Pancetta & Asparagus Pizza

I love to take my standard homemade pizza recipe and come up with a new variation!  As we were trying to use up things from our fridge a few weeks ago, I came up with the idea of pairing asparagus and pancetta for a non-traditional pizza.  The possibilities really are endless, see what you can come up with to use up ingredients from your own fridge!

Servings:  8

Size:  1 slice of pizza

Points Plus: 6pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time:  15-20 minutes

Rating: 4 stars – Very good

Ingredient List:

1 can of Pillsbury refrigerated pizza dough, classic style crust

1 can pizza sauce (4 oz)

1 Tbsp. dried oregano

5 slices of pancetta

½ lb. asparagus, cut into ½ inch pieces

1 ½ cup shredded mozzarella, park-skim

½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Open the can of pizza dough and shape into a pizza shape, gently working the dough outward on a lightly greased pizza pan.  Cook the crust according to the directions on the package, which suggests you pre-bake the crust for 5-7 minutes first before you add sauce and toppings.  While the crust is baking, bring a saucepan of water to a boil and add the prepared asparagus pieces.  Boil for 3 minutes; then drain and rinse with cold water.  Take the pizza out and evenly spread the can of pizza sauce on top of the crust, spread almost to the edges of the dough.  Sprinkle oregano over the pizza sauce.  Next, add the cheese, then add the cooked asparagus and slices of pancetta on top.  Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the crust is a light golden brown.

Tip:

A good tip to make sure the asparagus stays crisp is to immediately rinse your cooked asparagus with cold water to stop the cooking process.  I thought this really helped to keep the asparagus from getting too mushy before they finished cooking with the pizza.  It’s kind of a variation of the blanching technique with vegetables!

XOXO Megan

Polenta Pepperoni Pizza

Hello everyone!  As you know it is that busy time of year, where food and drinks are the focus and you are too busy to do anything, let alone meal planning!  I don’t know about you but I ate way too many holiday goodies this past weekend (including more pieces of homemade fudge than I care to admit – recipe coming next week)! Are you hosting any holiday get-togethers?  Megan and I thought it would be fun to feature some easy and healthy holiday inspired appetizer ideas this week to make your party planning a breeze.  One of the most popular posts on EAT ME is for our mini polenta pizzas.  I thought I would do a twist on these by making them Christmas colored (red, green and white!) and adding meat.  They turned out really tasty – enjoy!  Also they are extremely easy.  Make these for your holiday party – people will be impressed people!

Servings: 12

Serving Size: 2 polenta pizzas

Points Plus: 3pp

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Rating: 5 stars - Excellent

Ingredient List

1 log of polenta

12 pieces turkey pepperoni

1 cup marinara sauce

¼ cup fat free feta

1 cup arugula, chopped

Italian seasoning

Cooking spray

Instructions

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Cut polenta log into 12 equal rounds. Lay the rounds on a baking tray and spray them with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove tray from oven, flip rounds, and layer with toppings, starting with about 1 T. of sauce, then 1 turkey pepperoni, about 1 T. of raw arugula, about 1 t. of feta and a sprinkle of Italian seasoning.  Return the tray to the oven and bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Tip

Of course you could make these polenta rounds into any type of pizza your little heart desires! I chose these toppings because they were holiday-esk, but experiment! (and let us know what you do)

XOXO - Katie

Greek Pita Pizzas

This is a recipe I found on Pinterest a long time ago and was curious how it would turn out.  We made this for dinner on Friday night and it was a perfect light meal to kick off the weekend.  I wasn't sure if one pita would be satisfying enough, but you will be surprised at how filling these pita pizzas are. The original recipe can be found on this blog.  I made a handful of adaptations when I made my version - mostly using pitas instead of making your own pizza crust.  Either way would be delicious!

Servings:  2

Size:  1 pita pizza

Points Plus: 9pp

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Rating: 4 stars – Very good

Ingredient List:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 pitas
1 cucumber
2 Roma tomatoes
1/2 cup feta cheese

Homemade Tzatziki Sauce:
1 cup Greek yogurt, plain, reduced-fat
1/2 cup shredded cucumber
2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp. minced garlic
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat up the olive oil and cook the chicken.  You may want to cut the chicken breasts into smaller strips to speed up the cooking time.  While the chicken is cooking, you can make the homemade Tzatziki sauce and prep the veggies.  For the Tzatziki, combine the Greek yogurt, shredded cucumber, lemon juice, garlic and salt & pepper in a small Pyrex measuring cup.  Whisk together until well mixed.  Wash and prep the Roma tomatoes by dicing and dice the remaining cucumber.  Once the chicken is done cooking, allow to cool for a few minutes before you cut into bite-sized pieces.  Assemble the pizzas by brushing each pita with a little olive oil - then layer veggies (tomato and cucmber), feta and chicken.  Drizzle the Tzatziki sauce over the top of each pita pizza.  Cook in a 350 degree oven for 5-10 minutes.  You are really just warming up the pizzas and making sure the pitas crisp up a bit.

Tip:
For the shredded cucumber, using a zester worked well for me.  You will end up with more juice than actual shredded cucumber pieces, but it will help to flavor the Tzatziki just the same.

XOXO Megan

Sunday Night Pizza Party!

It has been quite a weekend ya'all! Laying by the pool, celebrating a very special bachelorette, dinner at a few of my FAV restaurants of all time and wine...lots and lots of wine.  I decided, the best way to get back into the swing of things and prep for the full work week ahead was to have a pizza party tonight (just me and my husband mind you)! I had two mini Bobloi crusts in my pantry (so cute!) so created two contrasting pizzas.

Servings: 4
Size: 2 pieces (1/2 mini Boboli crust)
Point Plus: 10pp
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Rating: 4 stars - Very Good

White Pizza
1 Boboli 8 inch crust
1/4 cup alfredo sauce, light
Red pepper flakes, to taste
3 oz. chicken breast
3 fresh garlic cloves, chopped
4 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella, part skim

Buffalo Chicken Pizza
1 Boboli 8 inch crust
1/4 pizza sauce
3 oz. chicken breast
1/4 cup Franks buffalo sauce
1/4 c. blue cheese crumbles
2 scallions, white and green, chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut chicken (6 oz. total) into small pieces and saute in a non-stick skillet until cooked through, about five minutes. Remove 3 oz. of chicken from pan and set aside.  Add Franks to the remaining chicken in your pan and cook until warmed.

To assemble - put crusts on a cookie sheet and add respected sauce to each.  Layer toppings in the order listed above. Bake for 10 minutes, until tops of pizza are browned!

Tip:
Using a small pizza crust is perfect for creating more variety!

XOXO Katie

Supreme Pizza

Homemade pizza is one of Paul and my favorite meals to make together!  Actually this was the first meal we ever cooked together on our 4^th date. J  We make a lot of different pizza varieties, but here is a recipe for a modified version of supreme.

Servings:  8

Size:  1 slice of pizza

Points Plus: 5pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time:  15-20 minutes

Rating: 4 stars – Very Good

Ingredient List:

1 can of Pillsbury refrigerated pizza dough, classic style crust

1 8 oz can pizza sauce (my favorite brand is Pastorelli)

1 Tbsp. dried oregano

16 slices of turkey pepperoni

1 cup green bell pepper, chopped

1 cup onion, chopped

1 cup shredded mozzarella, park-skim

1 cup shredded cheddar, reduced-fat

Directions:

Open the can of pizza dough and shape into a pizza shape, gently working the dough outward on a lightly greased pizza pan.  Evenly spread the can of pizza sauce on top of the crust, spread almost to the edges of the dough.  Sprinkle oregano over pizza sauce before putting in the oven to pre-bake the crust.  Cook the crust according to the directions on the package.  It works best to start cooking the crust with just the sauce and no toppings to result in a crispier pizza crust. Bake the un-topped pizza crust for 5-7 minutes.  While the crust is baking, prepare your onions and peppers.  Take the pizza out and top with cheese first, then your veggies and finally place the slices of turkey pepperoni on top.  Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the crust is a light golden brown.

Tip:

At only 5pp per slice, don’t feel bad if you eat 2 slices of this supreme pizza.  I typically end up eating two slices when we make this!

XOXO Megan

English Muffin Pizzas

This is such an easy, quick dinner for when you are short on time!  Mini pizzas in the form of English muffins are a fun take and a lighter, healthier option if you are craving pizza.  Topping options are unlimited with this recipe too – just substitute whatever you are in the mood for or whatever is in your fridge.

Servings:  2

Size:  2 open-faced English muffin halves

Points Plus: 6pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time:  5 minutes

Rating: 3 stars - Good

Ingredient List:

2 English muffins

2 Tbsp. pizza sauce

Dried oregano

2 oz. mozzarella cheese, reduced fat

12 slices turkey pepperoni

Directions:

Toast the English muffins in your toaster.  Spread pizza sauce on each half.  Sprinkle some dried oregano on top of the sauce, this really helps bring out the pizza taste to these mini pizzas.  Next, top with cheese, split evenly across the 4 halves. Finally, add 3 slices of turkey pepperoni to each mini pizza.  Place pizzas on a cooking sheet and broil for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Tip:
Turkey pepperoni is a healhty option and a great way to save points!  If you haven't tried it before, you should.  You will be amazed at how much it tastes like regular pepperoni.

XOXO Megan

Taco Pizza

You may not know it, but pizza can be healthy! I like to make all kinds of combos, but just recently, when craving Doritos, I had the idea to make taco pizza.  Sub re-fried beans for pizza sauce, and top with your taco toppings.  This recipe is pretty basic, but the possibilities are endless!

Servings:  4

Size:  2 pieces, 1/4 of pizza

Points Plus: 8 pts

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time:  10-15 minutes

Rating: 3 stars - Good

Looks Better in Person!

Ingredient List:

1 whole wheat Boboli pizza crust

1 cup fat free re-fried beans

1 cup lettuce, chopped 

1 tomato, cubed

1 cup low-fat shredded cheddar

1 cup raw onion, any kind

1 cup jalapenos

9 Doritos, nacho cheese, crushed

Toppings (optional but calculated into Points Plus)

8 Tbsp reduced-fat sour cream

Salsa!

Directions:

Preheat oven to package directions. Open pizza crust and smear on beans until evenly covered.  Add lettuce, tomatoes, onion, cheese, jalapenos and crushed Doritos. Put on pizza stone and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until cooked to desired crispness. Top with sour cream and salsa!

Tip:

When making home made pizza it is easy to get carried away on toppings and overload your pie causing it to be soggy and limp.  Err (had to look up the spelling of that!) on the light side so you can enjoy a crispy crust!

XOXO - Katie