Make it a pizza night this summer with the easy recipe below from the upcoming new cookbook Pizza! Pizza! Pizza! by Sara Haas. It’s delicious AND nutritious and the homemade BBQ sauce can be used for so many other recipes. What are you waiting for?
BBQ KALE PIZZA
Makes: One 10-inch pizza
I see you rolling your eyes at me, but you had to know I was going to put something with kale in this cookbook. I am a dietitian after all. But guess what, this combo is good! And sure, kale is good for you, but I also love the bite it provides, and that sweet BBQ sauce is a nice pairing to that earthy, kale vibe. Any type of kale will work on this pizza, so if you can’t find dinosaur, just use curly kale instead. In more good news, just about any green will work here too. Experiment with them all!
Ingredients
1 ball dough of your choice, at room temperature
2 tablespoons Easy BBQ Sauce (see bonus recipe below) or store-bought BBQ Sauce
2 cups stemmed, shredded kale, preferably dinosaur or lacinato
¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
½ cup (2 ounces) low-moisture part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup (2 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
½ green apple, sliced into thin sticks, julienned
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Hot sauce, for serving
Directions
Place pizza stone on lowest rack in the oven or, if using a steel, place on the highest rack. Preheat oven to 500°F at least 45 minutes to 1 hour before baking.
Sprinkle a bit of fine cornmeal and all-purpose flour on a pizza peel or piece of parchment. Stretch out the dough and shape into a circle, then transfer to prepared peel or parchment. Spread BBQ sauce over dough leaving a 1-inch border around the edge, then top with kale and onion. Sprinkle mozzarella and cheddar cheese on top.
Bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden, 8–10 minutes.
Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer it to a cutting board. Garnish with apple and crushed red pepper, then cut into slices and enjoy immediately. Serve hot sauce on the side.
Cooking Note: You’ll have a rather large pile of kale on this pizza before you cook it. That’s okay! You’re doing it right! It’ll cook down in the oven!
EASY BBQ SAUCE
Makes: About ½ cup
I know what you’re thinking, is this really easy? My answer is, “Yes! Of course!” Usually, homemade BBQ sauce takes hours to prepare. Not this one! All you need is 30 minutes and you’ve got a delicious sauce that rivals anything you can find at the store!
Ingredients
½ cup ketchup
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
⅓ cup apple juice or apple cider
1 tablespoon molasses
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Directions
Combine all ingredients except for the apple cider vinegar in a small pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until thickened, about 25–30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the apple cider vinegar.
Ingredient Note: For a less sweet sauce, use a lesser amount of brown sugar.
Storage Note: Refrigerate for up to five days.
SARA HAAS, RDN, LDN is a food and nutrition expert with formal training in the culinary arts. She works as a freelance writer, recipe developer, media authority, public speaker and consultant dietitian/chef. Sara is a former culinary and nutrition instructor and served as a National Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Media Spokesperson. Sara has been featured in Eating Well Magazine, Shape Magazine, Parents Magazine, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, Epicurious, BabyCenter, O Magazine and Today’s Dietitian Magazine. Sara also shares her love of food and nutrition on her website, SaraHaasRDN.com, and on Instagram (@cookinRD) where she posts recipes, as well as nutrition and cooking tips. She is a co-author to Fertility Foods and the author of Pizza! Pizza! Pizza! and Taco! Taco! Taco!
