It's the weekend, and after a rough week I'm in a desperate mood for some comfort food - specifically, PIZZA! Not just any pizza - a nice supreme combo pizza with a pile-high of pepperoni, sausage, bell peppers, olives, and onions on a mountain of gooey mozzarella cheese. Knowing that tomorrow is a very special cheat day (heading to Pies & Thighs in Brooklyn for a nice, large plate of fried chicken and Southern biscuits...mmmmm), I decided to "macronize" Supreme Pizza (yes, I just created a new word...LOL)
Using my trusty standard Panini Slims from Trader Joe's (which are THE PERFECT vehicles for making perfect pizza portions), I decided to make my own sausage using 99% fat-free turkey breast and used the usual Italian sausage spices. I also swapped out the usual mixed-meat pepperoni for turkey pepperoni, used light mozzarella cheese, decreased the amount of olives, and omitted the usual olive oil from the tomato sauce.
And there you have it folks - I've officially become the Pizza & Dessert Macro Queen! With all joking aside, this is definitely a healthier version for Supreme Combo Pizza with the perfect macro amount and 0% guilt (unless you end up eating more than 1-2 slices per day...hehe)...
So if another pizza craving hits (like it did for me today), just make a batch of these and everything will feel right in your world (for the next few hours)...:-)
(makes 16 slices)
For the turkey sausage:
16 oz. 99% fat-free ground turkey breast meat
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. crushed fennel seeds
1/2 tsp. italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. sweet or hot paprika
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 packet zero-calorie sweetener
For the tomato sauce:
1 cup unsalted tomato puree
1 tsp. crushed garlic
1/2 tsp. italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
2 packages Trader Joe's Panini Slims
8 oz. light mozzarella cheese
1 medium bell pepper (yields 1 cup chopped)
1 medium white or yellow onion (yields 1 cup chopped)
1.75 oz. chopped olives
1. To make the turkey sausage: mix all ingredients in a bowl until spices have been mixed evenly in the meat. Place in a tight-covered container and let the meat marinate in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours.
2. In a skillet under medium heat, lightly spray pan with oil and saute meat until cooked through (about 10-15 minutes). Set aside.
3. To make the sauce: in a saucepan, add tomato puree, garlic and spices and stir until sauce starts to simmer. Set aside.
4. Dice pepperoni, bell pepper and onion in 1/8 inch pieces.
5. In a large mixing bowl, add turkey sausage, pepperoni, bell pepper, onion, olives, and cheese and mix until all ingredients are well-combined.
6. Separate panini slims and lay the halves on 2 large baking sheets.
7. Spread 1 tbsp. of tomato sauce on each panini half.
8. With a 1/2 measuring cup (or weight out 65g), measure out a semi-packed 1/2 cup of the topping mixture on each panini half and spread the topping in a thin layer.
9. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese has melted and crust has turned golden-brown.
Labels: bell pepper, bread, cayenne, cheese, fennel, garlic, ground turkey, olives, onion, paprika, pizza, recipe, tomato sauce, turkey pepperoni
