LEAN-LOVERS TURKEY MEAT PIZZA!
Happy Thursday Squadies! Today I am going to share with you a LEANMAZING new recipe you are sure to love! The main ingredient in this recipe is… drum roll please… TURKEY! At LEANSQUAD, we are all about living a balanced life and being able to enjoy your favourite foods while keeping it lean. Fornutnelty, turkey is a great meat that gives us the opportunity to do this! That is why today I am making a leansanly delicious LEAN-LOVERS TURKEY MEAT PIZZA!
Did someone say Lean turkey meat Pizza?!
Yes that is correct! There are 2 main factors that make this turkey meat pizza a lean-za!
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Spelt or whole wheat pizza crust
Using a lean crust will highly increase the leanness of your pizza! Most store bought pizzas are made with processed flours and usually have a ton of added sugar. This of course plays a big part in the bloating and uncomfortableness we may feel after eating a heavy meal full of processed carbs. Keeping the crust lean will definitely make a difference! You can of course make your own lean-dough from home, but if you choose to purchase your dough, make sure to check the ingredients and make sure there are little to no added sugars!
2. TURKEY!
Most meat lovers pizzas contain regular bacon and basic pork or beef sausage. The downside of these meats is that they tend to contain large amounts of fat which makes up part of the reason why your pizza is typically super greasy when it contains these meats! Turkey as most of you may know is a healthier and leaner option! It contains less fat and less sodium but is JUST as tasty (if not tastier) than your basic bacon and sausage toppings. Turkey bacon is one of my favourites, and Hudsons too! It tastes leanmazing as a pizza topping and since it contains less fat, it does not give you a pool of grease like your average slice of pork bacon! Other factors that play into the leanness of your turkey meat lovers pizza:SAUCE: When choosing a pizza sauce, be sure to choose a lean sauce. Surprisingly, many pizza sauces actually contain a TON of added sugars. Find yourself an organic sauce that does not contain any added sugarsCHEESE: Everyone likes a cheesy pizza! For this turkey meat lovers pizza, I wanted to have the creaminess of the cheese we love, with a side of leanness! That is why I chose RICOTTA cheese! It is creamy, tasty, and best of all it is LEAN!
Why a turkey meat pizza?
I have made a TON of different recipes with turkey. I am able to do this because of the versatility turkey offers. Many of us just think turkey only offers us a few options - this is definitely not the case! First off, turkey comes in SO many different forms - ground turkey, turkey sausages, turkey legs, turkey bacon - the list goes on! One of the best things about turkey is that it does not have a very potent flavour, this means it can easily take on many different flavours and can be used in so many different ways without tasting the same! Aside from this pizza, turkey can be used to make a variety of different healthy meals that can be meal prepped for an easy and healthy week of lunches or dinners! Some of my favourite meal prep turkey recipes include this leansane turkey taco meal prep and these tasty and moist turkey muffin cups!
Carbs are not the enemy!
Like I mentioned at the start of this blog living the lean life is all about balance! Yes this pizza contains carbs and that is OKAY! When living a lean lifestyle, it is important to be able to enjoy yourself and still get to eat the foods you love. This pizza allows you to enjoy a pizza in a much leaner way! When it comes to store bought pizzas, we don’t know everything that is going in there. Making your own homemade pizza with lean ingredients will allow you to have a much leaner pizza that is just as leanlicious (but better, because you made it!).
Get the FULL turkey meat pizza recipe below:
LEANGREDIENTS (INGREDIENTS):
- 1 large turkey sausage (out of casing)
- 2 slices turkey bacon (cooked and diced)
- 1 12 inch Spelt Flour or Whole Wheat Pizza Crust
- ½ cup pizza sauce
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (adjust depending on spice levels. I like spicy!)
- ⅓ cup shredded 2% Mozzarella cheese
- ⅓ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil (chopped)
LEANSTRUCTIONS (INSTRUCTIONS):
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit.
- Decase turkey sausage by slicing through sausage casing. Add a teaspoon of olive oil and turkey sausage to pan on medium heat. Break up sausage intermittently until sausage is cooked and browned.
- After the sausage is cooked, place in a bowl and to the side. Next add your turkey bacon slices to the pan. Cook for 2-3 min per side or until cooked through. Chop the turkey bacon into small pieces and place to the side.
- Speared the pizza sauce evenly across the top surface of the pizza crust, leaving at least a ½ inch edge around the outside. Sprinkle the crushed red pepper flakes over the pizza sauce, followed by the shredded mozzarella. After that, add dallops of the ricotta around your pizza. Add the cooked sausage crumbles and turkey bacon bites. Lastly, add the chopped basil and italian seasoning over top.
- Place the pizza in your preheated over (I placed straight onto the oven rack) and bake for 7-10 minutes depending on how crispy you like your crust!
- Enjoy the lean pizza!