Saturday night is pizza night at our house and if we don't have pizza, I'll likely have a riot on my hands!
But weeks of getting Dominos got expensive for 7 people and left me feeling greasy and unhealthy.
While I firmly believe that no food is of limits and everything can to fit into a healthy diet in moderation, I just didn't feel good with this weekly pizza. Limiting how much I ate still left me feeling overfull, puffy from sodium, and just kind of gross.
So I decided to find a better way to have pizza night that was healthier, more budget friendly, and also built great memories for the kids.
I started buying Aldi pizza dough and making homemade pizzas.
There was a definite learning curve with shaping the dough!
But we had round, beautiful, homemade pizzas that everyone loves at a fraction of the cost AND I didn't feel awful afterward!
Over time, our toddlers grew and 2 pizzas were barely cutting it for everyone- I needed to start making a third!
But I only had 2 pizza pans.
I also realized how tough it was to hit my protein target on Saturdays.
So I searched for alternatives that would feed the family and check my protein box!
That's how I found this recipe: https://ifoodreal.com/cottage-cheese-pizza-crust/
Full disclosure: I HATE cottage cheese.
I makes me gag to eat or even think about in it's native state. I think it's the texture more than taste.
However, you can't taste it or feel the chunks in this recipe (although you see them before baking)!
You just get a wonderful pizza dough!
It's not the fluffy dough you're used to, it's more doughy, but honestly I've come to prefer it.
I've also added a spin of my own that adds more flavor, protein, fiber, and I really look forward to it each week!
And now I made 2 Aldi dough pizzas (yay, convenience!) and one Protein Crust Pizza just for me (yay, protein and food for mom!).
Give it a try and let me know what you think!
Protein Powered Pizza Crust
Ingredients
½ cup + 1 tbsp white flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1-2 tsp chopped dried rosemary (based on how much you want to taste it)
1 cup low fat cottage cheese (undrained)
Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 450o (425o for a dark or non-stick pan).
Mix the flours, baking soda, and rosemary together in a medium sized bowl.
Add in the cottage cheese, mixing until there's no more dry ingredients stuck to the bottom of the bowl. I start with a spatula and finish using my hands to smoosh everything together. The dough will be very sticky. (The original recipe says it shouldn't be sticky, but I've never had it not be a sticky, gooey dough.)
Set dough aside for 5-10 minutes to rest. (This is when I make the other pizzas)
Lay down a sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil, lightly flour the middle. Gather the dough into a ball and set in the middle of the floured surface. Add a little flour on top so your rolling pin doesn't stick.
Roll the dough out until it's about ¼ inch thick and kind of a circle. Fold over the edges and pinch to form a slight crust (this helps contain the sauce and cheese).
Add your sauce, cheese, and toppings of choice.
Transfer the pizza on the parchment paper/aluminum foil to a large cookie sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes.
How does my version of the recipe differ from the original?
I prefer to add whole wheat flour to increase the fiber and protein content.
I add rosemary for extra flavor.
I don't pre-bake the crust. I didn't see much benefit from it and it makes the whole process take longer. I'm all about efficiency.