Fire up the grill! This flatbread pizza recipe, topped with sweet, juicy berries, and creamy Fontina cheese has been sponsored by California Giant Berry Farms. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.
Summer is one of my favorite times of year for so many reasons, and the abundance of sweet, juicy berries at the market is right there at the top of the list. There’s nothing I love more when the weather turns warm than indulging in berries. So refreshing!
Berries are also one of my favorite ingredients for summer entertaining recipes. They work so well in everything from drinks and sweet dessert tarts, to salads and salsas. They’re also nothing short of perfection when paired with cheese.
This year, I have a new favorite addition to my summer berry menu. This Grilled Flatbread Pizza Recipe with Berries, Fontina, and Arugula is the perfect choice for picnics or casual dining on the patio.
Topped with California Giant Berry Farms‘ naturally gorgeous, plump berries, this sweet-savory bite will steal the show at your summer soirees!
Making The Best Flatbread Pizza Recipe with Berries
The nice thing about grilled flatbread is that you can either make it with fresh pizza dough that you cook on the grill, or store-bought Naan or flatbreads that you warm and crisp.
It’s a recipe that’s adaptable to what your summer entertaining schedule will allow, and the results are equally delicious!
How to Make Grilled Flatbread with Pizza Dough
Whenever I can, I love to make this flatbread pizza recipe with my own pizza dough. It’s easy to cook it on the grill, and the char marks give the flatbread a nice contrast to the fresh berries.
Grilling a flatbread pizza with pizza dough is a bit different than grilling a traditional pizza, as you don’t want the crust to puff up as much. While I like to hand-stretch dough for pizzas, I prefer to use a rolling pin to flatten the dough to ⅛- to ¼-inch thick for this flatbread.
Don’t get too worried about making a perfect rectangle for this recipe; rustic edges are part of its charm!
I also “dock” the dough with a fork before grilling so that the crust will remain thin and crisp, and grill the dough on both sizes before topping it with the cheese and berries.
Topping Grilled Flatbread Pizza
To retain a crisp crust on flatbread, it’s best to go a little more light-handed on the cheese than you would with a traditional pizza. You want enough cheese to provide creamy base for the berries and arugula, but not so much that it will weigh the flatbread down.
As for your berries: I love a mix of Cal Giant’s non-GMO strawberries and blackberries, but you can swap out any berry combo you prefer. Cal Giant’s raspberries would be divine with this, and you can never go wrong with their blueberries!
For a finishing touch with the sweet berries, peppery arugula, and rich Fontina, I like to drizzle this flatbread pizza recipe with a honey-balsamic reduction. It’s quick to make on the stove (just a 10-minute simmer!), and my friends have loved the deeply-flavored, sweet-tart flavor it adds.
Entertaining with Summer Berries
Not only are berries an utterly delicious, healthy addition to summer entertaining recipes, but their natural red and blue colors make them festive for parties with a patriotic theme.
A flatbread pizza recipe like this one that uses a mix of berries would be so well-presented for a Memorial Day or 4th of July picnic!
I also love to use berries to add both flavor and finesse to party beverages. I’ll often pop some of my Cal Giant berries into the freezer (quartering the large strawberries), and use the frozen fruit as ice cubes in iced tea, sparkling water, sangria, and fizzy cocktails.
Frozen berries will help to keep the beverages cold without watering them down.
For an even prettier touch, try these easy and elegant Berry Ice Cubes with Edible Flowers from Cal Giant’s Buzz Blog! How lovely would it be to serve a cocktail with these berry ice cubes alongside this grilled flatbread pizza recipe for a summer brunch?
Skinny Dips for Summer with Cal Giant
To celebrate the season, Cal Giant is running their Skinny Dips Sweepstakes again this year! (Last year, Striped Spatula joined in the fun with this irresistible Whipped Goat Cheese and Herb Dip, featuring Cal Giant strawberry dippers. So good!)
You can enter this year’s sweepstakes once a day, all summer long (until July 31, 2018) for a chance to win 1 of 4 grand prizes.
The Pool Party Prize Packs include a premium cooler, tumbler cups for sipping poolside, a fruit and veggie dip tray, produce pool floaties, a giant swan float, and coupons from Cal Giant’s partners involved in Skinny Dips.
You can also enter to win 1 of 4 secondary prizes of a $100 eGiftCard!
When you enter, Cal Giant will send you their Skinny Dips Summer Snacking Guide, filled with recipes, tips, and inspiration for summer entertaining. To enter, click HERE or on the image below.
Grilled Flatbread Pizza with Berries and Fontina
Ingredients
Flatbreads
- 1 pound ball pizza dough , room temperature
- vegetable oil , for oiling grill grates
- 1-½ cups shredded fontina , divided
- ¼ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano , divided
- 1 cup California Giant Berry Farms blackberries , divided
- 2 cups California Giant Berry Farms strawberries , sliced and divided
- ½ cup baby arugula , roughly chopped and divided
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves , roughly torn and divided
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil , divided
- kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Balsamic Reduction
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
Instructions
Make the Flatbreads
- Cut the ball of pizza dough in half. Roll each half into a rectangle about ⅛-to ¼-inch thick. “Dock” the crusts all over with a fork. Transfer to a rimless cookie sheet or metal pizza paddle generously dusted with flour.
- Heat grill to 500 degrees F over medium-high flame and oil the grates.
- Slide the flatbreads onto the oiled grates. Close the lid on the grill and cook over direct heat for about 3 minutes, until grill marks appear. Use tongs to flip the dough and grill for 2-3 minutes on the second side.
- Remove flatbreads from grill and brush the tops with olive oil. Top each with half of the shredded fontina, Parmigiano Reggiano, strawberries, blackberries, a pinch of kosher salt, and freshly-ground black pepper.
- Return the flatbreads to the grill over indirect heat (you want the cheese to melt, but don't want to burn the crusts). Close the lid and cook for 3-5 minutes, until cheese is melted.
- Top flatbreads with arugula and basil. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, if desired, and honey-balsamic reduction. Cut into wedges and serve.
To Make the Balsamic Reduction
- In a small saucepan, stir together balsamic vinegar and honey. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes, until reduced by half. Let cool.
Notes
Substitutions and Additions:
- Instead of pizza dough, use two large rounds of naan, or a pre-made flatbread from the bakery section of the grocery store. Brush with olive oil and grill 1-2 minutes per side, until warmed and starting to crisp, before topping and proceeding with the recipe as written.
- Like a little extra crunch? Sprinkle the flatbread with chopped walnuts or pecans.
- No fontina? This flatbread is also delicious with shredded asiago or mozzarella, or a combination of cheeses!
- Prefer another mix of berries? Any of Cal Giant's berries would be perfect here. Strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, or blueberries; take your pick or mix them all!
Nutrition Estimate
Amy Nash says
I just bought a big package of California Giant Berry Farms’ strawberries when I was at Costco last week and they were honestly the sweetest, most delicious strawberries I have had in ages! And they were massive! I had big plans to make something with them, but honestly we ended up eating the whole package plain! Anyway, next time I go I’m going to have to double up so I have enough berries to make this flatbread pizza, which looks divine!
Donna says
This is just gorgeous, love those photos! I can’t wait to whip one up and share at our next gathering with friends, it looks so fancy and the flavors sound fantastic :) Bet it would go well with a nice cold glass of something white – yum!
Annemarie says
Oh, that fruit looks amazing! I love all the berries in the summer and making them into a sweet/savory flatbread is a great idea, and the balsamic reduction would make it perfect. I can see trying this with different fruits and mixes of cheeses all summer long.
Sylvie says
Making Pizza dough has been on my ‘to-do list’ for such a long time! I love love love the idea of using berries as the main feature of a savoury dish, I will be definitely trying this one soon! Pinned too :)
Jennifer Bigler says
Awesome giveaway! This beautiful dish is perfect for when I have my happy hour get togethers with my girlfriends this summer. A light salad and sauvignon blanc along with these would be perfection. I love how you drizzle it with the balsamic reduction. Yum!
Gloria says
OMG….this is right up my alley. I would love this for brunch or dessert. I could live on bread and cheese and wine…so this is perfect. In fact I could make a meal out of this. With fresh berry season here….and grilling season too…we get the best of both worlds. And don’t even get me started on balsamic reduction….what a great item in the kitchen.
Lisa says
Your photos for this flatbread are absolutely mouthwatering, Amanda. I can practically taste it through the screen. I love the way you play with sweet and savory in this recipe — the arugula, fontina and parmigiano really take this in a different direction. I would love to snack on this in the early evening with a chilled glass of sauvignon blanc. It sounds like a great light summer meal that I will be making as soon as the sun comes back out (Alberto).
Tina says
When I first saw this pizza, I thought how perfect for the 4th of July or Memorial Day. I’m saving this but I’m not going to wait until 4th of July. This looks great for all Summer. I am really liking the arugula with the berry pairing, they complement each other perfectly. I don’t remember ever having fontina cheese so this may be a first for me. Another lovely recipe, thank you!
Kathy McDaniel says
Let me start by saying this is the most beautiful grilled flatbread pizza – a real showstopper! I love berry season and the combination of the berries with the fontina cheese sounds amazing!I will be making this for my next “girls night in”! I am sure they will all love it.
Cindy says
OMG I want – looks perfect for summer too. Can I use fontinella cheese in place of fontina, the guy at the store says it’s the same thing, but wanted to check. tysm for this recipe
Amanda {Striped Spatula} says
Hi Cindy, yes, you can substitute Fontinella cheese here. They’re different cheeses (Fontina is Italian, and Fontinella is American; Fontina is also aged a bit longer), but both will work well on the flatbread. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Jessica (Swanky Recipes) says
With the unofficial start of summer this weekend, I’ve been on the hunt for easy summer entertaining recipes for upcoming cookouts, potlucks, and holidays. This berry flatbread has all my favorite flavors and sounds refreshing!
Rachel says
Oh my word! This flatbread looks so tantalizing! I just got a bunch of fresh, local berries today. It’s like 11 o’clock at night, but I want to go make this with my fresh berries right now!
lauren says
I am all about the flatbread life right now! Especially when its super hot outside. I love the idea of using savory cheeses and sweet ripe fruit. Can NOT WAIT for berry season here in MA!
Dominique says
Adding berries to flatbread pizza is such a wonderful idea! This would be perfect for the holiday weekend… a unique crowd pleaser!
Monica says
This is so gorgeous! I have always wanted to master grilled pizza, but now I have a new goal – doing so flatbread style! Those char marks are simply to die for, and then with the cheese and berries – how can you go wrong!?
Cathleen says
This is screaming summer!! Also, loving the idea of using frozen berries as ice cubes!
Jenni says
Oh my gosh, I want to make this and not share with anyone! It looks so amazing, and it would be a perfect summer treat with a crisp glass of wine on a hot summer evening!