Healthy Mini Pizzas 3 ways

We all have days where we need a little comfort food. Our bodies are craving something that really sticks and satisfies, but trust me….it doesn’t have to be unhealthy. Especially when you’re eating real food and can tack on some vegetables. These 3 Mini Healthy Pizzas have it all and are very quick as far as preparation, if you have a toaster oven. If you’re using a regular oven. Go ahead and set your oven to broil while you read the rest of this post.

Below are the 3 variations using many of the same ingredients. This is perfect if you have a house full of people with different tastes. I always like to make things like this when I have extra cooked veggies in the fridge that we want to use up. My biggest request though is that you use really good fresh bread from a bakery. We don't eat bread very often, but when we do, it's a special treat. 

Here are the 3 that we made 

Spinach & Garlic Mini Pizza

The works: (meaning more veggies)

Rainbow style ;)

 

Tart Apple w Honey & Cinnamon Dessert Pizza

 

But first a few ingredient notes from your nutritionist:

Get the greens in
If you are a parent reading this, you know that leafy greens can be pretty tricky to feed to kids, (toddlers especially). The texture is new to them so they’re not quite sure what to do with it. In their minds, it’s this weird slippery stringy thing that feels strange to chew, but when buried in the middle of some cheesy, crusty bread, things may just take a pleasant shift.

Leafy greens have some heavy duty potency and contain major doses of vitamins & minerals that keep us vibrant and healthy. They’re also quite low in calories and high in fiber, making them excellent for shedding excess weight.

Don’t forget the fat
I say this like every day, but it’s so true!
You need fat to absorb vitamins A,D,E, & K (what green leafys have so much of), so it defeats the purpose if you’re just steaming them. Bring out the grass fed butter, coconut oil, or olive oil, some sea salt & pepper and sizzle away in a pan. That’s all there is to it really.

Though I mostly use fresh, I almost always have a bag of organic frozen spinach in the freezer in case I need to add it to something in a pinch, so you can do that too.

Tips for the busy
You can always make the spinach ahead of time, chop it well, and set in fridge for when you’re ready to assemble the pizza.

Mini Pizzas 3 ways

Pizza #1: Spinach & Garlic

1 bag, 9 oz fresh organic spinach (or frozen)

2-3 cloves garlic, crushed

3 whole wheat mini pitas, sliced in half (or fresh bread)

½ cup organic ricotta cheese

8 oz fresh mozzarella balls or ½ cup grated

Sea salt & pepper to taste

Olive oil

Step 1: Make the spinach

If using frozen spinach, defrost and pat dry well, squeezing out any excess water. In medium cast iron skillet or sauce-pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the garlic and spinach. Saute until spinach and garlic are well incorporated. 1-2 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt & pepper. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Once cooled, place onto a clean cutting board and chop well.

If using broiler, preheat oven.

Step 2: Assemble

Spread 1 Tbsp cheese onto bread, followed by another small pinch sea salt & pepper. Top with spinach and 1-2 pieces of mozzarella (or sprinkle with grated). Heat in toaster oven 2-3 minutes. If broiling, place pizzas on cooking sheet lined with aluminum foil and place under broiler (4 inches from heat) 5-6 minutes. Drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil (per pizza)

Pizza #2: The works

Follow all of the instructions from above but add 2 more veggies.

Example: I had some leftover butternut squash in the fridge that had been roasted prior, so I added that on top as well along with roasted red peppers from a jar. Tommy LOVED it!

Pizza #3: Dessert Pizza w Tart Apple, Ricotta & honey

For Dessert version grab these additional ingredients

1 apple w peel on sliced very thin

few tsps raw honey (not for children under 1)

Dash of Cinnamon

To make dessert version, use 1 tbsp ricotta cheese per piece of bread, but sub out the spinach and mozzarella for 1-2 pieces sliced apple. Once out of the oven, drizzle with 1 tsp honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon.  

Professional taste tester, Tommy scoping out the scene.

I think he approves