A few months ago, I tried an experiment with pita pizzas. They weren’t bad, but they didn’t come anywhere near to satisfying a craving for REAL pizza. So I’ve been exploring some methods of making them a little more like the real deal. One method that was frequently mentioned on various food blogs I frequent is doing them on the grill. So we tried this one last night. The first batch came out hideously charred and practically inedible–but that’s largely because I had a total brain fart and got them all topped before I realized I’d forgotten to put on the sauce. Duh. So I tried this method again today for lunch (tres rapide!) and it turned out better.
- Preheat grill on high, then turn down to low. [The website I read said turn to medium low, but that’s part of how mine got charred, so I say go with low].
- Brush both sides of pita with olive oil and sprinkle with Italian seasoning.
- Some recipes I read recommend grilling one side of the pita for a couple minutes first, then flipping over to build the pizza, but I found it best to build your pizza before it goes on the grill (so you don’t forget important things like sauce). It’s possible that they meant grill it a couple minutes and then take it OFF the grill to build (which is another reason my first batch got charred), but for those of us without much of a brain at the end of the workday, these things should be spelled out!
- Top with anything you like–some form of sauce or spread (might be an excellent use of leftover bruschetta topping–hmmm, must remember to try that), any meats or veggies you want (meat toppings should be precooked, as these won’t be on the grill long enough to cook raw meat all the way through), then add cheese.
- Slide pizzas on the grill (again, to avoid charring, I turn the burner underneath the pizza off–hence I normally cook over the center and use the two side burners of my 3 burner gas grill).
- Check after 5 minutes. Depending on how many you’re making, they should be done in 5-6 minutes.
The first time you do this, you probably want to check it sooner than 5 minutes since all grills cook a little differently. Adjust your cooking time accordingly.
These make great quick lunches, appetizers, or personal pan pizzas for all the picky eaters in the family.