No-Crust Pizza! ("Healthy" pizza)

It's January, the time of the year when many resolve to eat healthier. That means different things for different people, but my version of healthy eating is eliminating as many processed foods as possible!

My husband tries to cut refined carbs when he watches his diet. So that is bread, flour, sugar, those types of foods.

I created this no-crust "healthy" pizza and it was a big hit! The intention of the pizza was to create a tasty treat that was high in protein and fat but not high in carbs.

I'll be the first to admit that pre-packaged pepperoni isn't exactly healthy, but that's why I consider this a treat versus a menu item staple. Also I found a pork breakfast sausage that had only four ingredients: pork, water, salt, and spices. I was shocked to see such a short ingredient list!

We both loved the pizza! It did shrink when baking so take that into consideration when preparing this. It was a bit on the salty side for me because of the sausage crust, but I didn't mind it too much. My husband didn't think it was salty.

I hope you enjoy this pizza! The topping choices are endless. Use whatever toppings you would like.

Yield: two six inch pizzas

Prep and cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients for No-Crust Pizza:

1/2 pound pork country sausage (try to find a sausage with a minimal ingredient list)

1 cup pizza sauce (I will tell you how to make your own below)

6-8oz freshly grated mozzarella cheese

freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Toppings of your choice such as pepperoni, onion, green pepper, mushrooms, olives

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Press sausage into 2 8 inch cast iron skillets or cake pans. (Or use a cookie sheet if that's all you have.) I made the sausage layer very thin so it didn't dominate the flavor of the pizza.

Bake the crust for 15 minutes.

Spread the pizza sauce over each crust.

Top with plenty of mozzarella and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Add toppings! I sprinkled garlic powder and oregano on the top.

Broil until the cheese is melted.

Enjoy!

To make your own healthier pizza sauce: In a sauce pan combine one 28 oz can crushed tomatoes, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 2 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp oregano. Let simmer for about 15 minutes until it thickens a little. Add a couple tablespoons of tomato paste if you would like it thicker, or use it as is. It's delicious! Adjust seasonings to taste.