Mango Basil Crispy Personal Pizzas
Pizza. One of the most delicious inventions in the world. It’s versatility is endless: deep dish, thin crust, cheese stuffed crust, sweet, savory, and topped with any ingredient under the sun. Making homemade pizza is, let’s be honest, kind of a drag. I am usually very hesitant when it comes to making my own dough, even though the outcome is significantly better than store-bought instant dough.
One of my favorite pizza topping combinations is the classic Hawaiian. It’s simple. Salty, sweet, and on a light crispy dough with tons of cheese. I wanted to share a few recipes with you that take a classic dish, and update it with a new, slightly more upscale twist (while still being completely affordable). How could I elevate a Hawaiian pizza? Mango.
Mango is easily one of my favorite fruits. It is unbelievable in anything. When it’s baked, the sweetness of the mango intensify. The juicy mango melds with the cheese and the basil brings a nice freshness to this appetizer. The tortilla crisps up and tastes exactly like a homemade pizza. This is one of the quickest appetizers I’ve ever made. It takes about 2 minutes to make, and 10 minutes to bake.
It’s also great with any fruit that’s in season - nectarines, apricots, peaches.. and if you don’t have fresh mangos or other fruit, go for frozen! Also feel free to use dried basil if you don’t have fresh ones. I recently bought a basil plant and it’s doing so well (super surprised, lol). Let's get cookin :)
What You Need: (Yields 2 personal pizzas)
2 flour tortillas
½ cup tomato basil sauce or pizza sauce (I always keep Trader Joe’s Tomato Basil Sauce in the pantry for last minute meals)
1 cup shredded cheese (I used a 4 cheese blend)
1 diced mango or handful of frozen mango
5 sprigs fresh basil, chopped, or 2 tbsp chopped dried basil
Pinches of salt and pepper
What To Do:
- Preheat your oven to 425F. Place the tortillas onto a baking sheet and spoon the tomato sauce onto each tortilla, spreading it around the tortilla. Be careful to leave about ½ inch of the outer perimeter bare.
- Sprinkle the cheese evenly on each tortilla.
- An easy way to dice mango is to slice a grid into each mango halve, and then to invert it like a turtle shell. This makes it easier to slice off perfect little cubes. Sprinkle the diced mango all over the tortillas.
- Chop up your basil, and sprinkle each pizza with it generously - they’ll shrink up a lot.
- Season your pizza with a pinch of salt and pepper, or red pepper flake if you like.
- Bake them in the oven for 10 minutes. Slice them up and serve immediately - they’re best when they’re hot! :)
Simple right? I was thinking of adding some chopped rotisserie chicken to this one and making it even more filling.
This Thursday I am going to Hong Kong for the first time, for a job that I am really excited about. I can’t wait to share what I’ve eaten and seen on my trip. I hope you enjoyed this recipe - let me know if you try it out! :)
