Mini Zucchini Pizzas

Who doesn’t like pizza? It’s the first thing I miss when I go on a diet, and it’s the first thing I eat when I end a diet! I had to come up with a delicious and nutritious version of pizza. My family loves zucchini and eggplant. So I thought of the perfect little pizza bites.It’s a bonus that my son loves these. They are a great way to hide the “green” and get kids to eat zucchini and/or eggplant. I just call them mini pizzas and he eats them right up!To make these, first I will cut the squash into 1/2 in rounds. To read about making these with eggplant see the note at the end. If I can, cut my squash in the morning and leave it in the fridge until dinnertime so it dries out a little. This makes for a crispier crust. Once ready to cook, I start the oven preheating to 400 degrees.

Then, I take some olive oil and coat a muffin tin. The zucchini rounds fit perfectly in the tin!

You can really have fun with these and do lots of different toppings. My favorites are:
pesto and mozzarella
bbq sauce, cheddar, and shredded chicken
or a classic like my son’s favorite, pepperoni!

I use a spoon to spread a small amount of pizza sauce (I used store bought but if you have the time homemade is always better). Top that with some shredded mozzarella and bits of pepperoni (my son’s favorite) and they are ready for the oven!

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese browns slightly. It’s best to allow them to cool for 10 minutes before removing them. I use a spoon to carefully pry them out the tin. Serve hot and enjoy!

These are also perfect to freeze for later. I like to vacuum seal them and use them for my son’s lunches days that I’m feeling lazy!

A note about using eggplant:
Eggplant makes a great base for this as well. However, once cut it starts to brown. Lemon juice is a great way to prevent this. I take a paper towel and lightly soak it with some lemon juice. Then, I’ll loosely wrap the eggplant in the paper towel before placing it in the fridge.It also cuts up into much larger rounds so I can’t bake it in the muffin tin, but have to use a baking sheet. I still spread olive oil on the baking sheet before building my pizzas and cook them for just a little longer. About 20-25 minutes.

I usually make these in big batches. Using 2-3 zucchini and a couple of eggplants, I’ll get 30-40 mini pizzas. Then I’ll let them cool, vacuum seal then in meal sized portions (everyone has a different appetite), and freeze them for later! They heat up really well in the oven. Just bake for 10-12 minutes at 400 degrees to defrost and indulge yourself!

I hope you enjoy these as much as my family and I do. They are quick, cheap, and are healthy-ish! Tell me what you think in the comments. Or better yet, share with me fun, healthy recipes of your own!