This Homemade Pesto and Sausage Flatbread recipe uses refrigerated pizza dough and prepared pesto to make it an easy and delicious appetizer. It’s topped with pesto, cheese, spicy sausage, and sauteed peppers and onions.
With just a few simple ingredients and minimal effort, you can whip up a meal or appetizer that’s sure to impress even the pickiest eaters. Start by rolling out the pizza dough into a thin, crispy crust, then load it up with savory sausage, gooey cheese, and your favorite toppings.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick & Convenient: Uses refrigerated or pre-made dough adn store bought pesto for fast prep.
- Customizable: Change up the proteins, veggies, and cheese to make it your own. It slices up easily for sharing at gatherings and game nights.
- Easy Meal or Appetizer: Serve with a salad for dinner or cut into small pieces for a party starter.
Easy Sausage Flatbread Recipe
Say goodbye to boring weeknight dinners and hello to this easy and delicious Pesto and Sausage Flatbread made with refrigerated pizza dough. It’s also topped with two kinds of cheese and sauteed peppers and onions. Feel free to add any of your favorite Italian sausage pizza toppings, too.
Once assembled, pop your flatbread in the oven and let the magic happen. In just a matter of minutes, you’ll be staring at a delicious pizza with golden-brown crust, bubbly cheese, and mouthwatering smells that will have your whole family drooling. Serve slices of this sausage flatbread alongside a crisp green salad or some roasted vegetables for a complete meal that’s sure to please everyone.
Key Ingredients
- Flatbread- You can use a pre-made crust or make your own. This recipe works great!
- Pesto- I found the pesto I used at Costco. The flavor is amazing and it’s so convenient too. Bonus, it stays fresh for about a month and is perfect for homemade pizza, french bread pizza, these homemade flatbread recipes, and also any kind of pesto pasta. Homemade Pesto is also super easy to make and adds a flavor punch to everything from pizza to eggs.
- Cheese– You can go crazy here. Customize your flatbread with your favorite or a blend of your favorite cheeses. Just about any combination is amazing. Parmesan is a fun texture and flavor burst for the top of your flatbread.
- Sausage– I like to use the Johnsonville Spicy Sausage but you can use any you have on hand or your favorite flavor. This is a great recipe to use up any leftover sausage you have on hand.
- Bacon- Of course Bacon is on the list and goes great with everything.
- Vegetables– You can go crazy here too. Caramelized onions, peppers, jalapeños, mushrooms, tomatoes, olives, and spinach are all good options.
- Spices- If you want to kick up the flavor in your flatbread, sprinkle just a bit of oregano and sea salt on top.
How to Make this Flatbread Pizza Recipe
- Cook the sausage. In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, add the sausage and cook until just a little pink remains. (Tip-if you add a few tablespoons of water, you can break up the sausage into smaller chunks and it will cook quicker and be more like a crumbled sausage on your flatbread)
- Cook the onion and pepper. Add the oil, onion, and pepper and saute until tender and onion is transparent and the sausage has no pink remaining.
- Assemble the flatbread pizza. Lay out the flatbread dough or the pre-made flatbread on a greased baking sheet. Spread the pesto evenly onto the rolled out flatbread dough, then sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the top. (Save a handful of mozzarella to top the pizza with) Sprinkle the sausage, onion, and pepper mixture and any other toppings you’d like on top of the pesto, then add the remaining cheese. Sprinkle oregano and sea salt to taste on top of the flatbread.
- Bake. Bake in your preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
- Serve. Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes, then cut into 2″ square pieces and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Tips for the Best Pesto and Sausage Flatbread
- Prebake the Crust- Bake your flatbread for a few minutes before adding toppings for a crispier base.
- Use High Quality Pesto- Fresh or homemade pesto will give the brightest flavor. Try this quick and easy homemade pesto recipe.
- Cook the Sausage Well- Make sure to fully cook (and drain)sausage befor adding to avoid extra grease.
- Thin Toppings- Don’t overload or the toppings may slide off-spread them evenly and lightly.
- Try Different Cheeses- Mozzarella, provolone, or a sprinkle of parmesan all work well.
- Add a Fresh Finish- Top with fresh basil, arugula, or a drizzle of olice oil after baking for restaurant-style results.
Frequently Asked Questions
The main difference between flatbread pizza and regular pizza is in the dough. Traditional flatbread pizza is made with a dough that has little to no leavener, making it incredibly flat. Pizza dough, on the other hand, is made with yeast which makes it rise in the oven.
Sure! You can just turn this into a thin crust pizza if you’d like. Roll the dough out as thin as possible before adding your toppings and baking. The cooking time may be slightly different so just keep an eye on the pizza while it’s cooking.
I like to bake flatbread at about 400 degrees F which makes sure that it cooks quickly but doesn’t burn. At 400 degrees F, your flatbread should take around 18-20 minutes to finish cooking.
There are many different types of flatbread. You can make it from scratch, buy a pop can flatbread or this flatbread recipe can be made with Joseph’s flatbread, Publix flatbread, Drudger flatbread, Stonefire flatbread, or my favorite, Trader Joe’s flatbread.
Recipe Variations
- Change up the Protein- Use grilled chicken, shredded rotisserie chicken, pepperoni, or even bacon.
- Veggie Lovers- Add sautéed mushrooms, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, or artichokes.
- Heat it Up- Top with sliced jalapenos, red pepper flakes, or spicy Italian Sausage.
- Go Mediterranean- Add feta, roasted red peppers, and kalamata olives to the pesto base.
- Margherita Style- Swap sausage for slices of fresh tomato and extra mozzarella.
More Appetizer Recipes You’ll Love
Sausage Flatbread Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup Italian sausage
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup red onion, diced
- 1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
- 1 can refrigerated pizza dough
- 1/2 cup pesto
- 1 cup mozzarella, shredded
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
- 1/3 cup bacon bits
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, add the sausage and about 1 tablespoon of water and cook until just a little pink remains.
- Add the oil, onion, and pepper and saute until the onion is transparent and the sausage has no pink remaining.
- Roll out the refrigerated pizza dough on a greased baking sheet. Spread the pesto evenly onto the dough, then sprinkle all but a handful of the mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the top.
- Sprinkle the cooked sausage, onion, and pepper mixture and any other toppings you'd like on top of the pesto, then add the remaining cheese and the bacon bits. Sprinkle oregano and sea salt to taste on top of the flatbread.
- Bake in your preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
- Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes, then cut into 2" square pieces and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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This Pesto and Sausage Homemade Flatbread Recipe is an easy flatbread recipe. It’s one of the best appetizers to bring to a party. It’s a flatbread crust, smothered with prepared pesto, cheese, spicy sausage, peppers, and onions. Your friends and family are going to love it.
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