Mummy Pizzas with Smoky Pesto

Pita Pizzas perfect for Halloween with a smoky pesto base that pairs quite nicely with mild mozzarella

It's the 21st of the month which means it's time for my RecipeReDux post! This month's theme is Spooky Spices: You know they are lurking there: Way in the back of your spice drawer. There lie the herbs, spices, or rubs that are getting dusty because you’re afraid to use them… you simply don’t know what to do with them! Well, pull them out and show us a recipe you created to deliciously conquer that fearful spice. (Or maybe the recipe was a flop – and the spice still give you nightmares?!)

I've never felt like there were too many spices that I was intimidated by, but after a quick dig around in my spice cabinet, I noticed that there are some that just aren't used much.

And then I decided that I wanted to take the Recipe ReDux challenge a little bit further and make this a Halloween recipe. It is October and all, ya know?

Funny enough, my last smoked paprika recipe {Smoky Pimento Cheese Sandwiches} was a few years ago for Halloween. I guess Halloween and smoked paprika remind me of each other.

Smoky makes me think clouds and eeriness... you know like the moon behind clouds on a Halloween night. That thought makes me scared a little uncomfortable.

[Tweet "Fun Mummy Pita Pizzas with a smoky pesto are great for #Halloween! #vegetarian #thereciperedux"]

Truth be told, I don't like to be scared. I really don't understand people who want to be scared...

I recently watched The Following - which is disturbingly addicting - and I've been sleeping with one eye open every night. Every single noise is surely the sound of Joe Carroll or one of his cult members coming to get me. Why are noises so much more alarming after dark?

Get rid of the scary factor of Halloween, and I'm a fan! I love the decorating, the dressing-up, and the celebrations of Halloween, which I why I like making pumpkin things and mummy inspired pita pizzas.

I've seen these on different websites and thought they seemed easy enough to make. Just spread some pizza sauce on crust {something like a pita or an English muffin half is perfect} and then scatter with strands of cheese. Add two round shaped objects for eyes and bake to melt the cheese.

Since I did Pita Pizzas with Pizza Sauce the other week, I decided to do these with a smoky pesto and use smoked paprika. I love how the color from the green basil mixed with the red paprika makes this pesto a little brownish which is great as the perfect base for a Mummy Pizza. Right? Right.

Unfortunately, mine didn't turn exactly like I wanted them to, but they're still really cute and taste delish! A smoky base pairs quite nicely with mild mozzarella. I ran out of mozzarella and had to use some regular cheddar, which melts in the oven - duh - and you couldn't really tell that it was supposed to be a mummy. Next time, I'll remember that string cheese or fresh mozzarella do best to make it look like strands of the mummy.

Any veggies will do for the eyes. I don't love black olives on my pizza, so I used a grape tomato sliced in half. Make them any way you want, just please don't make them scary 😉

Mummy Pita Pizzas

Pita Pizzas perfect for Halloween with a smoky pesto base that pairs quite nicely with mild mozzarella

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Print Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 12 minutes

Servings: 4

Author: Meme

Ingredients

For the pesto:

• ▢ 2 cups basil
• ▢ ¼ cup sunflower seeds
• ▢ ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2 tablespoon lemon juice
• ▢ 2 tablespoon olive oil

For the pitas:

• ▢ 4 whole wheat pita opened up
• ▢ 4 oz mozzarella string cheese
• ▢ 8 grape tomatoes sliced in half

Instructions

For the pesto:

• Add all the ingredients except the olive oil to a food processor and blend until smooth. Add in olive oil and process until combined.

For the pizza:

• Spread about one tablespoon Smoky Pesto on a pita half. Top with strands of cheese to look like strands of a mummy. Add tomato halves to look like eyeballs. Broil for about 1-2 minutes until cheese is melted. Enjoy!

Notes

This recipe makes about ½ cup pesto

Did you try this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment & recipe rating below. Bonus points for tagging @memeinge & #livingwellkitchen on Instagram! THANK YOU! xo

Check out all the other Recipe ReDux members' recipes for Spooky Spices:

Meme