Ricotta Flatbread with Bacon, Squash, Apples and Maple Pepitas
Experience a taste of fall with this ricotta flatbread! The party starts in the spiced ricotta and carries throughout the fun autumn toppings: bacon, squash, apples, mushrooms, and maple candied pepitas. You’ll want to eat this all year!
This post is in partnership with Flatout. Thanks for supporting Rachel Cooks by reading about brands I love and use in my home!
Any other fall lovers out there? Our new house has a bigger porch than our old house did and I went a little fall-crazy with bales of hay, pumpkins of every color, and mums. I wanted a couple corn stalks too but I had to choose between them and the kids due to space in my car.
I chose the kids this time.
But I didn’t hold back with the fall toppings on this flatbread pizza.
SQUASH! BACON! APPLES! MUSHROOMS! PEPITAS! Oh and not just plain ol’ pepitas, these are candied. WITH MAPLE. Because, fall. Fall, fall, fall, FALL!
I spiced up the ricotta with some sage, nutmeg and a touch of cayenne.
Okay perhaps that seems like a little much to you, but it’s really quick and easy thanks to Flatout Artisan Thin Pizza Crusts. These crusts get delightfully crispy in 6 minutes and you don’t have to worry about filling up on heavy crust so you can enjoy piling this flatbread up with all the (fall) toppings your heart desires.
This pizza makes a great dinner or lunch, and you can even prep all the toppings in advance and then you’ll have dinner ready in less than 10 minutes. Doesn’t get much better than that does it?
Oh my gosh, every time I look at that picture I want to run my fall-loving self back to the kitchen and make this ricotta flatbread recipe again right away.
If you’re anything like me and can’t get enough of fall inspired recipes, you have to check these out:
- orange cranberry sauce with cardamom (perfect for Thanksgiving!)
- farro salad with butternut squash, bacon and cranberries
- pumpkin bran muffins
- copycat Panera squash soup
- vegan healthy pumpkin pie pinwheels from Food, Faith, Fitness
Ricotta Flatbread with Bacon, Squash, Apples and Maple Pepitas
Experience a taste of fall with this ricotta flatbread! The party starts in the spiced ricotta and carries throughout the fun autumn toppings: bacon, squash, apples, mushrooms, and maple candied pepitas. You’ll want to eat this all year!
Ingredients:
For Vegetables:
- 2 1/2 cups peeled and diced butternut squash
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, washed and sliced thick
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper to taste
For Ricotta:
- 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne, more to taste if desired
Pepitas:
- 1/4 cup pepitas (raw shelled pumpkin seeds)
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1/2 tablespoon pure maple syrup
Other Ingredients:
- 4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled or cut into pieces
- 1/2 cup diced apples
- 3 Flatout Artisan Thin Pizza Crusts
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- On a rimmed sheet pan, toss squash and mushrooms with oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes, stir, and roast for 2-5 more minutes or until squash is fork tender and mushrooms are golden brown.
- Meanwhile, prepare ricotta cheese. In a small bowl, combine ricotta, pepper, sage, nutmeg, and cayenne. Stir to combine. While vegetables are roasting, also prepare pepitas. In a small frying pan, heat butter and pepitas over medium heat until pepitas begin to turn golden brown. Add maple syrup (will bubble!) and cook for one more minute. Pour onto a parchment paper-lined plate and set aside to harden (you can speed this up by placing in fridge and truthfully it doesn’t matter if they are completely hardened before adding to the pizza – but you’ll want extras hardened before storing).
- When vegetables are done roasting, remove from oven and decrease oven temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Place three Flatout Flatbread Pizza crusts on a baking sheet and bake for 2 minutes.
- Remove and carefully spread ricotta mixture onto each pizza. Top with butternut squash and mushrooms (you may not need them all) and bacon. Bake for 4 more minutes or until ricotta is heated.
- Top with apples and pepitas and slice. Serve immediately.
Verdict: Obsessed. In case you hadn’t gathered that info yet.
Husband’s take: Honestly, I thought this ricotta flatbread might a little too much for him. He likes this simple, classic, uncomplicated. He had a few questions about the ricotta but I didn’t hear any complaints and I was left with an empty plate which is always a good sign.
Changes I would make: None are necessary but feel free to have fun with your favorite fall toppings!
Difficulty: Easy. If you prep the ricotta and pepitas while the squash and mushrooms are roasting, you’ll be golden.
You can easily find Flatout Flatbread near you using FlatoutFinder.com. You can also follow along for recipe ideas on Facebook, Twitter, or their blog.
Disclosure: I’m excited to partner with Flatout Flatbread to bring you quick and delicious recipes. I have been compensated for my time but all opinions are always my own. Thank you for supporting Rachel Cooks by reading about brands we love and use in our own home.
