Pizza is one of those things that is just so satisfying that it is missed terribly when you change to a low carb lifestyle. But it doesn’t have to be. You need to adjust your thinking. What makes a great pizza? For some, it may be the bread crust and if that’s the case, low carb is a definite challenge. But if it’s the toppings that are the main attraction, then it’s possible to make a different style low carb pizza. In fact, there are several ways to do it.

If you must have bread, you can make a flax meal pizza crust like the one here. Or you can order the flour or a completely made and partially cooked pizza crust, that is very good, from LC Foods. See it here. CarbQuick has a recipe on their box for a pizza crust that is also good. For those who may not know, CarbQuick is a low carb baking mix from Tova Foods. The box looks a little like Bisquick, but it is not the same.

Cauliflower crust pizza is a popular way to make a sort of crisp pizza crust that you can pile the topping ingredients on. There are many recipes on the web for this pizza, but here’s one from Your Lighter Side that is pretty tasty. One of my favorites, also from Your Lighter Side, is the chicken crust pizza. Don’t roll your eyes! It really works and it’s delicious. Chicken breast is baked, reduced to tiny crumbles in a food processor with mozzarella cheese and seasonings and pressed into your baking pan or pizza pan. It’s baked, flipped, then toppings go on and you bake it long enough to melt and brown the cheese. Delicious!

Other ways to make mini-pizzas include using a low carb tortilla base, a portobello mushroom base, and an eggplant slice base. Recently, I was thinking on this and inspiration struck!  So I tried two new ways to do this. One is cauliflower base, but not like the riced cauliflower version, and the other is using spaghetti squash and this is my new favorite pizza base. Here are a couple of recipes with these options. I won’t say that these haven’t been tried before, but I came up with them, so they are new to me and the recipes are mine.

Cauliflower Pizza Slices

The roasted flavor on this gives a little more of the cauliflower than some people might like. It forms a solid base, but you still need a knife and fork to eat it.

1 head Cauliflower, compact
3 tablespoons Butter, melted
4 tablespoon Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 teaspoon Oregano
1 tablespoon Garlic, minced

1/2 lb Italian sausage
1/2 cup Bell Pepper, sliced
1/2 cup Mushrooms, sliced
1 cup Pasta Sauce (about 4 carbs per 1/2 cup)
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon Dried Red Chiles (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (F.) Prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil and cooking spray.

Slice the cauliflower into 1/3-inch thick slices. Trim off any leaves, but you want the slices to be large and flat. This will be the pizza base. Brush melted butter on each slice, then sprinkle garlic and oregano on top. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top of that.

Roast in the oven for about 10 minutes until the cauliflower is lightly browned and a fork penetrates easily. Remove from the oven and let cool for about five minutes. Turn the slices over so the browned side is face down.

Pre-cook the sausage in a skillet until just browned. Add the peppers and mushrooms and sauté another few minutes. If you wish to add onions, add them at this time also.

Spread 1/4 cup of pasta sauce over each slice of cauliflower then spread 1/4 cup of the filling on each slice. Top with 1/4 of the mozzarella cheese and sprinkle on dried red chiles, if you wish.

Makes 4 slices of “pizza”.

Nutrition Info per slice:
Calories; 435 Fat: 34.2 g Net Carbs: 7.8 g Protein: 20.6 g

Spaghetti Squash Sausage Pizza

Simply the best tasting pizza crust that isn’t bread with delicious toppings highlighted by Italian sausage. This is basically the same topping as the pizza above, but you can vary your toppings however you like. The important part here is the crust. I have used spaghetti squash to sub for spaghetti, to make a tamale pie instead of masa and for many other things, so I thought, “Why not a pizza crust?” It does have a lot of moisture and I used a little almond flour to absorb the moisture. You could also use flax meal to do this. Or you could omit it entirely and it will still work. Just try to get as much water as possible out of the spaghetti squash.

2 cups Spaghetti Squash, cooked
2 cups Mozzarella Cheese, divided
1 large Egg
2 tablespoon Almond Flour (optional)
1 tablespoon Parmesan Cheese
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Salt

Toppings:
2 links Italian Sausage
1/4 cup Bell Pepper, diced or sliced
1/2 cup Mushrooms, broken into pieces
1/2 to 3/4 cup Pasta Sauce (Vodka sauce is around 4 nc per 1/2 cup)
2 to 4 slices Provolone Cheese
1/2 teaspoon crushed Chile Peppers

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F.) Line a 6″ x 10″ pan with parchment paper.

Check the spaghetti squash to make sure all seeds have been removed. Squeeze as much excess liquid out of the squash as you can and pat with a paper towel to dry. In a large bowl, mix the spaghetti squash, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, garlic salt and 1 egg together. Use a serving glove or wash your hand thoroughly, then mix the ingredients together, breaking the squash into smaller pieces.  (You could use a food processor if you want, but it isn’t necessary.)

If it is very moist, you can add 2 tablespoons of Almond flour to help absorb the moisture. When completely mixed, spread the squash mixture into the pan on top of the parchment paper and smooth evenly to the edges.

Bake for about 25 minutes until the crust is turning a golden brown. Remove and cool for a few minutes, then lift the paper and flip the crust in the pan. Remove the paper.

While the crust is cooking, prepare your toppings. In a skillet, add a little Olive Oil and saute the mushrooms and bell peppers. Remove to a dish. Add the Italian sausage (remove from the skin) and use a spatula or wooden spoon to break it up into small pieces. Cook until lightly browned.

Spread the pasta sauce to your liking over the top of the crust. Use between 1/2 cup and 1 cup, but be cautious. Pasta sauce varies in carbs per half cup and the lowest I’ve found is Mario Battali’s Vodka Sauce. Or you can make your own sauce.

Next, distribute the sausage over the top of the crust, then add the mushroom and peppers, sprinkling evenly. Spread mozzarella cheese over the top, then place the Provolone cheese on top. Sprinkle with crushed chile peppers for a bit of spice, if you like.

Bake for about 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Let set about 5 minutes then serve. Leftovers can be refrigerated or frozen.

Makes 4 slices.

Nutrition Info per slice:
Calories: 467 Fat: 34.4 Net Carbs: 8.2 g Protein: 28.6 g

So there you have my options for low carb pizza.  What have you tried and which do you like best?