It’s Opening Day for the Re-Imagined California Grill at Disney’s Contemporary Resort

With Disney’s legendary attention to detail, the re-imagined California Grill debuts today, and it’s all new: expansive onstage kitchen and sushi bar, lighting, beautiful tabletop ware and linens … except for the spectacular view out new windows, you might not recognize the place.

Though you’ll be happy to see familiar faces, as many of the team are back, including Chef Brian Piasecki, who spent months creating new tastes for the menu. And while he’s added delicious new ideas for the wood-burning oven (three-meat signature meatballs, baked jumbo prawns, roasted clams), the much-requested flatbreads are back, but with a crisper crust and fresh toppings, like this simple version with roasted beefsteak tomatoes, Mozzarella di Bufala and a drizzle of aged balsamic.

If you can’t make it to the restaurant, here’s a version you can make at home, with a video showcasing Chef Brian’s flatbread-making talents in his new California Grill kitchen.

Oven-Dried Tomato Flatbread – California Grill at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Makes Two Flatbreads

Oven-Dried Tomatoes

3 large beefsteak tomatoes, cored
Olive oil, for brushing
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Roasted Garlic Purée

2 heads garlic, outer skins removed and cut in half lengthwise
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Flatbreads

2 (4- to 5-ounce) flatbread crusts
Roasted Garlic Purée
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Oven-Dried Tomatoes
2 (5-ounce) balls fresh buffalo mozzarella, each cut into 6 slices
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
10 basil leaves, chopped

For oven-dried tomatoes:

1. Preheat oven to 250°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Slice tomatoes into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Lay tomatoes on prepared baking sheet. Brush with oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Bake 90 minutes to 2 hours, until tomatoes are darker in color and semi-dehydrated.

For roasted garlic purée:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Place garlic on a large piece of foil. Drizzle with oil. Wrap foil up and over, creating a pouch around garlic.
3. Roast 1 hour. Unwrap and set aside until cool enough to handle. Squeeze garlic out of skins into a medium bowl. Use a fork to mash until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To assemble flatbreads:

1. Preheat oven with a pizza stone to 450°F.
2. Evenly divide roasted garlic puree between flatbread crusts. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Divide oven-dried tomatoes between flatbread crusts. Top each flatbread with 6 slices mozzarella and sprinkle with the Pecorino-Romano.
4. Place each flatbread, one at a time, onto pizza stone; cook until crust is crisp and cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5 to 7 minutes.
5. Cut flatbreads, then drizzle with balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with basil.