Resist the urge for takeout or delivery with this healthier pepperoni pizza-inspired dish
There’s just something about pizza that’s so irresistible. No secrets here, I love pizza. Especially pepperoni pizza. But for years (err, decades) I told myself that I didn’t like pepperoni or even pizza, for that matter. Looking back I realize that my ‘dislike’ of pepperoni pizza was really just a lie that I’d been telling myself to make it easier to so ‘No’ to a food that was never on my diet of choice. Having grown up and gone to college at the height of the low-fat-everything craze I had a serious fear of fat and that grease that would pool atop a perfectly baked pizza was something akin to napalm for this fat-phobic gal. Even smashing it between blotting it with a paper napkin wasn’t enough to justify it being a choice that wasn’t going to make me instantly gain 15 pounds. Sad, right? Nowadays, thanks to having found my food freedom, I can enjoy a slice or two of pizza with toppings galore without a shred of guilt. But only when it’s worth it because I don’t feel awesome after eating pizza. So it’s this physical love-hate (not mental or emotional because…food freedom, baby) that led me to create this Pepperoni Pizza Quinoa Bake. It has all the flavors of my favorite pizza but without gluten and with more veggies and more fiber. A win-win for sure if you’re a pizza lover like me.
Make it a Make-Ahead Meal
You know what else I love about this Pepperoni Pizza Quinoa Bake? It’s perfect for meal preps because you can use this dish to your advantage in one of two ways:
Make it and bake it then store in a covered container in the fridge once it has cooled (or individual glass meal prep containers if you’ll be taking it for lunch) then just reheat & eat later in the week, or Assemble the dish in an oven-proof baking dish with lid then store in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you need an easy, no-fuss meal during the week you can just pop it in a preheated oven and let it bake while you take care of other things or make a salad.
I also love that this Pepperoni Pizza Quinoa Bake is kid-friendly.
Make it your own
Speaking of kids, if your kids don’t share your affinity for pepperoni then don’t throw the baby out with the bath water just yet. Get creative and find a way to compromise. I feel like I’m the Queen of Culinary Compromise most days having one child with a varied and somewhat adventurous palate and another with a very limited palate («I blame her genetics for being a ‘super taster’ not her). So what I often do is make this dish half pepperoni-half mild Italian sausage by setting aside half of the quinoa-veggie-sauce mixture to add sausage to before spooning it into the baking dish. Then I dot the top of the sausage side with a few pieces of sausage so it’s clear which side is which because, believe me, if you’ve ever suffered the dramatic wrath of a hungry, pepperoni-hating preteen who mistakenly dug into the wrong side of the dish you’d do the same. Other ways you can make this dish your own or customize it to your family’s tastes are to use the veggies you have on hand or those you know they really like. Mushrooms, eggplant and spinach are all delicious in this dish and an easy way to add more veggies. Got leftover cauliflower rice or steamed broccoli on hand? Toss that in there, too! That’s another great way to stretch your grocery buck, boost the nutrition and decrease food waste.
Dig in!
Serve with a giant green salad or a side of sautéed greens or roasted green beans to round out the meal. And parmesan cheese. Don’t forget the parmesan cheese for your sprinkling pleasure. P.S. Looking for other great make-ahead to bake when you’re ready recipes? Try our Southwest Quinoa Bake and 5-Ingredient Baked Ziti
Tell us – what are your favorite pizza toppings? Did you make this dish? If so, how did you ‘make it your own’?
Pin It Now & Make It Later
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