Back before I moved, I had to go through the fridge, freezer and pantry and start using up or throwing away items that wouldn’t make it with us to Helena. I made random meals including my empty the fridge fall stir-fry (that I’ve remade several times) including this pumpkin pizza.
My thought process went something like this — “What do I want for dinner? Let’s see what I need to use up…that lonely pizza crust from Udi’s I’d purchased awhile ago needs to be eaten. Hmm pizza, that sounds good to me! I also found 1 link of chicken sausage, one string cheese, 1/3 can of pumpkin puree and the last few tablespoons of feta in a container. Cheese – check! Protein – got it! Sauce – bingo! And there you have it – sausage pizza with pumpkin sauce and feta.
The combo is unique and every bit as delicious!! This pizza hit the spot – cheesy and salty with a slight acidity from the pumpkin sauce all topped with sauteed greens (I used spinach) and thinly sliced onion. Though I love a good tomato base on a pizza, this pumpkin sauce was a surprisingly nice change from traditional and was the ultimate way to use up ingredients. I will be making a version this again, but this time on purpose!
Sausage Pumpkin Pizza
Ingredients
1 gluten free pizza crust (I used Udi’s pizza crust) or use a homemade crust
1 tsp + 2 tsp olive oil (divided)
1 cooked chicken bratwurst sausage, sliced or crumbled
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (or other winter squash)
1/2 tsp italian seasoning
1/4 tsp dried sage
dash of crushed red pepper
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 tsp sea salt
2- 3 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup onion, sliced thinly (I used red)
2 cups of leaves of any greens (spinach, kale, collards, chard), washed and roughly chopped
2 Tbsp feta cheese, crumbled (goat cheese would also be good)
1 to 2 oz shredded mozzarella cheese (I used a string cheese)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450F (or if using a prepared crust, pre cook according to package directions).
2. In a small bowl, add 2 tsp olive oil, pumpkin puree, herbs, salt, pepper and apple cider vinegar. Set aside.
3. In a medium skillet, heat remaining teaspoon of oil over medium heat. Saute onions for 3-4 minutes. Add sausage and cook for 2 minutes to heat through and add some color. Add greens, stir and remove from heat (will wilt in the oven).
4. Spread pumpkin sauce over the crust. Top with onion-greens mixture and both cheeses. Bake 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and toppings are warmed. Slice, serve and enjoy!
Serves one (2 if you aren’t that hungry)
