Recipe: Cheesy Garlic Pizza with Lemon Dressed Mixed Greens

Inspiration for new recipe ideas comes out of nowhere sometimes. I have been a little obsessed with the cheesy base I used when I created this recipe, so I started there. But then I wanted to put a little healthy spin on it, and ended up putting salad on top of it. I mean, really, why does salad have to be separate? I love mixed greens topped with nothing else but fresh lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and that’s what I used for this pizza topping.

Something slightly unexpected, but simply delicious.

And on a Friday night, what more do you need? I got the kids involved, rolling out the Pillsbury pizza crust, and we made two pies, this one and a more traditional one with tomato sauce and cheese.

Snack trays in the living room, a new-to-us movie on the tv (the kids chose the 2006 version of Shaggy Dog; decent movie but super slow start), and homemade pizza as a family.

Perfection.

Happy weekend!

Cheesy Garlic Pizza with Lemon Dressed Mixed Greens
Recipe courtesy of Cate O’Malley

1 tube of Pillsbury pizza crust
10 oz mixed greens
1/2 lemon

Cheese Sauce:
3 tablespoons butter
1 large garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 425. Spray your pizza pan with non-stick cooking spray (we made the pizza into a rectangular shape this time). Stretch your dough to cover the bottom of the pizza pan. Bake the crust, following package directions.

While the dough is baking, in a small saucepan, melt three tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes until golden and fragrant. Stir in 3 tablespoons flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup milk and whisk until thickened a bit. Add the mozzarella and cheddar, slowly, giving it time to melt as you add it. Stir until all the cheese is melted and smooth.

Once your dough has baked, spread your cheese sauce over it, allowing a 1/4? of the edge, leaving space for your crust.

In a small bowl, toss the mixed greens with juice from the lemon. Season with salt and pepper. Add the dressed greens on top of the cheese sauce.

Notes: To make this pizza a little more substantive, add grilled chicken to the top. Grilled shrimp would be another tasty addition.

*I was compensated by Pillsbury for the creation of this recipe.

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