A Slice of Harvest Heaven

Craft Your Own Harvest Pizzas

written by matthew brady photography by shana smith

Pizza has long been one of America’s top comfort foods; in fact, we purchase about 3 billion pizzas a year—with each American eating an average of 46 slices per year. Our pie-loving ways seem to know no boundaries: we’ll eat a slice any time of day and any time of year.

So it’s no surprise that when summer turns to fall, a fresh, hot pizza still hits the spot for many. Best of all, you can get inspired by the season and create your own homemade fall pizzas—like the colors of the season, the possibilities are seemingly endless.

Use the lists below to mix and match your favorite autumnal base flavors, cheeses, and toppings—let your culinary creativity take over!

Begin with Base Options

The base layer can serve two purposes: to add flavor to the dough or to lay the flavor foundation for the rest of the pizza. Keep in mind that you’ll “base” your cheese and toppings on this initial choice—so make sure it’s not off base!

Balsamic vinegar
Barbecue sauce
Butternut squash puree
Honey
Olive oil
Olive oil and garlic blend
Sweet potato puree

Cheesy Goodness

If you’re making a pizza, you’ll most likely love biting into this layer the most. Of course, mozzarella makes for a great option, but don’t overlook all of the other possibilities—whether crumbly or shredded, soft, sharp, or hard, your cheese ought to meld well with what’s sandwiched around it.

Brie
Colby-Monterey jack
Goat cheese
Gorgonzola
Mozzarella
Parmesan
Ricotta
White cheddar

Finish with Flavor: Toppings

Here’s where your pizza’s fall flavor profile truly becomes personalized. Whether you opt for meats, meatless, or a combination of both, the sweet, salty, and savory possibilities are limited only by your imagination!

Fruit, veggies, and nuts:

Apples
Baby spinach
Caramelized onions
Carrots
Cranberries
Kale
Pears
Pecans
Pine nuts
Pomegranate
Pumpkin
Red potatoes
Sage leaves
Sweet potatoes

Meats:

Bacon
Prosciutto
Pulled pork
Short ribs
Turkey

Get inspired by the season and make your own harvest pizza using the ingredients above, or turn to the next page to get a trio of tasty harvest pizza recipes!