With the Eastern Conference Finals continuing on (HELL YA, BUCKS!), I was given the idea that never dawned on me…Greek food. Why Greek food? Cuz the Bucks have The Greek Freak (Giannis Antetokounmpo)! What was asked of me was, “Have you ever done any gyro recipes?” Initially, I was like, WTF…why though? Then it dawned on me. My Foodie brain started spinning in excitement. Olives (and olive oil), red onions, capers, feta cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes, PITA BREAD(!), tzatziki, fresh fish, and grilled meats…and the list goes on! I could make gyros or kabobs or something like, I don’t know, Pita Pizza.
What Should I Make Though?
With all of the things available at my fingertips, and having little experience ever cooking Greek style food, I had some work ahead of me but I was super excited! With a little research and some creativity, I made the decision to combine some Greek staples and create some good, ol’ fashioned Greek Pita Pizza! Is Greek Pizza old fashioned, though??
Pizza and Sports…A Better Love Story than Kanye with Himself
Sitting on a couch or sitting in the stands, pizza will always be a mainstay in the tailgate world! There’s just something about some toppings on cheese with a layer of sauce, all on top of carbs, that will always be a part of pretty much any sport. The awesome thing about pizza is the fact that you can go as plain or as creative and over the top you want! This little meal is FAR from your classic ‘za, though!
GREEK A.F.
After some research throughout the internets, asking friends from the homeland, and perusing Pinterest (check out my page!), I landed on this **DRUMROLL, PLEASE**:
Customize that Pita Pizza!
There are so many different combos that you can use! One of the reasons I chose the ingredients I did is because of their Greek heritage and how well they work together. The sun dried tomato pesto adds a subtle sweetness that is evened out nicely by the brine of black olives. The herbaceous-ness (made that word up) of the oregano is tamed by a slightly acidic, slightly spicy pepperocini. Drizzling the tzatziki sauce adds a freshness that pizza sometimes needs. Lastly, the overall texture of the toppings is complemented by the slight crunch from a baked pita bread. **I am soooo hungry from writing this**
Pita Pizza
Ingredients
For Tzatziki Sauce:
- 10 oz. Plain Greek Yogurt
- 1/2 Cucumber (small, deseed, small dice)
- 4 Garlic Cloves (minced)
- 1 tbsp. Fresh Dill (minced)
- 1 sprig Fresh Oregano (minced)
- 1 tbsp. Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp. Lemon Zest
- 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 1/4 tsp. Black Pepper
For Pita Pizza:
- 6 Pita Bread (white)
- 5 oz. Sun-dried Tomato Pesto
- 8 oz. Mozzarella (shredded)
- 1/4 Red Onion (small dice)
- 16 oz. Pepperoncini (deli sliced)
- 16 oz. Kalamata Black Olives
- 6 oz. Feta Cheese
- 1 lb. Chicken Thighs (deboned)
For Chicken Seasoning Blend:
- 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
- 2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp. Rosemary (dry)
- 1/2 tsp. Dill Weed (dry)
- 1/2 tsp. Marjoram (dry)
- 1 tsp. Onion Powder
- 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
Instructions
For Tzatziki Sauce:
- Dice Cucumber.
- Mince Garlic Cloves.
- Mince Oregano and Dill Weed.
- Zest Lemon.
- Place all ingredients into medium size mixing bowl. Mix until evenly incorporated.
- Chill for 1 hour.
For Chicken Thighs:
- Make Seasoning Mixture.
- Liberally season chicken thighs with mixture.
- Turn oven to 350F.
- In a hard bottom pan turned to medium, place oil. Once to temperature (oil will run in pan easily), place Chicken Thighs.
- Once Chicken is golden brown, pull and place in oven until Chicken is at temperature (165F).
- Once at temperature, pull out of oven and shred. Turn oven to 400F.
- Set aside for later.
For Pita Pizza:
- With oven set at 400F, rub one side of Pita Bread with Olive Oil. Place into oven for 5-7 minutes.
- Pull Pita Bread once it begins to crisp.
- Place Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto onto Pita. Spread on entire of Pita.
- Place small layer of Mozzarella on Pesto.
- Place Red Onion, Pepperoncini, Black Olives, and Chicken on to Pita. Add another thin layer of Mozzarella.
- Place Pita back into oven until cheese melts.
- Pull and sprinkle Feta. Drizzle Tzatziki Sauce.
- Cut and MOW DOWN!
Notes
The seasoning blend measurements will give you left over seasoning to use for later! Same goes for the Pesto, Pepperoncini, and Black Olives. If you are afraid you won’t use them all, purchase less and don’t waste it!
