Day 2: Homemade Pizzas

Check out the recipe from Day 1 Here!

I don't know if you're anything like me, but I.love.pizza. Like I love, love it. And while it's not like regular pizza is the worst thing in the world for you to fill yourself with, it certainly isn't the best...especially if you're ordering in.

Luckily for me my husband loves pizza just as much as I do (this also means he was borderline heartbroken when pizza was the only food that made me literally.so.sick my entire pregnancy). His additional love for the food gave me a good reason to come up with some options that didn't land us on the couch afterwards with "oh my gosh I feel so fat" looks on our faces.

The three pizza recipes below have become our favorites, and they're all once again so.easy with some little added tips on ways to make them a healthier option than traditional pizzas!

It also just so happened that last night some pretty good thunderstorms rolled through the area, so my sister came over with my niece and nephew and we made all three of these pizzas for a little Monday rainy night pizza party. My niece told me we need to open a pizza shop and my nephew told me it was the best pizza he's ever had. They're 8 and 10, so needless to say these even pass the kid test!

{Fun fact: did you know there's actually a word that describes the distinctive scent that accompanies the first rain after a long, warm dry spell? The word is Petrichor. My husband came home with that info from one of his bandmates/studio partners yesterday. As a grammar person I'd be lying if that little piece of knowledge didn't excite me at least a little!}

Day 2: Homemade Pizzas

#1: BLT PIZZA

INGREDIENTS

1 Boboli 12" pizza crust (available in regular, whole wheat & thin crust!)

1 box precooked turkey bacon, cooked in microwave & roughly chopped

1 cup shredded part skim mozzarella

1 tomato, diced

Shredded lettuce (one bag is the perfect amount)

2 Tbsp Hellman's lowfat mayo (1g fat per Tbsp & tastes like regular mayo!)

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp minced garlic

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 450. Put shredded lettuce in a gallon ziploc bag, add lowfat mayo and shake until mayo is evenly distributed on lettuce. Set in refrigerator.
Spread olive oil over top of pizza crust making sure the entire surface area is covered, then spread minced garlic over top. Sprinkle with mozzarella then top evenly with turkey bacon.
Bake 10 minutes.
Remove from oven, let cool slightly, then top with lettuce/mayo mixture first, then top with diced tomatoes. Cut and serve!

#2: BUFFALO CHICKEN PIZZA

INGREDIENTS

1 Boboli 12" pizza crust (available in regular, whole wheat & thin crust!)

Perdue whole grain chicken strips, baked according to package directions & cubed

Franks Red Hot sauce

Light ranch

1 cup shredded part skim mozzarella

1/2 Small Red Onion, cut into thin strips

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 450. Put cubed chicken in a small bowl & toss with Frank's Red Hot Sauce until desired flavor is achieved. Set aside.
Spread light ranch over top of pizza crust making sure the entire surface area is covered. Sprinkle with mozzarella then top evenly with chicken. Drizzle a little ranch and Frank's over the top.
Bake 10 minutes.
Remove from oven, let cool slightly, cut & serve!

#3: MARGHERITA PIZZA

INGREDIENTS

1 Boboli 12" pizza crust (available in regular, whole wheat & thin crust!)

8 oz. fresh mozzarella pearls (BelGioioso are my preference)

1 tomato, sliced thin

Fresh basil leaves, sliced into thin strips

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp minced garlic

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 450.
Spread olive oil over top of pizza crust making sure the entire surface area is covered, then spread minced garlic over top.
Place tomato slices in one layer on pizza. Sprinkle basil evenly over top. Top with fresh mozzarella pearls spaced close together but not touching or piled (shown above).
Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool slightly, cut and serve!

All three of these are very fast to prepare and all have a lot of flavor. Simple substitutions like turkey bacon, Hellman's lowfat mayo, Perdue whole grain breaded chicken and so forth make a HUGE difference in the healthfulness of these recipes.

Also, I list out the specific brands like Hellman's and Perdue because I've done a lot of comparisons and these are the brands I've found with the best healthful traits without compromising flavor. I didn't list brands where I've found there are multiple types that are fairly equal (i.e., light ranch and turkey bacon).

Enjoy, and check back the rest of the week for more easy, healthier recipes!