When it comes to dressing up an ordinary sandwich, opting for pita bread instead of the sliced stuff is a welcome change of pace. But beyond stuffing the pita with deli meats and cheeses, the options for putting this bread to work may seem somewhat limited. That’s where Food Network’s The Kitchen comes in. Recently the co-hosts took to this everyday pantry staple to show how simple it is to let it shine in three different dishes, including one of them as a sweet treat. From family-friendly pizzas to a 15-minute dessert, get the chefs’ best-ever ideas, each ready to eat in 30 minutes or less.
When the pizza craving strikes, but you don’t have time to roll out the dough, skip delivery and opt for Jeff Mauro’s Crispy Personal Pita Pizzas instead. He tops the pita rounds with melty cheese, then fresh tomatoes and garlic salt to create a traditional pie layered with flavor. Perhaps best of all, it takes just minutes to cook these pizzas in the oven.
It takes just a handful of ingredients to turn out Geoffrey Zakarian’s Sweet Pita featuring decadent smears of both almond butter and chocolate-hazelnut spread, and fresh banana slices. He cooks the pita for just a few minutes until the chocolate-hazelnut spread is warm and gooey, then finishes the dish with powdered sugar for added indulgence.
No stranger to The Kitchen, returning guest Kelsey Nixon stopped by to show off her Greek Pita Nachos (see recipe below), a spin on the classic Mexican plate made with tortilla chips. She swaps in crunchy baked pita triangles for the chips, then drizzles on a lemony Greek yogurt sauce studded with black olives and cucumbers. For added richness, don’t forget the final sprinkle of feta cheese before serving.
GREEK PITA NACHOS
Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cook Time: 15 min.
Ingredients:
One 6-count bag pitas
3 Tbsp. olive oil
Kosher salt
½ cup Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
2 lemons, juiced
¼ cup black olives, chopped
1 cucumber, finely chopped
1 tomato, finely chopped
½ small red onion, finely chopped
Feta cheese, for sprinkling
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Brush the pitas with the olive oil and cut each into 6 triangles. Spread the triangles in a single layer on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and cook until they are crunchy, 10 to 13 minutes (turn the sheet halfway through cooking if necessary).
3. In a bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, dill and lemon juice. Add the black olives, cucumbers, tomatoes and red onions and mix to combine.
4. Spoon the yogurt sauce over the pita chips and sprinkle with feta.