PIZZA PROTEIN BOWL

This pizza protein bowl recipe satisfies your deepest pizza craving while keeping you on track with your physique goals!  You get all of flavors of your favorite toppings such as peppers, mushrooms, sausage, pepperoni, olives and pizza sauce, in a versatile one skillet dish.  I love to eat this all on its own in a bowl, but it pairs well with a wide array of options if you want to expand it further.

One serving of this dish alone has a moderate protein (29g/42%), moderate fat (15g/46%), and low carb (9g/12%) ratio.  You can bulk the dish up for more volume and still keep it low calories and low carb.  Use some cauliflower rice or zucchini squash as a base to keep low carb.  Balance out the carb content with a pita pocket, whole wheat pizza crust, rice cake, or my favorite with this dish…quinoa.  The burning question, is it really a pizza without cheese? Amp up your fats with a sprinkle of cheese melted on top.  If you make a double batch you can play around throughout the week and reinvent this dish to keep it fresh.

I like to use tomato paste in this recipe for a few different reasons.  First, it is so versatile on its own and you can use tomato paste for many different recipes.  You can use it to thicken, color, and enhance the flavors of sauces, soups, and stews.  You can easily use a jar of marinara or pizza sauce in this recipe as well.  I like that the ingredient list on the tomato paste is pretty short, vs. the jarred sauces that may include some extra preservatives.

In the video for this recipe I share an easy way to chop an onion and a bell pepper. Practice your technique with your chopping skills and have some fun in the kitchen.  Part of becoming a good cook means experimenting, making mistakes, and learning!

For another fun “bowl” recipe, try out my Egg Roll in a Bowl…it doesn’t disappoint!

Pizza Protein Bowl

Christine Willers

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Course dinner, lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

  

• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 8 oz sliced cremini or Bella mushrooms
• 5 oz turkey pepperoni quartered
• 1 small onion chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 pounds of lean ground turkey or beef
• 1 green bell pepper chopped
• 4 tbl tomato paste
• ¼ cup water or chicken stock as needed
• 2 tsp salt plus additional for seasoning
• 2 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried fennel
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 20 olives black, green, or Kalamata, halved vertically

Instructions

 

• Heat a large 12” nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tsp of olive oil. Add the mushrooms and season with salt. Sautee for a couple of minutes then transfer to a holding plate.
• Return the skillet to the heat and Sautee the pepperoni for a couple of minutes, careful not to burn. Transfer to the same plate as the mushrooms.
• Return the skillet to the heat and add the remaining 1 tsp of olive oil, then add the onions along with salt for seasoning. After sautéing the onions for a few minutes add the garlic and cook for another minute or so. Next, add in the ground meat and mix well to combine with the onion and garlic mixture. Continue to brown the meat, mixing often, until cooked through.
• Add the tomato paste and seasoning into the meat mixture and mix to combine. You may need to add a touch of water here to help the seasonings distribute (especially if your meat is very lean). Add the green peppers and cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Add the pepperonis, mushrooms, and olives to the pan. Stir well to combine and let everything heat through.

Video

Keyword Pizza Protein Bowl