Beet and Goat Cheese Flatbread makes for a show-stopping, flavorful holiday appetizer. These flatbreads are cooked on the grill (save that precious oven space!) and are topped with grilled butternut squash and beets.
Beet and Goat Cheese Flatbread
Since creating this crazy delicious Harvest Bowl recipe, I have not been able to eat butternut squash any other way — once you grill it, you might not ever go back either!
After grilling squash, I had the thought: why not grill beets in the same way? And so I did, and, not to sound like a broken record, but there is no other way to prepare beets!
Toss those perfectly grilled beets and squash atop a flatbread with creamy goat cheese, fresh thyme, salty prosciutto and finish things off with an irresistibly sweet and tangy balsamic glaze and you’ve got the best Thanksgiving appetizer ever. These Beet and Goat Cheese Flatbreads will be on your menu every year!
The Grill Is A Holiday Lifesaver!
Oven space is often the trickiest part of managing Thanksgiving dinner. Just about everything needs time in the oven and for that reason alone, the grill is one of my go-to alternative cooking methods for holiday meals.
Use the oven, slow cooker, and grill to have appetizers, side dishes, and main course ready and hot all at the same time so you can entertain like a pro!
For this Beet and Goat Cheese Flatbread, we start by grilling beets and squash. There will be leftovers of both– which are perfect to add to salads, pizzas, wraps, nourish bowls, or snack on. We love the leftover grilled veggies!
How to grill beets
- Trim the beets. Cut the tops off the beets (save the beet greens and use them in one of these recipes!) and trim the root.
- Peel the beets. Completely peel the beets with a vegetable peeler.
- Slice. The beets should be in 1/2 -inch thick rounds. The more evenly they’re sliced, the more evenly they’ll grill.
- Coat. Brush a mixture of olive oil, salt and pepper all over the sliced beets.
- Grill. Using tongs, add the beets directly to the grill grates. Grill, flip with tongs, and grill on the other side.
You may want to wear gloves when working with beets, because they can stain your hands and fingernails. Also, I recommend a dark plastic cutting board, since beets will stain wood and lighter boards.And if you use a cloth kitchen towel, make sure to use a dark red one when cooking beets! Quick Tip
How to grill butternut squash
- Peel. Cut off the stems at both ends and then peel the entire squash with a vegetable peeler or paring knife.
- Cut. Where the thinner end begins to widen around the middle, cut the squash in half.
- Thinly slice. Cut the entire squash into 1/2-inch thick slices. (When you get to the end with seeds, continue to cut into 1/2-inch thick slices and then use a paring knife to cut around and remove the seeds) Cut these slices into even thickness for even grilling.
- Coat. Brush a mixture of olive oil, salt and pepper all over the sliced squash pieces.
- Grill. Using tongs, add the squash slices directly to the grill grates. Grill, flip with tongs, and grill on the other side.
Cutting a butternut squash for this Beet and Goat Cheese Flatbread can be tricky with a dull knife. Use a very sharp knife to cut it to avoid any possible injury and to make the process easier. Quick Tip
Beet and Goat Cheese Flatbread Tips
- Generously oil the grill grates. I do this by rolling up a few paper towels, drenching them in oil (canola or vegetable), and using tongs, rub the drenched paper towels along the grill grates. Doing this will contribute to a beautiful sear, and ensure nothing gets stuck to the grates.
- Watch the flatbread carefully. The bottom of the flatbread can go from perfectly browned to burnt in a matter of seconds. I recommend watching carefully and checking often until you get the feel for how long they take on your specific grill.
- Use a pizza peel or wide metal spatula. It’s near impossible to place and remove the naan pizza from the grill without a good, wide spatula or pizza peel.
- Fresh thyme. It may seem like a small detail, but the fresh thyme adds so much to these Beet and Goat Cheese Flatbreads! If you can’t find fresh, I’d add a sprinkle of dried thyme to the flatbreads.
Beet and Goat Cheese Flatbread: Balsamic Glaze
We’ve tried these flatbreads with all kinds of balsamic glazes — use one you love best or make it homemade.
We recently had Beet and Goat Cheese Flatbreads with a white balsamic reduction glaze (raspberry infused, even!) and we were obsessed with it! Mix and match balsamic glazes and add as much as you’d like to individual slices.
We’ll usually drizzle the balsamic glaze on the flatbread as a whole and then add more as we slice ’em up and eat.
More holiday recipes
- Pistachio Crusted Cheese Ball with goat cheese
- Beet and Goat Cheese Salad with an orange vinaigrette
- Crockpot Mashed Potatoes creamy slow cooked potatoes
- Roasted Vegetables with a delicious seasoning blend
- Green Bean Casserole from scratch
Beet and Goat Cheese Flatbread
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat grill to medium-high, 400–450°F. Clean and grease grill. I rub grill grates with a vegetable oil-drenched paper towel.
- Cut off both ends and then peel the squash. Using a very sharp knife, cut the squash into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Cut the seeds out of each slice. In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons oil with salt and pepper. I use about 1/4 teaspoon of each. Use a pastry brush to spread the oil mixture over both all sides of the squash slices. Grease grill grates and then add squash directly to grill grates, heated 450°F. Grill for 4–5 minutes per side or until tender. Remove the squash and chop into smaller pieces.
- Cut off both ends from the beets and peel. Using a sharp knife, slice into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons oil with salt and pepper. I add 1/8 teaspoon of each. Use a pastry brush to spread the oil mixture over both sides of the beet slices. Grease grill grates and then add beet slices directly to grill grates, heated 450°F. Grill for 6–8 minutes per side or until tender. Remove the beets and chop into smaller pieces.
- Remove naan from packaging and drizzle about 1 teaspoon oil on each flatbread. Top each flatbread with about 2 ounces goat cheese and 1/2 an ounce of prosciutto. Add grilled beets and butternut squash. Using a metal pizza peel or large metal spatula, transfer flatbreads to clean and greased grill grates. Grill for 3–5 minutes or until flatbread is lightly browned around the edges. Use the spatula or peel to remove from the grill to a large plate or platter.
- Remove flatbreads and give flatbreads a quick drizzle of olive oil. Generously top with fresh thyme and additional salt and pepper if desired. Drizzle balsamic glaze over flatbreads and enjoy!
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
