Squash, Caramelized Onion & Sausage Flatbread
Flatbreads have the same broad appeal as pizza but are ideal for dolling up with sophisticated flavors. Here, a tasty homemade dough gets topped with caramelized onions, sweet squash, zesty sausage and creamy goat cheese for an appetizer that’s definitely not every day.
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Armed with Antioxidants
As one could guess from its sunny hue, butternut squash is rich in carotenoids like beta-carotene, necessary for the structure and maintenance of healthy skin and mucus membranes, and alpha-carotene, which has potent antioxidant and potentially anti-carcinogenic properties.
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Ingredients
Dough
- ¾ cup warm water
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (TRY: California Olive Ranch Reserve Miller’s Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
- 1 tbsp raw honey (TRY: Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Raw Honey)
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 2 cups whole-grain spelt flour
- 1 tsp sea salt
Topping
- 6 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 white onions, sliced
- 1 small butternut squash (about 2 lb)
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, divided (TRY: Simply Organic Ground Black Pepper)
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 8 oz organic or all-natural turkey sausages (no added nitrates or nitrites), casings removed
- 10 oz soft goat cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
- 3 tbsp raw unsalted pecans
Preparation
1. Make dough: In a large bowl, stir together water, oil, honey and yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour and salt until a shaggy dough forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 2 hours.
2. Make topping: In a medium skillet, heat one-third of the oil over medium. Add onions and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring often to keep onions from sticking and coloring unevenly, until soft and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut neck of squash off body (reserve body for another use). Using a vegetable peeler or paring knife, slice off peel. Halve lengthwise and cut each into 1/4-inch- thick half-moons. In a medium bowl, toss squash with one-third of oil, one-half of pepper and salt. Spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until tender and edges begin to brown, 18 to 20 minutes.
4. In a medium skillet on medium, cook sausage, stirring and breaking up with a spoon, until crumbly and no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain off fat and set aside.
5. In a small bowl, stir together goat cheese, mozzarella, sage and remaining half of pepper.
6. Brush a baking sheet with remaining oil. Divide dough into 2 balls and, using your fingers, press each into an oval, roughly 4 x 12 inches. Arrange dough on prepared baking sheet. Top each with one-half of the onion mixture, sausage and squash. Spoon one-half of the cheese mixture over each. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until crust is golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Garnish with pecans before serving.
Make Ahead: Assemble the flatbreads up to 1 day in advance; cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature and then continue with baking instructions.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size 2 flatbreads (1/10 of recipe)
- Calories 316
- Carbohydrate Content 27 g
- Cholesterol Content 34 mg
- Fat Content 16 g
- Fiber Content 5 g
- Protein Content 15 g
- Saturated Fat Content 6 g
- Sodium Content 525 mg
- Sugar Content 4 g
- Monounsaturated Fat Content 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat Content 2 g