If you happen to be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day this year, let me first say be safe! It can get crazy out there when the green beer starts flowing. Second, and equally important, you’re going to need something to eat. There are many traditional Irish dishes that could be on the menu like corned beef or Sheppard’s pie, but this little appetizer is a nice change up from the classics.
These flatbreads (or essentially lightly topped pizzas) are easy to make and easy to eat on the run. I like to make them into long rectangles that fit nicely into a large serving dish like the Zak Serving Trays. Then people can help themselves!
Feel free to use homemade or store-bought pizza dough for this recipe and the same goes for the pesto. If you have a recipe you love, mix up a batch. The only important note is to make sure you let your dough come to room temperature before making the flatbreads.If you’re worried about the dough drying out, rub it with a little olive oil and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or so to warm up.
As for the “shamrocks,?” I just sliced a large green pepper into rounds. You should be able to dig through the pepper bin and find one that’s evenly shaped and sort of has that classic shamrock look when sliced.
When you’re ready to make the appetizer, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. and roll out your dough into long rectangles. I used about 6 inches of dough per flatbread. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread on some pesto.
Then top with mozzarella cheese, a few “shamrocks” and season it with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
Bake these guys at 425 degrees F. for 13-15 minutes until the dough is crispy around the edges. Let them cool and slice them into long pieces for serving!
Have a safe and very lucky St. Patty’s Day!
lucky shamrock flatbread recipe instructions
Yield: 2 large flatbreads
Total Time: 30 minutes
These flatbreads (or essentially lightly topped pizzas) are easy to make and easy to eat on the run.
ingredients:
- 12 oz pizza dough, homemade or store-bought
- 1/2 cupbasil pesto, store-bought or homemade
- 8 oz low-moisture mozzarella cheese, grated
- 1 large green bell pepper, sliced into coins
- red pepper flakes
- saltand pepper
directions:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. If your pizza dough is cold, it’s best to let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before making the flatbreads.
- When ready, split the dough in half so you have roughly 6-ounce pieces. Roll each piece into a long rectangle and transfer it to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Spoon basil pesto onto dough. About 1/4 cup per flatbread is a good estimate.
- Top flatbreads with some mozzarella cheese. It should be a light topping. You don’t want a ton of cheese actually.
- Layer peppers on top of the cheese and season each flatbread with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
- Bake the flatbreads for 13-15 minutes until they are browned and crispy on the edges.
- Remove and let cool briefly, then slice into long rectangles or squares and serve immediately!
