Friday night was pizza night in our house growing up. Sometimes that was a carryout pizza (childhood favorite Pizza Hut – insert eye roll) and sometimes that was good old Tombstone frozen cheese pizza.
But nothing signified the school week was over and the weekend was here like a slice of pizza.
On my clean eating journey, there isn’t a lot of pizza along the way. When there is, it usually leaves me feeling sluggish and full of regret.
Enter make-your-own pizza, with a thin, crispy sprouted grain crust (or cauliflower crust if you prefer) and healthier toppings. I went upscale gourmet this weekend (read between the lines: trying to use up various food items in my fridge) and created a combination that works for dinner with a side salad or as an appetizer for parties: beets, goat cheese, pistachios and turkey bacon.
Here’s what you’ll need to bring make-your-own (healthier) pizza night a success at your house.
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Balsamic Beet and Goat Cheese Flatbread Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 12-inch sprouted grain pizza crust (like Trader Joe’s or Angelic Bakehouse)
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 4 ounces crumbed goat cheese
- 2 Tbsp milk of choice
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 3 medium cooked beets
- 8 slices turkey bacon
- 1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped fine
- 1/4 cup pistachio nuts (shelled)
- Balsamic reduction, for drizzling
Instructions
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Preheat oven according to pizza crust directions and place unbaked crust on a pizza pan.
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Brush pizza crust with 1 tsp olive oil.
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In small bowl, combine 3.5 ounces of crumbled goat cheese with 2 Tbsp milk of choice (reserve about 1/2 ounce of crumbled goat cheese for sprinkling on top at end.) Whisk briskly to thin goat cheese into a spreadable mixture. Add additional splash of milk if thinner consistency is desired.
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Spread goat cheese mixture on pizza crust with silicone brush.
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Top with 2 cups of baby spinach.
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Slice beets into rounds approximately 1/4-inch thick. Place on top of baby spinach.
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Cut uncooked turkey bacon strips into thin pieces and add to top of pizza.
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Sprinkle with reserved 1/2 ounce of crumbled goat cheese and 1 Tbsp of chopped fresh basil.
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Bake in oven according to pizza crust directions, approximately 20 minutes.
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Remove from oven when turkey bacon is cooked through. Crust will be crispy quickly, so if you don’t like slightly burned edges like I do, watch carefully after about 15 minutes cook time.
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Top with 1/4 cup shelled pistachio nuts and drizzle with balsamic reduction.
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Cut into 8 slices and enjoy.
Recipe Notes
- Trader Joe’s sprouted-grain pizza crust is my go-to. It’s thin and crisps up just right. If you don’t have a TJ’s nearby, check out Flatzza Sprouted Grain crust by Angelic Bakehouse. It is delicious too — just harder to find in my neighborhood.
- I use my OXO Good Grips silicone basting brush for everything, including spreading all kinds of sauces onto pizza crust.
- I buy my beets pre-cooked! This saves so much time and mess – all you have to do is slice! Love Beets brand is easily found at many major grocery chains.
- Quickly and easily cut up turkey bacon using kitchen scissors like Kitchen Aid Multi-Purpose Kitchen Shears. These are another tool I use for everything, including things that could probably be cut more efficiently with a knife.
- You can certainly make your own balsamic reduction, but this balsamic glaze by Fini is already-made and delicious for drizzling, not just on pizza but on salad, pasta, chicken …
I hope you’ll feel inspired to get creative in the kitchen and try your own make-your-own pizza combinations. If you’re looking for healthy options, just think: Lots of veggies, not a lot of cheese (this one, with the goat cheese as the sauce, is a bit of the exception to this rule.)
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