You know what?

charred tomato and garlic butter mini pizzas I howsweeteats.com

I really wanted to tell you that these were “garlic butter drenched” but then I was all… “is drenched one THOSE words?” One of those words that makes your skin crawl, that gives you chills or replicates the same emotions as nails on a chalkboard do?

You get it. I know it.

But still. They are DRENCHED in garlic butter. So there’s that!

charred tomato and garlic butter mini pizzas I howsweeteats.com

It’s pizza. You can’t be mad.

Apparently it’s mini week! Mini pizzas, mini meatballs.

That was completely unintentional. It actually makes me anxious that I’m posting two “mini”-like recipes in a row but hey. This is what happens when you don’t fully follow the directions of the editorial calendar that you set up for YOURSELF.

I don’t like to listen to anyone. Not even me!

charred tomato and garlic butter mini pizzas I howsweeteats.com

So here’s the thing about these baby pizzas. You can use WHATEVER dough you’d like. Leftovers? Store bought? Frozen that is on it’s last leg in the freezer? Use it up.

I realize that I blast you in the face with pizza recipes every single month. You can use my favorite dough recipe or another. Here, it’s the idea of the quick, flavorful, sauceless, veggie-covered dough round that you need in your life.

The dough? I used the cast iron skillet method (in a grill pan!) and it made them adorably fluffy and flavorful.

It’s sort of a last minute recipe, something you make when you have no idea what else to make. Something that you make when you find yourself with leftover dough. You don’t HAVE to make mini pizzas – you can make one gigantic one!

But mini things are cuter…

Don’t worry. I’ll spare you. *inserts eye rolling emoji*

charred tomato and garlic butter mini pizzas I howsweeteats.com

I started making this recipe for us back in January – if you can even call it a recipe. It’s more of a we-have-this-stuff-in-our-fridge-and-don’t-want-a-salad meal. I charred the tomatoes because even though I’m lucky enough to find some organic cherry tomatoes in the winter, they don’t taste as fabulously as they do in the summer. So I roasted the heck out of them which intensified their flavor and sweetness and made them soooo dang good.

And even though I figured that by the time I finally made this recipe for the blog, I’d use non-roasted tomatoes – I couldn’t! The roasted tomatoes are so delicious. So delicious that I started putting them in everything, like guacamole. GAH. Plus, they sort of replace tomato sauce, which you know I’m always in a love-hate relationship with.

I planted my cherry tomatoes in pots two weeks ago so we shall see in about sixty days if I bite the bullet and keep them raw. I doubt it though.

Because the garlicky butter, skillet-charred dough, roasted tomatoes and lemony arugula make my liiiiife.

charred tomato and garlic butter mini pizzas I howsweeteats.com

Mini Garlic Butter Skillet Pizzas with Charred Tomatoes

5 from 1 vote
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Ingredients

Instructions 

  • Prepare your pizza dough (making it fresh or using leftovers) and separate it into 8 smaller dough balls. The exact size is really up to you, but to make them like I made them above, you want them to be about 3-4 inches in diameter when rolled out. And you want the dough to be fairly thin when rolled, since we are cooking them in a skillet. They will shrink slightly while cooking.
  • For reference, my most-used pizza dough yields a pretty large, puffy, thick and fluffy dough. You can get anywhere from 8 to 12 rounds out of it depending on the size.
  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon each or salt and pepper. Roast for about 15 to 20 minutes, until charred and caramely. This will depend on the size of your tomatoes, so keep an eye on them after 15 minutes.
  • While the tomatoes are roasting, heat your (well-seasoned!) cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for at least 5 to 6 minutes. You don’t need to worry about toppings here because we are only cooking the dough rounds. You want the skillet to be hot! Add the dough round (or rounds, if they are small enough) to the skillet and cook until it begins to puff and char on the bottom, flip it. You want to cook each side for about 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Toss the arugula with the lemon juice and remaining 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
  • In a bowl, whisk together the melted butter and garlic.
  • As soon as each pizza dough round is grilled or cooked, brush it liberally with the garlic butter. Top immediately with the arugula and a big old handful of tomatoes. Top with lots of parmesan and serve!
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charred tomato and garlic butter mini pizzas I howsweeteats.com

Can I get an award for using this LITTLE amount of cheese? Who even am I?!