There are times when you just want something quick, simple and delicious. If that’s the case, this recipe isn’t going to let you down.  It packs a bit of Mediterranean flair in a slightly Italian-esque package that is just about as satisfying as it gets.  The real plus:  It’s fast, inexpensive and pretty darned good for you in the process!

I came up with this one day after watching Wolfgang Puck on Fine Living Network.  I was joking with my wife about his start in California making gourmet pizzas when I noticed that we still had a package of pizza crusts hanging out.  A quick rummage through the fridge yielded some goat cheese, Greek vinaigrette, spinach, mushrooms and a tiny bit of sour cream left over from some tacos we’d made earlier in the week.  While she went off to the office to do whatever it is that she does in there when I’m not looking, I dove into the kitchen and got my Wolfgang on.  It was time for Californian Pizza!

So, bad Austrian accent and all, I tossed this together.  In all it takes about 20 minutes to prepare, and costs very little to make, which also makes this a perfect candidate for the Frugal Fridays Blog Event. (I’m a day late, but hey, we’re not picky over there yet.)

I don’t have an exact cost on this recipe.  In fact, the components, if purchased just for this dish, are probably more than $10.00.  since only the pizza crusts and the cheese are used completely, the overall figure is undoubtedly less and if I had to make a guess, I’d put this in at about $8.00 in ingredients.

I made three mini-pizzas, but if you’re making this for a family, just go ahead and make it on a full-sized pizza crust.  You’ll be just fine for four people at about two slices each.

Yield: 8 slices

Spinach, Mushroom and Goat Cheese Pizza Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 package mini pizza crusts
• 2 tbsp. light sour cream or yogurt
• 3 tbsp. Greek vinaigrette
• 6 oz. crumbled goat cheese
• 3 good handfuls fresh spinach
• Approximately 8 button mushrooms, sliced
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Lemon juice (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. In a medium bowl, mix sour cream or yogurt with Greek vinaigrette.
3. Place pizza crusts on a half sheet pan (invert pan if crusts will not fit inside lip. If making one large pizza, a pizza stone is recommended) Brush with olive oil. divide sour cream mixture evenly among pizza crusts and spread out evenly with the back of a serving spoon or spatula.
4. Sprinkle 2/3 of goat cheese mixture evenly over pizza crusts. Arrange spinach and mushrooms over each pizza crust. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
5. At this point you may refrigerate the pizzas for later use. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and store for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
6. When ready to cook. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to each pizza, drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice if desired. Bake at 450°F for about 8 minutes, or until the spinach is wilted, the edge of the crust is golden, and the goat cheese appears slightly browned. (It won’t look like it’s melting, but it is.)
7. Remove from heat, slice and serve. Save any leftovers, this stuff is great cold in the morning, too!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 289Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 521mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 11g

I’m really not sure.  I’ve had a few thoughts here and there, but mostly, I think I might add just a bit of fresh thyme and fresh oregano. A bit of fresh cubed tomatoes might be good, too.  That’s about it.

Links to other recipes like this:

• Ultra-thin Crust Pizza with Onions, Mushrooms and Ricotta, from Simply Recipes
• Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Pizza, from Good Eats n’ Sweet Treats
• Beet, Leek and Goat Cheese Pizza, from SpicySaltySweet