combine and then remove from heat. Allow to cool.
To assemble:
Roll the pizza dough out to desired thickness and shape. Place on a pizza peel sprinkled with cornmeal (if you’re not using the pizza stone/peel method, just roll out onto a greased baking sheet). Spread the roasted garlic sauce evenly over the dough and then top with most of the grated fontina. Evenly distribute the brussels and bacon over the top and then sprinkle with a little more fontina cheese. Finally, sprinkle the fresh thyme over the top.
Transfer the pizza to the preheated oven/stone and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the crust is crispy and beginning to brown and the cheese is bubbly and browned in spots. Remove from oven, allow to cool for a few minutes, and then slice and serve!
Sherried Tomato Bisque with Fontina Toasts
I think I’ve established that I am a huge fan of soup. LOVE IT. Cannot get enough of it. I mean, I’m that weirdo that eats soup in the dead of summer. Obsessed.
Tomato soup with grilled cheese has always been a classic that I’ve adored. Growing up, my mom would often serve my sisters and me the condensed tomato soup from a can along with grilled cheese sandwiches stuffed with good ol’ processed American cheese singles. I have a fondness for the stuff. Please don’t judge.
I would usually end up dunking my grilled cheese sammie in the tomato soup tinged with the taste of tin and enough salt for a week. I’m a fan of dunking in general. Sandwiches in soup, biscotti in espresso, cookies in milk, and even french fries in chocolate milkshakes. Yes. FRIES IN A MILKSHAKE. Don’t knock it ’til you try it.
Anyway, back to the soup…
Since then, my tastes have evolved in some ways and stayed exactly the same in others. I still love mac and cheese from a box, and I have been known to eat canned soup on the regular. There’s nothing wrong with a little convenience here and there. Nothing, however, beats the taste and comfort of homemade soup. It’s the best.
And let’s not forget that American cheese. It’s still a guilty pleasure for me when it comes to grilled cheese sammies. I’ll always love the melty, gooey mess it creates. Yum.
The more “evolved” me reaches for fontina instead. It is definitely one of my fav cheeses. It’s super rich and creamy, and melts like a dream. It’s perfect for grilled cheese sammies (I have an INSANE recipe for that coming soon) or just as a quick and easy toast topper. Which is exactly what I did for this soup.
The soup itself is creamy, salty, and definitely tomato-y…but it’s “elevated” with a touch of sherry (OK, a CUP of sherry) and a pinch of heat in the way of red pepper flakes. I love the taste of sherry, so I add half of it at the end of cooking so that it doesn’t all cook out. You do NOT have to do this, especially if you are feeding children. It’s an added touch that I love but is totally optional.
So, while this dish evokes the memories of childhood for me, it also symbolizes my culinary growth since then (that sounds pretentious, doesn’t it?). It tastes like the original…but better. I promise. It’s perfect for a cold, rainy day…or, if you’re me, a hot, sweaty day in July. Hah.
Tomato soup and grilled cheese fo’ life.
Sherried Tomato Bisque with Fontina Toasts (makes 8 servings)
For the Soup:
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (or a mix of herbs of your choosing)
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons sugar (or to taste)
1 cup dry sherry, divided
1 (28-oz) can pureed tomatoes
1 (28-oz) can diced tomatoes
4 cups low-sodium tomato juice
1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper, to taste
For the Cheese Toasts:
Olive oil
1 halved garlic clove
1 loaf crusty multigrain bread, sliced
8 oz fontina cheese, sliced
1. Sauté the diced onions in olive oil and butter over medium heat until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and dried herbs and sauté for another 1-2 minutes. Stir in the sugar and allow to cook for a few minutes. Add in half of the sherry to deglaze the pan and cook until the sherry has reduced.
2. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato puree, tomato juice, chicken stock, and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.3. Bring to a simmer and cook for 25-30 minutes. Turn off heat and puree using an immersion blender or (in batches) in a regular blender.4. Stir in the remaining sherry and the cream. Reheat to desired temperature and check for seasonings.5. For the Cheese Toasts: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with tin foil or parchment. Slice the bread and drizzle with olive oil. Place on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until starting to turn golden brown around the edges. Remove from heat and carefully rub the halved garlic all over the hot bread. Top each piece with a slice of fontina and return to the oven until the cheese is melted.6. Serve the soup with the cheese toasts! You can serve them on the side, or if you’re a dunker like me, you can float them in the soup or submerge them as you go. Delish either way!
Hi There. I'm Molly. I'm a food-obsessed, self-taught cook and I can't wait to share my passion for all things culinary with you. My love for egg yolks is just the tip of the iceberg!