Autumn Pizza with Sweet Potatoes, Arugula, and Sunflower Seeds
Mm, fall. Mmm, pizza. Mmm, sweet potato pizza?
This might be what’s going through your mind right now, and that’s ok. This unique camping pizza recipe is here to change your mind. Every time the seasons change, I do my best to make new camping recipes that involve seasonal ingredients. If you’re not familiar with eating seasonally, here’s the deal. Seasonal foods are the foods that are in season, meaning naturally ripe and ready for harvest, at a certain time of the year. Seasonal foods are generally less expensive and more environmentally friendly. Because they’re in season, they don’t have to be shipped from another side of the world to get to your plate. Eating seasonally is a great way to make your diet a little more sustainable. You can find out what foods are in season with the handy Seasonal Food Guide.
But what should I make this fall with my seasonal ingredients? Wow, I never thought you’d ask! Why not try this great camping pizza recipe?
This camping recipe has a mix of colors, flavors, and textures that make a unique pizza that you won’t regret making. While this camping pizza recipe might seem pretty extra for a camping recipe, you can do a little prep and enjoy this even after a full day of climbing.
Here’s why I’m digging this camping pizza recipe:
Uses fresh and more sustainable seasonal ingredients
Easily pre- prepped for quick cooking at the end of the day
Gourmet, amazing flavors with simple ingredients
So how do I make this camping recipe easier after a long day out? The easiest sub is to use pre-made white sauce instead of homemade béchamel sauce. This will save you about 5 minutes and a few dishes. Alternatively, if you still want to make your own and skip a pre-packaged sauce (yay-environment), you could make your béchamel sauce at home, throw it in a reused glass jar, and have it ready to go when it’s time to make this camping recipe. Next on the list- pre cut your veggies and pre-saute everything except the arugula. I suggest saving the arugula till you’re about to eat because it get’s pretty soggy after it’s cooked and it doesn’t taste as good. You’ll want to heat up your toppings before putting them on the pizza anyways, so steaming the arugula for 30 seconds won’t make a difference. Finally, you could make the pizza dough ahead of time and just roll them out and toss them on the pan when you’re ready to enjoy.
Autumn pizza with sweet potatoes, arugula, and Sunflower Seeds
For the Dough:
For the Topping:
1/2 medium sweet potato, thinly sliced
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1 large clove garlic
1 1/2 cups arugula
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 Tablespoon roasted and salted sunflower seeds
Drizzle balsamic glaze
salt and pepper to taste
For the Bechamel Sauce
2 Tablespoons flour
2 Tablespoons ghee
1 cup milk of choice
salt and pepper to taste
Prepare the pizza crusts as instructed, then set aside. Chop sweet potato, onion, and garlic, and sauté on medium heat for 10 minutes or until sweet potatoes are soft but not mushy (this could take a little longer if you’re cooking in colder weather). Season with salt and pepper as desired. While the veggies are cooking, make your bechamel sauce. Melt ghee over low heat, then whisk in flour with a fork. Slowly whisk in milk, let thicken slightly, and add salt and pepper to taste. If over thick, add more milk until desired texture is achieved. Once your veggies are cooked and the bechamel sauce is ready, toss your rolled out pizza crust onto a pan. Cook for 3 minutes, then flip. Add 1/2 of the bechamel sauce and spread evenly. Toss on 1/2 of veggies, and desired amount of ricotta cheese (small dollops work best) then cover and let cook for 5-6 minutes or until crust is cooked through. Let cook for additional minute for a crispy crust. Remove from heat and top with sunflower seeds and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. Repeat with second pizza crust and additional sauce and toppings. Enjoy, you just crushed an epic camping pizza recipe!