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, decorating 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 all these toppings seem like a little too much hassle to you but this recipe comes together quickly and easily, 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. You can enjoy piling this flatbread up with all the (fall) toppings your heart desires.

This pizza makes a great dinner or lunch.  If you prep all the toppings in advance, you could 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

Yield: 3 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 6 minutes

Total Time: 26 minutes

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!

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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

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. 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.
3. 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).
4. When vegetables are done roasting, remove from oven and decrease oven temperature to 375°F. Place three Flatout Flatbread Pizza crusts on a baking sheet and bake for 2 minutes.
5. 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.
6. Top with apples and pepitas and slice. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 3 Serving Size: 1 of 3
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 460 Total Fat: 27g Saturated Fat: 10g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 15g Cholesterol: 50mg Sodium: 746mg Carbohydrates: 35g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 6g Sugar: 9g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 24g

RachelCooks.com sometimes provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as they are not calculated by a registered dietitian. Please consult a medical professional for any specific nutrition, diet, or allergy advice.

Verdict: Obsessed. In case you hadn’t figured that out, yet.
Husband’s take: Honestly, I thought this ricotta flatbread might be a little too much for him. He likes simple, classic, uncomplicated food. He had a few questions about the ricotta but I didn’t hear any complaints. 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.