Greek Veggie Pizza

When it comes time to gather around the TV for the big game, you’re going to need plenty of food to munch on. That’s why I’ve gotten together with a bunch of other bloggers to bring you a list of delicious snacks to feed your friends and family! My contribution is this Greek veggie pizza. Hummus, tzatziki sauce, and chopped veggies come together on a flaky crust for a totally different take on a classic! The recipe has several parts, since the hummus and tzatziki are made from scratch. Hungry yet? Here’s how you make it. (Make sure you check out the end of the post for a list of more appetizer recipes, and a printable version of this recipe!)

Ingredients:

• Refrigerated pie crust
• Olive oil
• Garbanzo beans (chick peas)
• Minced garlic
• Sour cream
• Cucumbers
• Dill Weed
• Roma tomatoes
• Pepperoncini peppers
• Black olives
• Salt

I know, there is one thing that is missing from this recipe that is a traditional Greek ingredient: Feta! I opted not to add any because Mr. Greene isn’t fond of it, but if you like it then by all means, add some! Yum!

P.S. – My garlic, peppers, and olives all came from Dollar Tree!

The first thing you’ll want to do is bake your pie crust. Ideally this would be done on pizza pans so that the dough could be left in the round shape it comes in, but I tossed mine out because the non-stick coating was flaking, so I cut down my crust to fit on my good sheet pan. If you do cut down your crusts, make sure you use as few seams as possible, since the dough will shrink up a little as it cooks.

Use a fork to poke a bunch of holes in the pie crust, then bake according to package directions. You’ll want to make both rounds of crust in the package, or as much as you can fit on your bakeware.

When it comes out, set it aside to cool. Mmmmm, looks good already!

Now it’s time to start into making the hummus. You’ll need:

• 2 cans garbanzo beans
• 1/4 c. liquid from can of beans
• 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp salt

This is where a food processor would come in handy. Alas, that’s something that’s still on my wishlist, so I had to do it the old fashioned way. Break out the potato masher! Toss in all of the ingredients and mush ’em up until they reach a smooth, paste-like consistency. If it’s still a little crumbly and not holding together, add olive oil in small amounts at a time until it reaches the right consistency. It should be thick but spreadable. Cover it and put it in the fridge for at least an hour.

The tzatziki (cucumber sauce) is probably my favorite part of this whole recipe. If you’re concerned about nutrition, you can also substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream. But for me, sour cream was on sale, and I am both a cheapskate and somewhat of a glutton. I’m not afraid to admit it. Mmmmm, bad-for-you fooooood! This recipe makes more than you need for the pizza, but if you love it as much as I do you’ll want to put it on salads, felafel pitas, use it as a veggie dip… It’s so good! Anyway, you’ll need:

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3/4 c. cucumber, peeled and grated
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp dill weed

You can do this in small batches in a regular blender or in a food processor, but for me it was a chance to use my new immersion blender that I got for Christmas! (Yay!!) Again, this is a toss-it-all-together-and-blend-til-smooth recipes. Super duper simple. Cover and put in the fridge for at least an hour.

You’ll also need to chop up some veggies:

• 1/2 c. peeled diced cucumber
• 1/2 c. dice tomatoes
• 1/3 c. pepperoncini peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 c. black olives, chopped

And now the moment you’ve been waiting for… Assembly time!

First you’ll want to lightly brush the crust with a little olive oil; this creates a moisture barrier to keep the crust as flaky as possible. Spread a thick-ish layer of hummus evenly over the crust, then a layer of tzatziki. Sprinkle the chopped veggies over the entire thing. Gently press down the veggies to embed them in the base layers. Chop it up into squares and it’s ready to eat! Be careful when you’re cutting because the flaky crust can be finicky – if it gives you any problems, try cutting it into slightly larger pieces.

Make sure you also stop by these other great blogs for more great game day appetizer recipes!

Twice Baked Potatoes from The Country Chic Cottage
Assorted Appetizers from Mural Maker
Sausage and Cream Cheese Pockets from Mom 4 Real
Bacon and Cheese Fries from A Step in the Journey
Charleston Cheese Dip from Unskinny Boppy
Jalapeno Chicken Spirals from Setting for Four
Creamy Pizza Dip from Shaken Together
Grilled Jalapeno Poppers from Mad in Crafts
Sausage Roll-Ups from Dreaming In Color
Meatloaf Bites from The Shabby Creek Cottage
Ham and Cheese Roll Ups from Mom Endeavors