Meatza!

By:  Maria

Ok, so we all love pizza, right?  Some of us don't necessarily love the effects from too much cheese and too many carbs that come from eating that pizza.  Even more important, some of us may have gluten and dairy sensitivities that force us to forgo even the tiniest amount of pizza.  Sure, they have gluten-free products, but most of those products still contain ingredients that have proteins similar to gluten and, therefor, have the same effect on our gut.

So what is one to do if we cannot/should not eat pizza (aside from never eating pizza!)?  Meatza!  A meat-based crust baked and topped with some wholesome ingredients that will leave you satiated and satisfied. I have to be honest; when I first mentioned what I was making for dinner, I got some strange looks from my kiddos (my hubby is open to everything!).  Once they got involved and customized their own Meatza, however, they enjoyed it and even looked forward to the next one!

Use a large baking sheet (mine is 17x12)

2 lbs. ground beef (I stick with leanest variety)

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp caraway seeds (this is the magic inredient in my opinion)

1 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic salt 

1 tsp coarse ground pepper

1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

2 eggs

1/4 c almond  flour (you can make your own by putting raw almonds in food processor and processing until fine.)

No-salt tomato sauce (seasoned with desired herbs - garlic powder, basil, oregano, thyme or your favorite Italian seasoning)

Your preferred choice of toppings (get creative!)

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees

 

Chop up desired veggies (I used onions, mushrooms, green bell peppers)

Saute veggies until nice and tender

Meanwhile, you'll be making the "crust" by mixing ground beef, seasonings, eggs and almond flour into a nice big mixing bowl.  Get your hands to do the mixing until thoroughly combined.  Dump beef mixture on to baking sheet and flatten with hands until the entire sheet is covered. Bake in oven for 10 minutes.

Once the "crust" is done, you will notice that it shrunk and there is rendered fat on the top.  You can blot up the excess fat with a paper towel, or leave as is. I use the leanest cut or grass-fed beef and know that type of fat is ok to leave on, so I don't even bother.

Set the oven to "broil".

Spread the tomato sauce evenly over the entire meat "crust".

Here is where your creativity and personal preference comes into play.  Add any toppings you desire.  I eat extremely clean and healthy, so I avoid all cheeses, but my Meatza's are loaded with nutrient-dense and tasty toppings.  This is so versatile, you can accommodate all tastes in just one pan by splitting the Meatza in half if need be.

Once the toppings are added, broil for 3-5 minutes (watch it carefully to avoid burning toppings).  (As you can see from the photo above, my daughter's tastes differ from my own - she chose to add cheese and olives to her section!).

Let sit for a minute or two, slice and serve!

Enjoy!