Meatza Pizza

This is not an original idea--in fact I don't know where it began even. I had stayed away from it, assuming it would just taste like a pizza burger which I could easily make on my George grill. But, I am working on the next Diner newsletter, and it is featuring all sorts of pizza recipes. I thought maybe I should try this one out to see. It is really popular with the paleo eaters.

The basic premise is that rather than a high carb crust--or even a low carb crust, you fashion a pizza base from ground beef itself. Some recipes have sausage too, but I wanted something with less grease. The leaner the ground meat, the less mess to deal with. Start with about half a pound of beef per adult appetite. 2 pounds should fit an average sized cookie sheet. We have only three at home tonight, so mine didn't go to the edges. I poked and prodded it thin, then baked it. Then drained, and on went the toppings. A bit in the oven again, and I had happy men! It works for all dietary restrictions we have going on in the house right now too. That makes for a happy mom.

Meatza Pizza

2 pounds lean ground beef (or any combo of beef, sausage or turkey)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon Italian herbs

Tomato Sauce or Spaghetti sauce with low sugar.
grated cheese

Toppings of your choice

Blend the herbs and cheese by hand into the meat. Spread the mixture evenly onto a cookie sheet. May extend to the edge, or may not, depending on size of pan. Just be sure the cookie sheet has a rim to collect fat. Cook the meat at 400 degrees for about 10-15 minutes. It will shrink considerably in the pan. Remove and drain grease. Top with your choice of veggies. I used onion, red bell pepper, and mushrooms. Over this, grate cheese. Return to oven until cheese melts and veggies tenderize.

I used a delicious pasture fed cheese, and it was really nice. I love using sharp cheeses because you don't need as much. Since Christian is on a special diet, I made the pizza sauce from scratch. This is much better than I expected it to be. I simply added a spoonful of jarred minced garlic to about 2 cups of tomato juice. I simmered this on the stove for about 30 minutes. It reduced to a sweet, thick, garlic infused sauce that really made this dish stand out. I meant to add some fresh basil to it, but it was so good when I tasted it that I didn't bother.

I chopped more onions, peppers and mushrooms than would fit on my "crust," so I added the veggies to the lettuce for a nice Italian salad on the side. Move over Mazzio's!