What is something that you’ve always been afraid to make? Mine was grilled pizza. There’s actually a list of things that I’m afraid to make but grilled pizzas are on there. So what do I do? I use the summer as an opportunity to conquer it. Grilling can be great for a lot of reasons. It’s a lighter way to cook, it’s no mess and it doesn’t heat up your kitchen. So why not take Friday-night pizza dinners to the grill?

Tip #1: Don’t enter the grilled pizza world like a pro. Instead of using raw dough, I used store-bought flatbreads. These guys are a bit sturdier so if you leave them on the grill too long, they hold true. Tip #2: Don’t go crazy with the ingredients. Use things that you’re comfortable with so that you’re not learning too many new things at once. I decided to create a veggie pizza with vegetables I’ve grilled before and had confidence in a) not over cooking and b) not under cooking. Tip #3: Go with your gut. If you feel like the pizza needs to come off the grill, take it off the grill. Everything on this pizza will already be cooked so if the cheese needs to melt a little more, turn off the grill and close the lid. The remaining heat will cause it to melt just fine.

I was surprised at how delicious this pizza turned out. It was light and full of great flavor. The vegetables also make it pretty good for you to, at least they do in my book! It also is a pretty quick dinner which is nice on a Friday night when all you want to do is kick your feet up and relax. Am I right?

Grilled Veggie Flatbread Pizzas
Ingredients:
2 large Flatbreads
2 tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Zucchini, halved and sliced long-ways
2 Red Peppers, hollowed out and cut in quarters
1 small Red Onion, sliced
1 cup Pasta or Pizza Sauce
1 cup Shredded Mozzarella
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
1 - Preheat the grill to medium heat. Brush all the veggies with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on the grill and cook each side for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the grill and cut the red peppers into large chunks. Set aside.

2 - Grill the first side of the flatbreads for 3-5 minutes until there are slight grill marks and it’s starting to char. Flip*. Spoon on the pasta sauce and arrange the veggies. Sprinkle with cheese. Let cook for another 3-5 minutes until the cheese has melted and bottoms have grill marks and are starting to char**. Serve Immediately.

*NOTE: It’s much easier to remove the flatbread from the grill after grilling the first side to assemble the pizzas. Assembling the pizzas while on the grill could cause the bottom side of the flatbread to burn.

**2nd Note: If the bottom has charred but the cheese still needs to melt. Turn the grill off and close the lid for another minute or two. The trapped heat will melt the cheese and you’ve turned off the direct heat to the bottom of the flatbread so it doesn’t burn.