Thanksgiving Pizza

All those wonderful Thanksgiving flavors combine in this quick-to-prepare, easy-to-eat recipe. The chunky cranberry sauce is a great topping for any type of poultry or pork.

8 slices

Crust

2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
2/3 cup celery, finely chopped
2/3 cup onion, finely chopped
2 eggs, beaten
5 cups cornbread stuffing
3/4 cup chicken broth or 3/4 cup hot water plus 1 Tablespoon strained chicken baby food
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Salt to taste

Chunky Cranberry Sauce

1 medium tart apple, unpared, cored, chopped into 1/4-inch thick cubes
2 cups fresh cranberries
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped, optional
3 Tablespoons golden raisins
3 Tablespoons orange juice
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Topping

8 ounces cooked turkey or chicken breast, skin removed, cut into thin strips

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1. For the crust, preheat oven to 350F. Lightly coat a pizza pan with cooking spray.
2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add celery and onion and cook until tender, but not brown (about 4 to 5 minutes). Add remaining crust ingredients and mix thoroughly.
3. Adjust salt to taste (the amount of salt needed will depend on the brand of chicken broth and cornbread stuffing used).
4. To create the crust, spread the cornbread stuffing on the pizza pan and press down firmly.
5. Bake until the stuffing is firm and crisp (about 25 to 30 minutes). Prepare the sauce while the crust bakes.
6. For the sauce, combine all sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan.
7. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries burst and the apples are tender (about 6 to 7 minutes). Remove the pan from the heat and cover to keep warm until the crust finishes baking.
8. To assemble, spread the sauce evenly over the warm crust, leaving a 1-inch border at the edge.
9. Arrange turkey strips over the sauce. Serve warm or hot.

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Variation

• To save time, you can use a packaged stuffing mix for the crust. Or, you can use leftover stuffing. Before pressing these alternative choices into the pan, pick up a handful and squeeze it. If it forms a tight ball that holds together, the stuffing is sticky enough to bind into a strong crust. If it doesn’t hold together, you will likely need to add an egg or two and perhaps some water.

Ingredient Insight

• The quality of commercially canned chicken broth varies greatly. For more flavor control, prepare your own broth by simmering chicken bones and flavorful vegetables (such as carrots, celery, and onions) for several hours. A quick way to introduce a mild chicken flavor into foods is to blend a tablespoon of strained chicken baby food in a cup of hot water. Baby food has little or no seasoning to interfere with the recipe’s seasonings.

Nutrition Analysis

Per Slice: Calories 345; Total Fat 8g; Saturated Fat 3g; Cholesterol 55mg; Carbohydrate 55g; Fiber 7g; Sodium 535mg; Vitamin A 6%DV; Vitamin C 18%DV

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Source

Fresh Tastes from the Garden State, by Carol Byrd-Bredbenner

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