Keep it cozy with Cold Weather Pizza Toppings
After a record-breaking hot summer in much of the U.S., we are ready for cooler temperatures. Are your fall and winter menus prepared to provide that cold-weather comfort? Just as summer tomatoes bring a freshness to your summer menu, look to cozy ingredients to warm up your customers when the temperatures go cool.
September is a perfect time to plan those cold-weather specialty menus. Before I dive into creative cozy pizza ideas, let’s reflect on your seasonal successes. You don’t have to start from scratch with your fall and winter pizza menus, go to your well for great pizzas that have worked.
During the pandemic, I offered some advice for changing up your fall menu. With cost of goods and inflation, that advice is still sound as you plan your fall and winter menus. Here are my five tips to help mitigate some of that risk of changing up your menu seasonally:
- Go with your proven winners.
- Look back to your sales reports from the past three to five years and find those fall and winter menu specials. Which fall and winter debut items were hits and which were duds?
- Odds are you will find common ingredients that customers loved and ingredients that your market just didn’t care for. If you are unable to access item-by-item data history, scour your past fall and winter special social media posts. Were there items that garnered more attention than others?
- Once you have a list of the popular fall and winter ingredients for your market, it’s time to think labor. Now may not be the time to roll out a labor-intensive new item. Instead try preparation and cooking techniques that do not strap your kitchen crew. Choose methods that can be prepped ahead or are already a part of your makeline.
- Now it’s time to get creative in your kitchen. Try pairing seasonal items with those can’t-miss ingredients. People may be willing to get out of their pizza comfort zone if they see pepperoni or sausage on that a new fall or winter item.
Make pizza extra cozy with a white sauce
Pizza is already one of America’s best comfort foods. What can make pizza extra cozy? There are ingredients that are more filling. Here are a few ingredients to try on your cold-weather pizza:
White Sauces, from bechamel and Alfredo to thicker cheese-based sauces give the heftier feel.
Start with a basic bechamel sauce: Here is a basic bechamel sauce recipe.
From there, let’s talk add-ins. You could go with cheese like Parmesan, bleu cheese, Gruyère, white cheddar or goat cheese. Roasted garlic always works well in a white sauce. Try other ingredients to change it up and make it your own — roasted red pepper, mushrooms, your favorite hot sauce or roasted hot pepper. Try herbs and seasonings like cayenne, onion powder, paprika, parsley, rosemary, saffron or sage. Even lemon can be that missing ingredient.
Look to heartier produce as pizza toppings
Now that we’ve concocted the perfect white sauce, it’s time to think about veggies. Luckily, there are some hearty varieties that will pair well with your version of a white sauce.
Let’s look at some fall and winter vegetable options: butternut squash, acorn squash, pumpkin, other winter squash, beetroot, carrots, Brussels sprouts, turnips, parsnips, potatoes, collard greens, mustard greens, kale, onion, shallots, leeks, radicchio and escarole.
I’m sure as you peruse the list, you’re thinking “how can I incorporate these atypical ingredients onto my pizza menu?” Start with more recognized favorites like squash, pumpkin and potatoes. You can roast these or even go a step further and puree them. People tend to sweeten up pumpkin and squash with brown sugar, honey and cinnamon. Play with flavoring. I challenge you to try combinations on the savory side like sage or rosemary. Hit them with lemon juice.
Onto the Recipes
I’ve included two very basic recipes for you to work your magic on. Your homework assignment is to add your own spin to the pizzas, whether that is incorporating a protein or seasoning them up. Whatever you come up with, tag us on social
@PizzaToday. Go get creative!
Butternut Squash & Gorgonzola Pizza Recipe
Butternut Squash and Gorgonzola Pizza
Potato, Bacon & Provolone Pizza Recipe
Potato, Bacon & Provolone Pizza
