11 Unexpected Foods You Should Cook In Your Pizza Oven

In recent years, cooking pizzas in your backyard has become possible thanks to the popularity of the at-home pizza oven. As delicious as it is to be able to cook a crispy Margherita whenever you fancy, it is a shame to let this magnificent appliance lie unused in between. It is essentially a hot oven in your garden, meaning that many foods that you would usually cook inside can make the trip outdoors.

To help you make the most of this versatile cooking appliance, I spoke to two experts who have shared their best tips for using an outdoor pizza oven. Michael Vakneen, chef and pizzaiolo at Pop Up Pizza, and Martin Glover, aka Dad What Cooks, both have years of experience with pizza ovens and know what foods are best suited to the intense heat. From roasted eggplant to homemade breadsticks, you can add a unique charred flavor to appetizers, entrees, and even desserts.

If you've purchased an at-home pizza oven but have only used it for pizza so far, you are missing out. If you're ready to up your outdoor game, grab your apron and let's explore the possibilities that await.

If you feel that your vegetable side dishes are becoming a bit pedestrian, roasting them in your pizza oven is a delicious way to upgrade them to a superstar accompaniment. Cooking them at such a high heat will allow the sugars in the veggies to quickly caramelize, lending a depth of flavor to your side dish.

"Vegetables are fun to cook in an outdoor home oven," says Michael Vakneen. "I like charring cauliflower, eggplant, peppers and various root veggies like carrots, turnips, green onions and leeks. The live fire adds an element of smokiness that makes it special."

Roasting veggies in the pizza oven is a similar process to your conventional oven, so you will need some cookware that is suitable for the extreme heat that the pizza oven brings. "Cast iron pans are great for roasting as well as baking sheets and any small heavy metal vessels," advises Vakneen.

Coat your selection of vegetables in oil, just as you would for the regular oven, and sprinkle with dried herbs such as rosemary or oregano. The pizza oven will cook your veggies much more quickly than you are used to, so check them every few minutes until you are happy that they are tender on the inside and beautifully charred on the outside.

If you have some leftover pizza dough and want to make something other than the usual Margherita, you can use the pizza oven to make some different types of bread instead. "Pizza dough is great," says Michael Vakneen. "You can flatten [it] out and make wood-fired pita bread that's great for dipping or using as a sandwich." They will cook in a few minutes, creating a chewy bread with a charred crust that is the perfect vehicle for so many toppings.

Martin Glover explains that a number of different breads can be made in the pizza oven, depending on how long they usually need to cook. "Any breads which don't require a long cook time or need a high bake will work well in the pizza oven," he explains. "Aside from the obvious pizza dough, there are other types such as dough balls, pita breads ... [and] sourdough discard crackers." Using up your sourdough discard to make deliciously crisp crackers is a great idea, and cooking them in the pizza oven will give them a unique flavor twist. Cooking a variety of different bread products is the ideal way to use up leftover ingredients to create tasty treats with a hint of chargrilled flavor.

Although you may be thinking that the pizza oven is a great option for cooking foods you would normally roast, it is even more versatile than that. By purchasing a skillet for your oven, you can open up the number of potential recipes that this handy outdoor appliance can prepare.

"Most foods that require to be cooked hot and fast can be done in a pizza oven," says Martin Glover. "Using a shallow skillet for ease of moving food in and out will mean you have a hot side of a pan which can be used to fry or add a wood smoke taste (if on a wood fuelled pizza oven) to all kinds of food."

The list of foods you can cook in the skillet is endless, from shrimp to eggs to sausages, but Glover likes to use it to add char to vegetables, giving them a different flavor than roasting them does.

"Personally I like to add a touch of charring to some asparagus or some mushrooms just before serving and this could be achieved using this method," he suggests." A good pizza oven will heat up to 450/500 degrees C." He notes, however, that food should not be left unattended for this reason. Add a whole clove of garlic alongside the veggies to impart some extra flavor — don't use chopped garlic as it will burn too quickly.

If you have a hankering for a filling and tasty snack, but don't want to make pizzas, you can easily use your pizza oven to make some top-notch garlic bread. Martin Glover points out that the height restriction of the oven means that flatter styles of bread are the way to go.

"These types of breads work well as they don't need to rise too much — remember, there is a finite height in a home pizza oven and so anything that ends up touching the top may get carbon residue on it, which really won't make it look or taste nice," he explains. "Don't dismiss the basic pizza dough recipe though, too; from that you can make a garlic bread."

If you have leftover pizza dough, making garlic bread couldn't be easier. Simply mix minced garlic into some slightly softened butter, along with a variety of fresh herbs — basil, parsley, and oregano all work well. Roll or stretch the dough out into the shape you want, then spread the garlic and herb butter on top. If you wish, you can add mozzarella or Parmesan cheese to the top for an extra umami hit.

Slide the bread into the pizza oven, taking care not to burn yourself. It will cook very quickly, so don't walk away and leave it. Watch it as the butter bubbles on top, and remove it when it is starting to look beautifully charred, but before it begins to burn.

Desserts may not be the first things that spring to mind for cooking in a pizza oven, but if you want a caramelized element, the intense heat will work really well. "I love Basque cheesecake in a wood fired oven with a heavy caramelized top," says Michael Vakneen.

Basque cheesecake, originating in coastal Spain, differs from New York cheesecake with a much lighter filling, and has a deliberately burnt topping. This is where the pizza oven comes into play, cooking it quickly and delivering the perfect char. The bitter caramelized top contrasts beautifully with the sweet, velvety filling to create a balanced dessert.

When cooking a dessert like this at home, the key is to have the confidence to take the char further than you normally would. Vakneen encourages us to view outdoor cooking as a chance to take dishes just to the edge of burnt, to give them a unique twist. "Don't be scared to char your food, " he says. "There is a fine line between burnt and charred. I love straddling that line with outdoor live fire cooking."

For an easy sweet treat to finish your meal after you've cooked your main course in the pizza oven, try roasting some fruit using the residual heat. While any fruit that you would roast in the oven will work, Martin Glover suggests cooking bananas whole.

"Bananas in the skin are my go-to dessert," he says. "Best cooked when the pizza oven is finished cooking mains, but the pizza stone is still really warm. Pop a banana in for a few minutes and make sure to turn over part way through. Scoop out and serve with ice cream!"

If you're feeling a bit more indulgent, you can always add in another sugary treat, but prepare in advance to avoid a sticky mess. "A few marshmallows on the residual heat will be a treat at the end," he added. "Before doing this though, I recommend to place a bit of foil over the pizza stone so that any dripping sugar does not stick and melt to the stone."

If you enjoy a steak on an outdoor grill, then you are really going to love one cooked in the pizza oven. The intense heat is perfect for creating a crunchy charred exterior while keeping the meat inside juicy — particularly important if you like your meat on the rarer side.

To create a sublime steak in the pizza oven, you want to keep the meat away from any ash there may be inside. Martin Glover recommends buying a skillet to use in your pizza oven, allowing you to cook things in the same way you would on the stove, though obviously in a much quicker time.

"My number one piece [of equipment] is a good skillet pan (or oven-proof frying pan)," he says. "This will allow you to get [the food] close to the heat." Preheat the skillet in the oven for a few minutes to give your steak the best chance of creating that delicious crust as soon as it hits the pan. The time it takes to cook the steak will depend on the heat of your oven, and Michael Vakneen recommends never leaving that to chance. "Always use a temp gun so you know the internal temp of the oven," he advises. "Cooking blindly is for professionals and not recommended for the home cook."

Once you are happy with the cooking of the steak, remember to let the meat rest to allow the juices to return to the surface. Enjoy the smoky flavor and juicy interior of your restaurant-quality steak, made in your own backyard.

If you're having people over for a casual gathering, breadsticks are a great crowd pleaser, accompanying delicious dips such as hummus and guacamole. Making them in the pizza oven will impress your guests even more, as they will have a delightful smoky flavor and the ideal level of crunch as you bite into them.

Making breadsticks is easy if you have some pizza dough available. Simply roll out the dough and cut it into long strips, which you can then shape or decorate however you wish. Brush them with a little olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning and dried herbs.

Add the breadsticks to the pizza oven carefully, taking care not to burn yourself. Martin Glover recommends investing in a quality oven glove if you are planning to use your pizza oven regularly. "A good oven-proof glove which covers the wrist will also help keep you and your arm safe," he advises. "I've singed my arm hair many times trying to retrieve a fallen mushroom or pepperoni slice, so having good protective gloves will help."

Remove your breadsticks when they are golden and crispy on top, and serve them to your guests while they are still hot, if you can. Pizza oven breadsticks are a fantastic way to make fun snacks and use up any leftover dough at the same time.

If you're planning to use your pizza oven for meat, chicken is a great option. The flesh inside will cook quickly, while the skin crisps up and creates a lovely coating. Depending on the size of your oven, you could roast a whole bird, but if not, cooking chicken thighs is a brilliant idea.

The dark meat of chicken thighs gives them a deep flavor, and they are much harder to overcook than the white meat of the breast. This is crucial in a pizza oven, as you may not have as much control over the heat as a conventional oven. To save you turning the thighs regularly, you could try cooking the chicken thighs on a pizza stone. By heating it up in advance, the bottom of the chicken will be able to cook at the same rate as the top, resulting in perfectly juicy meat.

To make sure you don't overcook the chicken, be sure to remove it from the oven once the thighs are ready. Martin Glover points out that the oven stays extremely hot for longer than you may imagine. "They remain hot for a long time after they are switched off. This can be a good thing for keeping things warm but also a bad thing if you are not expecting it."

If there is one vegetable that can benefit hugely from the intense heat of a pizza oven, it's eggplant, which is also called aubergine. Smoky flavors always work really well with its soft flesh, and the pizza oven will give it a charred flavor with a perfectly soft middle.

"Vegetables that have their own wrapper can do well in the pizza oven," says Martin Glover. "For example, the aubergine can cook in its own skin and then serve out of that. Otherwise it's possible to slice and skillet-cook in a little oil (as you would in a frying pan) but using the pan to vary the distance from the flame to control the heat. If you have a gas-controlled pizza oven there is the option to reduce the heat if things get too hot."

Michael Vakneen is also a fan of cooking eggplant in the pizza oven, taking the opportunity to make a Middle Eastern classic dish. "I like roasting eggplant and letting them steam up in a Tupperware vessel," he suggests. "If you add sesame puree, garlic and olive oil, you can make an authentic baba ganoush." Your oven baked baba ganoush can be served with the flatbreads or crackers you may have already made, or as part of a large sharing platter.

If you are a cheese lover, there are few things more satisfying than the gooey decadence of a baked Camembert. Martin Glover comments how anything that you would put on top of a pizza will work well in a pizza oven, so surely cheese should come near the top of that list. Baking a whole cheese will create smoky notes that will make it even more irresistible than usual.

To prepare your Camembert for the pizza oven, cut a cross in the center and add flavorings into it — a clove of garlic or sprig of rosemary work well. Though you may have baked your cheese in its cardboard container in the past, the pizza oven will be too hot, so transfer it to an oven-proof dish instead.

Glover reminds us that food can cook in a fraction of the time in a pizza oven, and the last thing you want is to ruin your delicious cheese. "The biggest piece of advice I can offer is don't let how fast things cook catch you," he warns. "The internal temperatures of pizza ovens are high and can burn food very quickly. It's a shame to ... burn it at the last minute." Serve your Camembert with a home-cooked flatbread or breadsticks made in the oven at the same time.