JUMP to recipe

Hello, lovies!

It has been soooooo long since I’ve gotten around to writing a new post here. I apologize for that. Life just has a way of getting in the way sometimes!

But, now, here we are – one Master’s Degree later – and I feel like life is finally getting back to normal.

Which means I can now get back to some semblance of a normal schedule and start cooking and blogging again. Traveling? Well, not so much, since many countries are still not allowing tourists (even fully vaccinated ones….)

Anyway, I’m here to share with you one of my latest obsessions – garlic flatbreads.

So what’s a girl to do once she has her cheap flatties in hand? What does she make? (Scratching head until lightbulb goes off…)

Of course: Flatbread Pizza!

Can’t go wrong with pizza in this house. Rising crust, thin crust, pita-zza, we are game for it all.

And it’s a pretty flexible meal – you start with a base, add some sauce and some toppings, cover it with cheese and all is well. So onto step two: sauce.

I make my own sauce with sweet onion, a bit of grated carrot, and a big can of San Marzano tomatoes. It cooks all night in the crock pot, takes a few spins through the immersion blender, then gets canned or frozen into batches enough for 4 small pizzas. Or in this case, flatbreads.

Base? Check. Sauce? Check. Toppings? *SIGH*

Sometimes one just has to think beyond the pepperoni-sausage-mushroom game. One must go out on a limb and try things like……roasted poblanos!

I have a confession to make: I am a proud member of the “No Shame in my Aldi Game” Facebook group, but the poblanos didn’t come from Aldi. My Aldi doesn’t carry any hots except jalapenos, so I did have to make a market run elsewhere to score the poblanos.

Poblanos – or anchos if dried – are a nice long pepper with a pleasing level of heat. Roasting helps the flesh become tender and sweeter and intensifies the flavor.

I prefer them without the skins, though that is certainly not necessary. After they cool enough for me to handle comfortably, I just peel off whatever blistered skins remove easily. You can see in my photo below there is still some skin in tact – I don’t stress over what doesn’t come off. The remaining pepper gets cut into bite-size pieces.

With these guys ready and the sauce simmering on the stove, it’s on to the crowning jewel – another Aldi find – SMOKED GOUDA.

This is the stuff cheese dreams are made of!

Gouda is a Dutch cheese that’s popular world-wide for its nutty, buttery flavor. Its high moisture content makes it an excellent melter, which made it the right fit for these flatbreads.

I simply introduced the cheese to the big holes on my box grater and voila! Dinner was ready for assembly!

Flatbread. Simmered sauce. Roasted Poblanos. Smoked Gouda. Broiler. Repeat.

We served these with a simple green salad as accompaniment.

The flatties made a perfect meatless meal for us – something we try to do at least twice a week – but you could certainly add a meat topping. Bacon immediately comes to mind. Or you could continue with the southwest vibe and try chorizo. Maybe even swap out the poblanos for roasted jalapenos?

Okay, I have to stop throwing out ideas now because I don’t have flatties in the cupboard at the moment and this is just making me want to go try out some of those suggestions. RIGHT. NOW.

Friday is shopping day, and our local farmer’s markets are returning for the season. With luck, I’ll find some great deals at Aldi and some fresh seasonal veggies at the markets and inspiration can strike again!

Until then, my friends……Live. Cook. Travel.

What are some of your favorite flatbread toppings? What’s the most unique topping you’ve tried? Let us know in the comments below!