Stuffed Portobello Pizza

I love pizza; it might be my favorite food in the world.  It's got everything you'd want in a meal, including stomach-filling bread and gooey delicious cheese; both things that I sorely miss in my diet. This week I developed an intense longing for pizza, and if there is one thing I learned about being a successful dieter, it's to not ignore those pesky cravings. The trick is to satisfy those cravings either by moderation or by modification.  Since I knew that I wouldn't be able to restrain myself to just one teeny slice of carb-loaded pizza, I decided to figure out a way to make a healthier pizza. I looked into the Cauliflower Crust craze (you make a pizza crust using cauliflower instead of flour), but I saw that the recipe called for copious amounts of cheese. So while it may be a healthier choice than a traditional crust, it wasn't at all diet-friendly.  Then it hit me: I could use delicious, meaty giant portobellos for the crust! After all, it's already in a tiny pizza shape!  The result was heavenly, and it satisfied my pizza craving to the fullest. I had two huge and gooey Stuffed Portobello Pizzas, and it clocked in at only (approximately) 300 calories; and it is filling.  For those that have a smaller stomach than me (or want to make it for lunch), one "pizza" would probably be enough at only about 150 calories. And of course you could alter the toppings and/or cheese to either reduce (or increase) the calories and fat.

STUFFED PORTOBELLO PIZZA

Serves 2-4 

INGREDIENTS

4 Portobello Mushroom Caps

1 cup Tomato/Pizza/Spaghetti Sauce*

1 Tomato, diced

1/2 cup Roasted Red Peppers, diced

2 Cloves of Garlic, minced

4 Slices of Ultra-Thin Provolone

2 oz Goat Cheese, crumbled

Fresh Basil, torn

Salt & Pepper

Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
Other toppings like capers, sun-dried tomatoes, etc. (optional)

*I used leftover Bolognese Sauce

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat your oven's broiler. Cover a rimmed baking pan in aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.  Remove stems and gills from the portobello mushroom caps.  Brush entire cap lightly with olive oil.  Broil for 3 minutes, or until liquid starts to be released and mushrooms start to darken.

2. Turn the oven down to 375 degrees.  Fill each cap with 1/4 cup of tomato sauce. Evenly divide the tomatoes, garlic, roasted red peppers, and any other toppings into the mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees.

3. Take the mushrooms out of the oven, and crumble a tablespoon of goat cheese in each cap. Sprinkle fresh basil on top, and then put a slice of provolone over each mushroom cap.

4. Bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese is hot and gooey. Sprinkle red pepper flakes on top if desired. Eat with a knife and fork.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serving Size: 2 Stuffed Portobello Pizzas

Calories: 302

Carbs: 24

Fat: 17

Protein: 17