Pizza on a diet isn’t impossible! All it requires is a couple of quick substitutions! The Healthy Pizza Bake uses quinoa as its nutritious base, but the rich pizza sauce, the melty, creamy, sharp cheese, and even the spicy (turkey) pepperoni… it’s all here! There’s even savory sausage to really up that pizza feeling! Grab your favorite toppings and let your worries melt away, Healthy Pizza Bake has you covered!
Ingredients
For the bake:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 pound Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed
- 1 small red onion, sliced
- 2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 2 cups pizza sauce
- 1 (6 ounce) package sliced turkey pepperoni
- 1 medium green pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
Optional toppings:
- fresh basil, minced, to taste
- olives, sliced, to taste
- oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained, to taste
- banana peppers, sliced, to taste
- red pepper flakes, to taste
Directions
Step 1 –On a 6-quart electric pressure cooker, select the sautĂ© setting.
Step 2 –Set the pressure cooker to medium heat.
Step 3 –Add the oil and heat.
Step 4 –When the oil is hot, add the sausage and the onion and cook, stirring and breaking up the sausage into crumbles, until the sausage is no longer pink and the onion is tender, about 5-7 minutes.
Step 5 –Drain the pressure cooker of fat and then press “cancel” on the pressure cooker.
Step 6 –Stir the mushrooms and the broth into the pressure cooker.
Step 7 –Add the quinoa without stirring.
Step 8 –Lock the lid and close the pressure-release valve.
Step 9 –Adjust the pressure-cooker to pressure cook on high for 2 minutes.
Step 10 –Quick-release the pressure carefully and safely.
Step 11 –Stir the pizza sauce, the pepperoni, and the green pepper into the quinoa.
Step 12 –Cover and let stand until the pepper softens slightly, about 5-10 minutes.
Step 13 –Sprinkle the bake with the mozzarella cheese and the parmesan cheese.
Step 14 –Top with the basil, the olives, the tomatoes, the banana peppers, and the red pepper flakes, as desired.
Step 15 –Serve.
