Sausage, Pineapple & Bell Pepper Flatbread. Cancel that pizza order & whip this up in no time; a colorful, sweet and spicy flatbread that will make your taste buds do a hula dance!
Mother’s Day is this weekend and I will be spending it in Williamsburg, Virginia. No, I have not decided that Colonial life is where it’s at and have finally given in to my destiny to churn my own butter; I’ll be there celebrating my little sister’s graduation from law school at the College of William & Mary.
While Mother’s Day is typically an occasion in which mothers are encouraged to relax and let themselves be pampered, I have a very strong feeling that the weekend will be anything but relaxing since 1. We’ll only be in town for about 38 hours, and 2. It will be Cole’s first time on an airplane. {Send prayers. No — send wine.} Regardless, there is no place I’d rather be than cheering her on with my family as she crosses the stage, and so, I will take the risk of a potentially stressful Mother’s Day weekend if it means I get to do so.
The good news is, moms roll with the punches. Moms are built to do what they have to do regardless of whether or not it’s what they want to do. And here’s a little secret: Even though people want to make things fancy for on Mother’s Day, most moms would be perfectly content with a few un-fancy minutes of peace and quiet whether it’s gifted to them on Mother’s Day or given a rain check.
Does that mean the average mom would balk at a shiny piece of jewelry? Nah. Turn down a luxurious spa day? Heck no. Say, “No thanks.” to a breakfast of Lobster Eggs Benedict with a side of bottomless mimosas? I don’t think so.
It just means that most moms, at the end of the day, would be bursting with pride if the only thing their kids did for them was give them a hug and have dad order a pizza so they didn’t have to cook. That’s just how moms are.
If you’re tempted to actually get in the kitchen and make the pizza instead of order one this Mother’s Day, then I’ve got a recipe for you: Sausage, Pineapple & Bell Pepper Flatbread.
Not that mom will care, but this flatbread is only made up of a handful of ingredients {some are even shortcuts like store bought frozen pizza crust and pre-chopped frozen pineapple and bell peppers} and takes no time at all to prepare. The flavors are a bit on the tropical side because, while you may not actually be able to whisk mom off to an island paradise, there’s no reason why she can’t pretend she’s on one while she’s eating lunch.
Instead of using typical pizza sauce, I slathered sweet chili sauce all over this crunchy crust {I bought a frozen gluten free pizza crust from Trader Joe’s that we often use for Friday pizza nights}. I topped it with spinach confetti, tricolored bell peppers {another TJ’s find}, pineapple pieces, spicy vegan sausage {you can use regular if you wish} and, of course, good ‘ol mozzarella cheese… because cheese is happiness as far as I’m concerned. The outcome is a colorful, sweet and spicy flatbread that makes your taste buds do a little hula dance.
I don’t know if there will be too much rest and relaxation this weekend, but I do know that there will be flatbread in my future when I return. {Depending on how our flight goes, there may be whisky in my future, too.} It’s the little things in life that make us truly happy and, as far as moms go, the “things” aren’t usually things at all, but rather, the ones who fill our heart with the simplest of gestures.
Sausage, Pineapple & Bell Pepper Flatbread
Ingredients
- 1 frozen flatbread crust or thin pizza crust
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1/4 of a medium onion sliced
- 1 cup frozen tricolor bell peppers*
- 1/2 cup frozen pineapple chunks
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup sweet chili sauce**
- 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese
- 1 pre-cooked spicy Italian sausage link* cut on the diagonal
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 and bake flatbread crust for 12-15 minutes {or according to package directions} until desired crispness is achieved.
- Meanwhile, heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook for 4-5 minutes or until translucent and beginning to caramelize.
- Add peppers and pineapple chunks and cook until fully defrosted and beginning to brown.
- Remove the crust from the oven and spread sweet chili sauce evenly over top. Scoop cooked onions, peppers and pineapple onto the crust and distribute evenly. Sprinkle cheese on top.
- Meanwhile, add sliced sausage pieces to the hot pan to brown them a bit {you may need a little bit more oil}. Cook for about 3-4 minutes or until beginning turning golden brown around the edges. Place sausage pieces on flatbread.
- Return flatbread to oven for another 4-5 minutes until the cheese is melted. Serve hot!
Notes
** Sweet chili sauce can usually be found in the Asian or ethnic section of the grocery store.
***I used a vegan sausage product, but you can use whatever type of pre-cooked sausage you prefer. Chicken sausage would be good here, too!
