Kabocha Squash Goat Cheese Pizza with sage + maple soy reduction

I’ll be honest, I will only go to your Super Bowl party for the food. I don’t even have to like you. But I’ll come. Especially if I know you’re, on sort of level, a foodie. Because if you’re that someone who will make a kabocha squash goat cheese pizza versus ordering Pizza Hut, I am instantly a football fan.

Where do I RSVP?

So if you are that host, plotting out your menu according to season and flavor profile, but want something easy, this pizza is perfect for you. It’s a no rise, whole wheat crust that gets quickly mixed in a food processor. All of your toppings are roasted in the oven on a baking sheet while you prep the dough. To make people think you are even more fancy, you drizzle the pizza with a maple soy reduction that takes 10 minutes to bubble down on the stove.

Simple. Quick. And healthy, might I add.

This pizza is rustic and wintry, smothered in sage and portabello mushrooms (making it easily adaptable for veggie people). The caramel, roasted kabocha squash serves as a base that is savory rather than saucy. Roasted chicken, caramelized onions and a sprinkle of goat cheese make each bite sweet yet earthy. The crust is thin, crispy and nutty. Almost like a flatbread but with ALL the toppings. The salty sweet reduction is the needle and thread that holds this pizza together.

It pairs perfectly well with my citrus craft beer cocktail , btw!

Kabocha squash goat cheese pizza play-by-play

Easy, no knead, no rise crust

This crust recipe is an adaptation from Cookie and Kate’s Easy Whole Pizza Dough that I’ve been making for years. I’ve taken her method and, after much trial and error, have simplified it and altered it to my liking.

• Combine warm water, olive oil, yeast and sugar.

• Pile whole wheat flour and salt into food processor.

• Turn on food processor and stream in yeast mixture.

• Turn off food processor once the dough has formed a ball.

• Roll it out betches!!!

That’s it! No kneading. No waiting an hour for the dough to rise. Mix and roll!

Sheet pan toppings

What makes this kabocha squash goat cheese pizza recipe even more simple is that the toppings get cooked together on a single sheet pan for just 20 minutes. Clean up is a breeze and you can have homemade, swoon worthy pizza in 40-45 minutes!

Tips for roasting toppings quickly:

• Slice toppings thin. They cook much faster.

• Leave on the skin of your kabocha squash. The edibility of it’s skin is one of many reasons why it’s my favorite squash.

• Use chicken tenderloins vs breasts (if using chicken at all). They cook much faster and once baked are easy to chop up.

• Use tin foil for easy clean up that will help caramelize your food.

• Roast at a high temperature.

Maple Soy Reduction

This reduction is a simple and easy thing you can do to add some pizzazz to your pizza (yes, I did just say pizzazz + pizza).

Simply combine maple syrup, soy sauce, and apple cider vinegar to a small sauce pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Let it reduce for 10 minutes or until decreased by half.

No stirring. No fussing. Just back burner cooking.

Drizzle over kabocha squash goat cheese pizza with plenty of sage and feel the shivers go down your spine.

As I sit here writing this, I could not tell you who is playing this Sunday. I guess I could Google it but that’s how much I really don’t care. The Nile River is a stream of my apathy.

Whether you love or hate the Super Bowl, make the best food! But…also food that is quick, simple, and easy to clean up. Should I mention again my kabocha squash goat cheese pizza?

Looking for more party recipe ideas? Try these:

Bacon Wrapped Scallops

Vegan Burger Sliders

Spicy Champagne Cocktails

Mini Earl Grey Ricotta Stuffed Crepes

When you try this easy kabocha squash goat cheese pizza at your Super Bowl party, let me know! Rate the recipe and share your thoughts and questions in the comments below. Use the hashtag #popkitchen when you post photos of recipes you’ve made to your Instagram and tag @pop_kitch. I’ll share my favorite photos on Pop Kitchen’s account.

Recipe

Kabocha Squash Goat Cheese Pizza with sage + maple soy reduction

Ingredients

• ½ cup almost hot water
• 1⅛ tsp active dry yeast
• 1½ tsp olive oil
• 1½ tsp maple syrup
• 1¾ cup whole wheat flour (I used an heirloom Red Fife Wheat)
• ¾ tsp sea salt
• cornmeal for dusting the baking pan
• ½ kabocha squash, thinly sliced with skin on
• 2 small red onions, thinly sliced
• 1 portobello mushroom, thinly sliced
• 3 oz/76 g goat cheese
• ¼ cup fresh sage chopped into large pieces and drizzled with oil
• ½ lb/0.22 kg chicken tenderloins
• 1 tsp mustard
• 1½ tsp maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp fresh sage, diced
• ½ tsp olive oil
• pinch of sea salt
• Tin foil
• Food Processor
• Sheet Pan

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 500 F/260 C. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and place your squash and onions (the mushrooms can go on the pizza raw) and drizzle with oil and salt. In a small bowl, toss your chicken with mustard, maple syrup, sage and salt and place on the same sheet pan. Roast 20 minutes, turning halfway.
2. Maple Soy Reduction: Place all of your ingredients for the maple soy reduction in a small sauce pan and bring up to a simmer. Allow to simmer until it reduces in half, about 10 minutes. Set aside to drizzle on the pizza after it’s baked.
3. Pizza dough: While your toppings are roasting, make the crust. Combine warm water, yeast, olive oil and maple syrup in a measuring cup. Allow to sit at least 5 minutes while you prepare your food processor. Add flour and salt to the food processor. Pulse twice to mix. Once the yeast mixture has sat 5 minutes and is nice and foamy on top, turn on the food processor and stream in the yeast mixture from the top. Once the dough forms a nice ball, turn off the food processor.
4. Flour your countertop and place the dough on top, sprinkling the dough with flour. Roll out with a rolling pin, turning the dough a quarter turn after each pass. Roll until the dough is a little more than a ¼ inch thick.
5. Build your pizza: After your toppings are done baking, remove them as well as the tin foil from the baking sheet. If there are any drippings on the bottom, quickly wipe up with a paper towel. Sprinkle the sheet pan with a decent about of cornmeal, at least 3 tbsps. Place the rolled out dough onto the sheet pan. Brush the top of the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
6. Start laying your toppings onto the pizza, starting with the squash first. Bake for 5 minutes. Turn the sheet pan around in the oven and bake 4 more minutes or until the crust is crisp and the cheese is kinda melty.
7. Take the pizza out of the oven and season with a pinch of salt. Drizzle on maple soy reduction. Cut and serve!

Notes

Notes I cut my pizza into eight slices but cut however you like. If you want more pizzas just double the dough recipe to make 2 crusts in one go!