This sheet pan squash and goat cheese pizza is easy, delicious, and great for feeding a crowd.
If you love thick, crisp, and chewy crusts, this sheet pan pizza is for you. Anytime I have people over between the months of October and March, this combination of toppings is my go. The combination of squash, thyme, goat cheese, mozzarella, and balsamic glaze makes for the perfect fall flavor combination.
What makes this recipe super easy is using store bought pizza dough, and a baking tray. No pizza peel or special pizza oven – just your oven and a sheet tray.
Since the toppings on the pizza are also fairly simple (just minced garlic and sliced squash), you could easily scale this up and make multiple pizzas with barely any additional effort.
Lamonica’s Pizza Dough Pizza Dough is my favorite brand, but I’ve also used the Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s doughs and they’re both good. The MOST important thing to getting a delicious, fluffy yet crisp dough is to let the pizza dough come up to room temperature (it can sit for anywhere from 30 min in a warm area – 3 hours if your house is a bit colder).
Another couple tips to note:
- Use the hottest temperature on your oven – preheat the oven to 475F (or as high as it’ll go) and once you’re ready to bake, place the sheet pan at the bottom of the oven (it’s the hottest there)
- Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to the sheet pan itself – this will help create a golden brown crust and prevent the dough from sticking.
- Assemble the pizza directly on the sheet pan so no transferring is needed. Once you assemble, it goes directly in the oven!
FAQ – Autumn Squash & Goat Cheese Sheet Pan Pizza
Q: Can you cook pizza on a baking sheet?
A: Yes! This method uses a baking sheet and oven to cook the pizza. Be sure to oil the baking sheet before adding the pizza dough, and assemble the toppings directly on the baking sheet & dough.
Q: How to best store leftover pizza?
A: If you happen to have leftover pizza left, store this in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can stack the slices and reheat in a pan on medium high heat. Once the pan is very hot, you can add a splash of water and cover with a lid. The steam will help heat the pizza evenly.
Q: Do I need to roast the squash beforehand?
A: I do not roast the squash before adding it to the pizza. However, in order for the squash to cooked in time, it needs to be sliced very thinly (⅛” thick), and brushed or tossed with a touch of olive oil, salt, and pepper. You could also used roasted squash for this recipe – this does not change the overall cook time of the pizza, but adds an additional step during prep.
Step by Step Instructions:
1. Let the pizza dough come to room temperature. This can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 475 F or as hot as it will go.
3. Prep the vegetables – mince the garlic, thinly slice the squash, and pick the thyme.
4. Combine the minced garlic and a tablespoon of olive oil. Also toss the thinly sliced squash with olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper.
5. To a sheet tray, add 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Form and stretch the pizza dough to the sheet tray. This can be an oval or rectangle.
6. To the dough, spread the minced garlic mixture. Top with 2 cups of mozzarella cheese and several dollops of the goat cheese. Add the thinly sliced squash and thyme.
7. Bake the pizza on the lowest rack for 10 minutes, or until the pizza is golden brown.
8. Remove from the oven, drizzle with balsamic glaze, slice, and enjoy.
VIDEO TUTORIAL: Will Post HERe when it’s Live
PrintAutumn Squash & Goat Cheese Sheet Pan Pizza
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings -as an appetizer 1x
Description
This sheet pan squash and goat cheese pizza is easy, delicious, and great for feeding a crowd.
Ingredients
- 1/2 honeynut squash, thinly sliced (paper thin, or carefully and thinly sliced on a mandolin)
- 16 ounces pizza dough
- 4 ounces goat cheese (truffle flavor is optional)
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese
- 4 sprigs of thyme
- Balsamic glaze, drizzled at the end
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- Extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Let the pizza dough come to room temperature. This can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 475 F or as hot as it will go.
- Prep the vegetables – mince the garlic, thinly slice the squash, and pick the thyme.
- Combine the minced garlic and a tablespoon of olive oil. Also toss the thinly sliced squash with olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper.
- To a sheet tray, add 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Form and stretch the pizza dough to the sheet tray. This can be an oval or rectangle.
- To the dough, spread the minced garlic mixture. Top with 2 cups of mozzarella cheese and several dollops of the goat cheese. Add the thinly sliced squash and thyme.
- Bake the pizza on the lowest rack for 10 minutes, or until the pizza is golden brown.
- Remove from the oven, drizzle with balsamic glaze, slice, and enjoy.
Equipment
Notes
It’s critical to let the pizza dough come to room temperature and begin to get bubbly. I’ll often cover the dough with a wet paper towel and place this in a warm oven (not too hot).
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Easy gourmet
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Susanna says
This is such a crowdpleaser appetizer, it was so good!! Store-bought pizza dough makes this so easy to make too!