When it comes to serving food over the holidays, I am all about easy and tasty! The last thing I want to do is cook for days on end with no opportunity to enjoy the bigger picture with friends and family. Appetizers are every bit as important as the main dishes that will be served, especially at holiday gatherings. Think about it – what do you load up most on when you are at your family’s house all day waiting to eat the main entrée? That’s right, appetizers and finger foods.
This Pea and Pesto Naan Bread is so good, and you won’t believe how easy it is to make. In fact, there are even more shortcuts, if you want to take them, without sacrificing flavor! This recipe also will get you out of the norm of making the same old thing. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love what my mom serves up on Christmas, but I would love it if she would try to make a few new things. I think many folks feel that way about trying something new but sometimes are just unsure of where to start!
For me, the first places I check out when I grocery shop are the dairy and freezer sections. Since we are cheese lovers, it’s a must that I start there, and the dairy aisle is loaded with them! From blue cheese to aged Cheddars and my favorite buffalo mozzarella, this is where I find some inspiration and creativity. Because the holidays seem to pack up my refrigerator more than normal, I find that the freezer aisle can be a big help because I can load up my freezer that seems to have more space! Whether it be proteins, desserts or vegetables, frozen foods can be a huge lifesaver to maintain your refrigerator overload sanity!
Now for the shortcuts of this Pea and Pesto Naan Bread! First the Naan bread! If you’re unfamiliar, Naan, nan or khamiri is a leavened, oven-baked flatbread found in the cuisines of West, Central and South Asia. You can certainly make your own if you choose, and I have a fantastic recipe right here. But I want to warn you that it is going to take a lot more time to complete this appetizer. I recommend venturing over to the bread aisle and picking up a few slices of pre-made Naan. The other shortcut would be the pesto. There are several pre-made pesto sauces in the dairy aisle of your grocery store that you could buy to help save even more time, not that homemade pesto is hard to make, but ya know what I mean. From there, this recipe could not be easier-some delicious frozen Birds Eye Sweet Peas and Galbani Buffalo Mozzarella! Top off the naan, bake it in the oven for only 6 to 8 minutes and a scrumptious appetizer is served!
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- 1 cup of fresh basil leaves
- juice of ½ lemon
- 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon of pine nuts
- 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
- 8 slices of premade garlic Naan bread
- 2 cups of heated up Bird’s Eye Sweet Peas, roughly chopped
- 24 thin slices of Galbani Buffalo Mozzarella
- 1 cup of shredded parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
- Preheat the oven to 425°.
- For the Pesto: Add the basil, lemon juice, grated parmesan cheese and pine nuts to a food processor and pulse 6 to 8 times.
- Next, slowly drizzle in the olive oil while on high speed. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper and set aside.
- To Assemble: Cover the bottom of 1 naan bread with a small amount of the heated up and roughly chopped peas as the base. Next, add on 3 slices of buffalo mozzarella and then a few dollops of pesto. Season with salt and pepper and finish with a small amount of shredded parmesan cheese.
- Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake for 6 to 8 minutes.