I’ve been in a bit of a kitchen slump lately, mostly because I lost my desire to be around food when I got pregnant earlier this summer. If it wasn’t bland and mostly pasta, I didn’t want it.

Now that I’m firmly ensconced in the second trimester, I’m truck-driver hungry. But what to make? The seasons have changed and so has the produce section. Unless I was going to make pumpkin everything, I needed some inspiration.

Luckily, Flatout Flatbread, The Motherhood and Wal-mart bailed me out. They challenged me to create a menu of fall-flavored pizzas using Flatout’s new line of Thin Crust Flatbread Artisan Pizza crusts, throw a well-decorated party and then show off some great pictures of my endeavors.

I had a great time doing my “research” for the menu. You guys, you can put pretty much anything on a pizza. But I wanted to combine flavors in a perfectly complimentary way and present them as my kitchen comeback.

I had planned to serve everything at a ladies-only picnic and wine tasting, but the timing of things didn’t quite work out. I’m super adaptable though, and changed things around to treat my overworked, exhausted husband to a romantic candlelit pizza dinner.

Yeah, but here’s the thing. “Romantic” and “candlelit” are pretty much impossible to achieve when there’s a toddler in the house who refuses to sleep because his daddy is home, a rare occasion lately.

So our (adaptable) little family sat down to juice in wineglasses and pizza on plastic plates to enjoy our fancy dinner.

I made four different pizzas, two with meat, one veggie and one dessert using three different crusts – Heritage Wheat, Rustic White and Spicy Italian.

We were all amazed at how light and crispy the crusts came out but also how well they held up the toppings. With 7 grams of protein and only 140 calories per flatbread, we felt like we were behaving ourselves nutritionally as well. Each pizza took about six minutes to make. (And about sixty seconds to consume!)

My husband was a bit apprehensive about a pizza with squash on it, but after I wheedled him into trying just a bite, he was hooked. Monkey was please with the dinner offerings, and even Frank went into elite begging mode.

If you’re looking for a new, quick way to make pizza for your family, look for Flatout’s Thin Crust Flatbread Artisan Pizza Crusts in the deli section of Wal-mart. In the meantime, check out my recipes below and stay tuned next week for a giveaway!

Chicken and Spinach Sausage with Sweet Peppers on Spicy Italian

2 links Chicken and Spinach Sausage, sliced
6 small sweet peppers
1 tbsp minced garlic
salt & pepper to taste
1 tbsp butter
4 tsp pizza sauce
½ cup shredded mozzarella
2 Flatout Spicy Italian Thin Crust Flatbread Artisan Pizza Crusts

Sauté sausage, peppers and garlic in butter until slightly browned. Salt and pepper to taste.

Place flatbreads on pan sprayed with olive oil.

Bake at 350 degrees for 3 minutes.Take the flatbreads out and spoon sauce over the middle. Sprinkle on cheese and place toppings over that.

Bake for another 3-5 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden on the edges.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Red Onion on Rustic White

1 bag cubed butternut squash
½ red onion, sliced
½ cup Italian dressing
4 tbsp pizza sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella
red pepper flakes (optional)
2 Flatout Rustic White Thin Crust Flatbread Artisan Pizza Crusts

Combine squash, onion and dressing then roast at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Place flatbreads on pan sprayed with olive oil. Bake at 350 degrees for 3 minutes.

Take the flatbreads out and spoon sauce over the middle. Sprinkle on cheese and place toppings over that.

Bake for another 3-5 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden on the edges.

Prosciutto and Mushroom on Heritage Wheat

6 slices prosciutto, torn
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 tbsp raspberry vinaigrette
½ cup shredded mozzarella
¼ cup shredded parmesan romano
2 Flatout Heritage Wheat Thin Crust Flatbread Artisan Pizza Crusts 

Place flatbreads on pan sprayed with olive oil. Bake at 350 degrees for 3 minutes.

Brush crust with raspberry vinaigrette. Sprinkle cheeses over the top then arrange the toppings over that.

Bake for another 3-5 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden on the edges.

Apple, Cream Cheese and Toasted Walnut on Heritage Wheat

1 Honeycrisp apple, peeled, cored and diced
4 tbsp cream cheese
½ cup toasted walnut pieces
2 tbsp honey (optional)
2 Flatout Heritage Wheat Thin Crust Flatbread Artisan Pizza Crusts

Place flatbreads on pan sprayed with olive oil. Bake at 350 degrees for 3 minutes.
Spread a thin layer of cream cheese on the flatbreads. Sprinkle apples and walnut pieces over the top

Optional Bake: 350 degrees for an additional 3-5 minutes.

Optional Topping: Drizzle honey over the top after baking

I was selected by Flatout Flatbread and Wal-mart to participate in this sponsored recipe program through The Motherhood. While I have been compensated for my time and expenses, all opinions are my own. As if you doubted that.