Tomato-Basil Pizza

I haven’t posted a recipe in a while, so I figured I should share my most recent one. Y’all, it was so much better than I anticipated. I’ve been trying to find recipes for my favorite “cheat” meals so I can make them myself rather than eating out. I’m still transitioning into what I’ll have to expect in Africa, but man, I love me some pizza. It can be pretty cheap, but saving $10 is helping me manage my money as I raise funding and prepare to leave!

So this recipe was given to me by my friend, Patti. She has always blown my mind with her love for cooking and the talent that goes along with it. I changed some things in the recipe, so I’ll post mine and if you’re interested in the original, leave a comment!

1 Package (10 ounces) refrigerated pizza crust

1/2 lb ground turkey (SEASONED)

2 Cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese broken up

1/4 Cup Parmesan cheese

 4 FRESH basil leaves or 2 teaspoons of dried basil leaves (but honestly, fresh is the way to go)

2/3 cups of Plain Greek Yogurt (I added a little more, I like the consistency that way)

1 garlic clove pressed (I used 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, because I was too lazy to chop the clove)

4 thinly sliced roma tomatoes 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Using lightly floured dough and a pizza roller, roll the crust on a 12×15″ rectangular baking pan. I based the pan with a bit of olive olive before, you don’t have to. Sprinkle the crust with 1 cup of Mozzarella cheese. Snip your basil into the size that you prefer. I left mine a little thick, because I really wanted the basil flavor to stand out on each slice.

In a 1 Qt. bowl combine the remaining mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, basil, and the yogurt. Mix well. Add the garlic and blend it in.

Here’s where I took the recipe and did what I wanted, lol. I took about 1/2 lb of ground turkey, seasoned it, and cooked it down until it was almost crispy. I put that to the side to somewhat cool down before adding it to the pizza.

Cut the tomatoes into super thin slices and place them all over. Take the topping mix that’s in your bowl and using a small ice cream scoop, or in my case, a SPOON, dollop it onto the pizza and spread it evenly across its entirety. Sprinkle the turkey all over, and pop that sucker in the over for 15-20 mins or until golden brown. Cut and Serve.

Yield: 20 servings or 10, depending on how many Shakiylas you have joining you. Seriously, I could’ve eaten the whole thing…

The recipe said it was approximately 130 calories and 9 grams of fat per slice, BUT, my recipe replaced mayonnaise with yogurt, and regular mozzarella with low fat. I also added ground turkey. I’m not sure of the differences those make, but I felt better about eating it that way. Y’all know my rule in cooking is make it work for YOU. Recipes are fun, but they don’t always have to remain as it. Play around!

Please please please let me know if you try it. Post pictures and leave comments. It’s the summer, and before I head out to training, I’m taking some time to bask in silence. Cooking does that. It gives me a space to think and reflect, maybe that’s cheesy, but I needed it today.

Thank you for reading.

As always, I love you.

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