Pumpkin On Your Arizona Cheese Crisp!

Because you need some savory to balance out all of that sweet you’re shoving into your face this week.

Because trick or treating requires fuel, so snacks are a major requirement.

Because you’re a very busy person! And you need something that you can throw together in between costume darning, candy stocking, candy sneaking, etc.

Because there just. Aren’t. Enough. Pumpkin. Recipes. Available. On. The. Interwebz. These. Days.

Arizona cheese crisps are classic snack fare in these parts, probably because they’re as delicious as they are easy to assemble as they are infinitely customizable. Think open-faced quesadilla or pizza on a tortilla. I like to make my cheese crisps on a big, burrito-sized tortilla and then cut and serve in smaller wedges or squares.

Who are we kidding?

There’s no cutting, there’s no sharing, there are no wedges or squares. There’s just me, my oversized cheese crisp, my face and (hopefully) a fork.

Just keeping it real, friends. Just keeping it real.

Pumpkin Cheese Crisp

 

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Yield: approximately 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 large flour tortilla (mine measured approximately 12″ across)
• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Anaheim chile, roasted, peeled, stemmed, seeded and diced
• 2 tsp. garlic, minced
• 1 c. pumpkin puree
• ¾ tsp. cumin, ground
• ½ tsp. white pepper, ground
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1½ c. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• chopped cilantro or parsley to finish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Place the tortilla on a rimmed baking sheet (I opted to bake mine on my large comal, but you could also bake it on a pizza stone) and set aside.
3. Warm oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add chile pieces. Sauté until fragrant and softened, approximately 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 2 additional minute. Stir in pumpkin, cumin, white pepper and salt, and cook for 5 minutes more.
4. Remove the mixture from heat and carefully spread over the tortilla, leaving a border of approximately ½″ around the edges.
5. Top the pumpkin mixture with the cheese and bake for approximately 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, puffy and just turning golden, and the edges of the tortilla are crisp and golden brown.
6. Remove, top with cilantro or parsley, slice and serve immediately.

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