This afternoon, while wondering what to fix for dinner, I came upon an idea that was a bit unusual. I wanted pizza -- but I also knew that the kids needed to eat their veggies. So, I thought, why not combine them?
What I came up with was dubbed a reverse pizza. Why call it a reverse pizza?
Well, because the crust is on top, of course! I must say that the kids gobbled it up, as well as my husband -- and he's pickier about what he eats than the kids!
The secret to this pizza is to combine wholesome goodness of lots of veggies into the kids' favorite meal -- PIZZA! First, brown some ground beef in a skillet with some onions and garlic powder -- and whatever seasonings you like. Drain the fat off of the ground beef. Add one can of diced tomatoes -- you could also use the crushed variety -- with the juice drained off and reserved. Let that simmer for about 15 minutes and add can you other veggies. For example, I used a broccoli stir-fry mix. The stir-fry mix contains onion, water chestnuts, mushrooms, carrots, and broccoli. Simmer the veggies for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the broccoli is softened.
For the crust, prepare a biscuit mix, or pizza crust mix similar to the one manufactured by Bisquick. You can roll it out large enough to cover the baking pan that you are using. Set it aside while you are preparing the rest of the filling. I like to use any reserved tomato juice in the actual mix of the crust.
Once you have the veggies cooked, drain any remaining juice from them and add a jar of Prego, or any brand chunky vegetable spaghetti sauce, to the baking dish along with the cooked vegetables and meat and mix it up well. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and mix. Now, place the topping or crust over top of the pan and bake it for 30 to 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Once the crust is a golden brown on top, it is usually done but you might lift an edge to check.
You can sprinkle more cheese over the top as you serve it. I like to break up a bit of the crust for the kids to make it easier for them to eat. Serve with garlic bread as a side or you could even spread some garlic butter over the crust before baking.
Reverse Pizza
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 can diced or crushed tomatoes, drained - reserving juice
- 1 package broccoli stir-fry vegetables
- 2 packages of pizza crust mix (or about 2 cups of Bisquick)
- 1 jar chunky vegetable spaghetti sauce
- Shredded cheese
Brown the ground beef in a pan with the onion. Add the diced tomatoes and simmer. Add the package of stir-fry vegetables and cook until soft.
Mix up the crust mix following the directions. You can substitute the reserved tomato juice for the water in the crust. Once vegetables are cooked, drain off any excess liquid, and place them in a baking pan, mix in the jar of spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle shredded cheese over top and mix in. Place the crust over the top and bake for 30 to 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
- Yields: 4 generous servings
- Preparation Time: about 1 hour