Restaurant chains like California Pizza Kitchen or Wolfgang Puck’s make a killing out of gourmet pizza creations, and it is pretty fun to explore different flavor combinations that veer off the standard pepperoni and cheese combo. The problem is, most of these gourmet pizza creations are not by the slice. So, if you’ve got a family of four, you’re pretty much stuck with ordering just one or two … and most likely if you’ve got a husband like mine, one of them is bound to be sausage and pepperoni.
Instead of going out to eat pizza, we have pizza parties at home. I know many of you love to make your own pizza dough; sometimes when you’re pinched for time or are lazy (me), another alternative is to buy pre-made flatbreads or naan bread. The naan flatbread is personally my favorite. It’s got that nice satisfying chew similar to pizza crust.
I’ll lay out an entire table full of aspiring pizza toppings, and each person can make their own mini pizza. The kids have a blast assembling their own me!me!mine!domyself! dinner (are your kids in that stage too?).
My husband … well … he’s forced to go all wild and crazy with artisan pepperoni and chicken-apple sausage. What a good sport—he plays along anyway—but I know he’s thinking: “Meat. Woman. Just want plain meat.”
So I wanted to throw out a few global pizza ideas for toppings. All of them start with flatbread brushed with olive oil all over, which is then baked in the oven for 7-10 minutes at 400F.
Japanese (photo above)
Sauté a combo of thinly sliced shallots and Japanese mushrooms, like enoki, white beech, shiitake, or king trumpet with a little butter and a touch of soy sauce. Assemble the pizza with a base of shredded cheese and then sauteed mushrooms. Bake and then sprinkle julienned shiso leaf (or a basil/mint combo) on top. Shiso is a Japanese fresh herb also known as perilla.
Thai
Saute chicken breast strips with a bit of soy sauce and honey. Assemble the pizza with cheese of choice, then chicken. Bake and top with chopped peanuts, crunchy fresh bean sprouts and fresh cilantro.
Moroccan
Brush a thin layer of harissa sauce (a Moroccan red pepper sauce that you can find at gourmet markets) and cheese of choice. Add whole roasted garlic, olives, sliced red bell peppers and maybe sliced dried apricots that have been rehydrated in warm water (and drained). Bake.
Argentinean
Hmmm … how about sauté sausage with bell peppers and onions, then assemble the pizza with cheese, followed by the sausage/peppers. Bake and before serving, drizzle just a bit of chimichurri sauce on top.
Tell me more! I want to hear your global pizza ideas!
Here’s a list of countries. GO!
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Jaden Hair is a food writer, television personality, and food photographer based in Tampa Bay, Florida. Find more of her recipes in her blog, Steamy Kitchen, where you can also read more about Jaden’s new book, The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook, and the rave reviews it’s received!
74 Comments
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Miss Tish on 4.1.2010
OK, so I saw a Korean Kimchee pizza on Food Network a while back and that looked soooooo good!
But I want to take it one step further and add beef bulgogi to the mix….yummy ribeye marinated with sesame and soy and some cilantro and/or scallions on top?!?!
Sadly I live in Wyoming and have to travel to the asian market in Denver to get all my goodies – but how wonderful it will be when it all comes together!!
laurenh on 3.31.2010
We have moved out of state and have no family here, boo hoo, so we are going to do something new for fun. My kids are getting older but still love Easter egg hunts. I found some prepackaged plastic eggs that are all ready stuffed. They are for a night time hunt. They have a glow in the dark sticker on them and they even come with a flashlight. So we are going to do it Saturday night and see what they find. I think it will be fun, hopefully they will too.
kathyo on 3.31.2010
I would like to order one japanese pizza please… Delivery
I need to make a trip for some exotic mushrooms but other then that my belly is ready
Jess on 3.31.2010
Hmm how about some indian themed pizza? You could do a chicken korma style topping. Or maybe Palak Paneer pizza – with spinach and paneer cheese.
Pamela on 3.31.2010
japanese eggpalnt (the skinny ones) sliced tomatoes, mushrooms, crummbled bacon and smoked gooda mixed with the motzerella
Pamela on 3.31.2010
My favorite is to use tortilla bread and top it with sundried tomato pesto, fetta cheese, spinach & mushrooms yummmmm!
Alysa on 3.31.2010
I’m from Australia… and around here, Aussie pizza consists of: ham, onion & egg. Yup. Egg. Most americans don’t believe me… but it’s SO good! Beat it up lightly, and pour it in the middle. Tastes so good!
My all time favourite, tho, is roast pumpkin. Most americans don’t believe me in this, either! Cut up a few slices of pumpkin, really fine, toss with oil & italian herbs, add a little onion & garlic. Roast until brown around the edges. For the pizza sauce, use tomato paste, and stir in some more italian herbs. Mozzarella cheese, sun dried tomatoes, and a little spinach if you have some – preferably baby spinach. And feta cheese. Must have feta cheese! Spread it all over, with the pumpkin. Ohh… SO good! Best I’ve ever had!
Here’s a not-so-good pic: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3483996&l=ea5fed46b2&id=502684078
Enjoy!
MARYLYN on 3.30.2010
Church, then a quiet family day(no little ones.) Hope to read or paint. Pretty simple.
Steph Light on 3.30.2010
Love the ideas!! But I live in NYC and you can’t beat a great slice of NY pizza and there is a pizza place on every corner with every kind of pizza. But just slice and warm me a plain one, love it!!:)
M Saulsbury on 3.30.2010
We’ll be hunting eggs, paying with grandkids, cooking.
Janell on 3.30.2010
We will be haning around the house dying easter eggs and preparing for Easter Sunday.
britanniacheese on 3.30.2010
It sounds Yummy!!! I always have a pizza party out side my pool. I treat my friends with cheese recipes. Hope for some new recipes.
Astrid on 3.29.2010
When I was living in Sweden, they had the most amazing middle-eastern inspired pizza all over the place. Thin, soft crust. Rotisserie mutton sliced in thin slices, this incredible garlic cream sauce that I dream of, and perpperocinis. Kebab pizza, called a Mamma Mia at the local pizzeria.
If I could figure out how to make that, I would be a happy girl. I have no way of rotisserie cooking mutton, though, and I don’t think it’s the same any other way…
Katie F on 3.29.2010
SueP, now you are talkin’!!!!
smilinggreenmom on 3.29.2010
Yummy! Your photo has me really hungry now lol! I love to make homemade pizza and my newest goal is to make my crust with Kamut Khorasan Wheat. We recently tried this and love the taste and texture on top of all the nutritional benefits and I would really like to make it my goal to use more frequently. Thanks for sharing this
Gloria on 3.28.2010
My daughter loves this Chicken Marsala pizza I make with carmelized onions chicken and a sauce with marsala topped with mozzerella cheese. It is so good. I’m not sure what country you would say that represents.
Becky on 3.27.2010
Chipotle Chicken Pizza:
Marinate chicken overnight in a sauce made of pureed chipotle peppers with adobo sauce (take seeds out if you don’t like too much spice). You can then saute the chicken if you want, or I usually dice it into small pieces before marinating and just stick it on the pizza. Put on tomato sauce, the chicken, black beans, and fresh off the cob corn and cheese. I like the way mozzarella makes it stringy, but jack works well too. Then bake it and add fresh chopped cilantro after wards.
Barbara on 3.27.2010
I guess I have been pretty limited on my pizza up ’till now. I had never even considered many of these wonderful ideas.
One pizza I haven’t made in years, but was super yummy was to use creamed spinach in place of sauce, cheese (mozzarella and some parm) then some black olives as a topping. It is a good combo.
farmerswife on 3.27.2010
Amazing! Our neighbors added an outdoor pizza over recently and we have been in pizza heaven trying out all new recipes – this one was a hit- thanks!
Patti W on 3.27.2010
I like using flour tortillas for a base because they are nearly like a thin crust pizza.
I wanted something way different the other night so I spread a layer of spice mustard on the tortilla, added some fresh mozzerella cheese, a sliced avocado, fresh crab meat (it was on sale), a little pineapple. Then I grated some Havarti cheese over the whole thing and baked it for 15 minutes. It was beyond good.
youngmi on 3.27.2010
korean! it would definitely have some kimchi on it, maybe some spam, and topped with crumbled, toasted seaweed
Regan on 3.27.2010
My favorite is french-inspired! I love to make really delicious and dark sticky caramelized onions (sauteed with butter and olive oil, a tsp of sugar, a dash of thyme and then glazed with white wine once they are dark) and plain goat cheese. I spread the delectable onions on my homemade crust and then use about 4 oz of goat cheese crumbled all over. Bake and salivate!
Anne Marie on 3.26.2010
Buffalo chicken pizza!
I know it’s not very international, but my husband sure loves it.
Mix Frank’s hot sauce with butter, and stir cooked shredded chicken into it. Spread a light layer of ranch or blue cheese dressing on the crust. Top with the chicken, then add a mixture of mozzarella and crumbly blue cheese.
rghawki on 3.26.2010
Irish Pizza, you top a crust with corned beef, cabbage and potatoes. Lots of cheese, sooooo good.
I also fix a lot of shrimp pizza, family fav.
Patti Linder on 3.26.2010
Thanks for the great ideas! My hubby is building us an outdoor woodburning pizza oven this Spring, so I suspect we’ll be having lots of pizza parties out by the pool this summer.
I can use all these great suggestions for topper ideas for our friends to make their own pizzas!
K on 3.26.2010
Ooo… all of these sound so yummy. I’ve done the following:
Ireland: sliced potatoes, topped with sliced corned beef, sauerkraut, and cheese
Greek: hummus, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, banana peppers, calamata olives, and feta
saffron on 3.26.2010
I make this pizza and don’t know what cuisine it would added to, except GOURMET pizza. The flavors are amazing, added together it blows your sox off with flavor!
Either make your own dough, or buy it from your bakery. I suppose you could use the Naan bread as well.
This amount is for one 12-15 inches pizza:
Pear, Proscutto and Gorganzola Pizza:
4 oz. crumbled gorganzola cheese
1/4 lb. proscuitto, sliced thin
1 small red skin or barlett pear (no too ripe), thinly sliced
1 small ball of mozzarella cheese (I use Vermont), cubed
1/4 cups chopped walnuts, lightly toasted
olive oil
honey
black pepper
Spread out dough on a baking sheet, sprinkled with cornmeal. Prick with fork.
Lightly brush olive oil over crust, leaving 1/2 inch border.
Scatter gorganzola cheese around dough
Add chunks of mozzarella all round dough
Add slices of pear all around
Lay in spoke like pattern, the proscuitto all over ( I twist the slices a bit)
Bake in 450 preheated oven for 12-14 minutes, until cheese has melted and crust is golden brown.
Remove from oven, sprinkle with walnuts, drizzle some honey and grind some black pepper on top.
YUM, this sweet, cream, savory and just tops any pizza I have ever had. It bursts in your mouth with flavor!
Sara on 3.26.2010
Wow! That Thai pizza idea sounds way better than anything I’ve ever actually seen here in Thailand, that’s for sure.
Sounds kinda like a Pad Thai pizza (2 wonderful things combined!) – I must try making it soon!
As for what’s really on pizza in the land of Thai, there’s lots of seafood – squid rings, whole prawns, fried fish chunks – and, as crazy as it may sound, it isn’t uncommon to see Thousand Island dressing instead of tomato sauce lurking beneath the cheese. I must say my favorite Thai pizza thus far (other than the standard sausage, ham&pineapple you can find), has been the Hot Basil Chicken (Krapow Kai) pizza with plenty of tiny chilies, pieces of sweet chicken, and lots of Thai Holy Basil. YUM!
I’ve been on a little pizza-making kick lately, so keep the ideas coming.
cookincanuck on 3.25.2010
We look forward to our Friday night pizza night each week and I’ll definitely be using some of your ideas. One of our favorites is slathering the pizza dough in peanut sauce, then piling on chicken, matchstick carrots, red bell peppers, mozzarella cheese & cilantro. In the summer, we grill the pizzas (love the texture this gives the crust) and top them with combination, such as shrimp, pesto & fresh mozzarella.
dbruce on 3.25.2010
Chambersburg Mustard Tomato Pie
Basic Pizza Crust Recipe…arrange in pan
Spread 1 to 2 Tblsp. of yellow mustard on dough
Top with mozzarella cheese, doesn’t matter how much, whatever you like (:
Dollop with pizza sauce…as you would topping a pizza with ricotta cheese
Bake according to directions for the crust…
Clevegal42 on 3.25.2010
This would be pseudo-Chinese (I’m assuming this type of Sweet & Sour Chicken is not completely authentic) – Sweet & Sour Chicken Pizza: Use bottled Sweet & Sour sauce, shredded chicken breast, thin sliced sweet onion, thin sliced green peppers, pineapple chunks and a sprinkling of the cheese of your choice (since pizza needs cheese) – I like Colby/Jack, but don’t use too much. Created one day when we were wanting pizza but had no usual pizza ingredients on hand.
cocobean on 3.25.2010
we do mexican pizza pretty often – especially when we have carnitas!
I always just put leftovers on my pizza (hubby likes plain normal pizza – and often!) – my fave so far was a shepherds pie pizza with leftover roast & mashed potatoes… oh my heavens!
Holly on 3.25.2010
I do a moroccan pizza with garlic oil brushed on the crust, shredded leftover moroccan spiced chicken (i use fennel, coriander, ras al hanout), goat cheese, caramelized onions, big green olives, and blanched chopped almonds. Oh, and some spinach for green.
My husband isn’t the most adventurous eater but he LOVES this pizza. I
Nytesong on 3.25.2010
Mmmmm…one of my favorites is caramelized onion pizza.
Slice your onions into thin rings and caramelize in a pan in a bit of olive oil on your stovetop. Then, on the dough that’s been brushed with a bit of olive oil, heap on your onions, some slivers of fresh garlic and a quick grating of real Romano Pecorino and bake.
It’s really fantastic with it’s sweet and salty savoriness. It’s even good the next day alongside some eggs.
Shelly on 3.25.2010
My Japenese would be a “crust” of sushi rice, sprinkled with sliced toasted nori, a “sauce” of wasabi, toppings of avocado, english cucumber, spicy crab meat ……. I know its just sushi in pizza form, but it would be fun.
Korean …. sauteed bulgoki beef and kim-chi
michelle on 3.25.2010
I love this post…..great ideas!
we love to make our own crust and then we have some of our favorite combinations:
we love putting olive tapenade on the crust, with homemade ricotta and fresh basil with freshly sliced mushrooms, we call it “medi” pizza and we also do lots of rolled pizza, stromboli with turkey, green olives and montereay jack as well as spinach, bacon, garlic and sliced fresh tomatoes and slice them for lunch, hot or cold they are sooo good!
I also have made a pizza with smoked salmon, fresh ricotta cheese, carmelized onions, capers and thinly sliced tomatoes for what we joke is lox and pizza!
love all these ideas!!! starving here!
Kelly on 3.25.2010
I love the artichoke pizza at my local favorite pizza restaurant in Vienna, Austria. And my recent weekend in Rome taught me that it is not the variety, but the quality of toppings that really counts!
DD on 3.25.2010
For a Spanish pizza, I’d just look at a tapas menu and spin it into pizza form. Jamon Serrano and Manchego with tomato would be easy and delish, dates and bacon, you could do some kind of white pizza spin on gambas al ajillo, or make a saffrony sauce for paella flavors, maybe a spin on patatas bravas, and definitely serve or top with aioli.
Miri of Laura|Carmen on 3.25.2010
My favorite Italian restaurant in Oakland makes a cheese pizza with thin slices of eggplant. The eggplant gets super tender and oozes into the cheese. I can’t even describe why this is so incredibly addicting. I also realize Italian pizza isn’t exactly “global” but I had to share!
goodlifeeats on 3.25.2010
Mexican! Tomatillo Sauce for the sauce, cumin/lime grilled chicken, cilantro, tomatoes, jack cheese. Now I’m hungry!
I’m hungry now!
Kristin on 3.25.2010
Southern – BBQ sauce, red onions, corn, and shredded meat (we like turkey) – SO good!
Ria on 3.25.2010
Without any doubt I’d say Cheese & Chilli chicken Pizza!
http://riascollection.blogspot.com/2009/08/cheese-chilli-chicken-pizza-o-so.html
Jenn on 3.25.2010
I recently just made a Spanish inspired gluten free pizza – parsley pesto for the sauce, chorzio, manchego cheese, Andalucian olives, and tomatoes – it was a big hit with everyone who tried it!
steamykitchen on 3.25.2010
Wow you guys are all so creative! Who needs a cookbook with all these fantastic creations.
@SueP – CUBAN. brilliant.
xoxo jaden
Frieda on 3.25.2010
Greek. And I made dough last night so I’m having it tonight. Garlic-infused olive oil, fresh moz with some feta, spinach, shallots, sun dried tomatoes and pine nuts.
feistyfilly on 3.25.2010
GREEK!
Arugula leaves, Garlic, Olive Oil, Kalamata Olives and topped with Feta!
SueP on 3.25.2010
How about a take on a Cuban sandwich:
Brush naan / dough with olive oil mixed with a little mustard, ham, swiss, some dill pickle slices and top with some fried plantains.
T2Nashville on 3.25.2010
It may not be global, but the dessert pizza should definitely be mentioned here. I’ve done everything from apple to cherry to chocolate to coconut. Endless possibilities!
Janet on 3.25.2010
Persian–
Thin sliced tomatoes, french feta, onions with a light sprinkling of saffron and sumac, followed by a chiffonade of fresh basil leaves after it leaves the oven. Yum
dawnalee on 3.25.2010
Our version of Hawai’ian is mashed papaya/mango/liliquoi (combo of what’s on hand) as the sauce with pulled pork/kahlua pork baked then topped with lots of fresh pineapple and coconut, sometimes with chopped tomato. Nango.
NoneOther Mushroom: herbed white sauce chock full of herb combo of choice – often savory, rosemary, thyme, basil, mint, lemon with cheese combo of choice – often feta and parmesan topped with sauted mushroom and onions.
Gah! time to get some dough made.