What’s better than cheesy, gooey pizza covered with your favorite meat toppings? 

Deep dish cheesy, gooey pizza covered with your favorite meat toppings! This clever rendition delivers all the flavors we crave with far fewer carbs and calories than the original—plus, loads of nutrition (hello, vitamin C-rich bell peppers).

Dig in and have a pizza party!

For more delicious dinners, try these simple recipes: Grilled Chicken Parm and Slow Cooker Chicken and Black Bean Chili!

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Pizza Peppers

This clever rendition delivers all the flavors we crave with far fewer carbs and calories than the original—plus, loads of nutrition.
Servings: 8 pizza poppers
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
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Ingredients
 

  • 1 pound lean ground turkey, 90-94%
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, optional
  • 1½ cups pizza sauce
  • 4 bell peppers, sliced in half from top to bottom, and deseeded
  • ½ to ¾ cup part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
  • ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
  • ¼ cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in rings like mini pepperonis
  • ½ cup red onion, finely chopped or thinly sliced
  • Preferred seasonings, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, etc. and chopped fresh basil for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350˚. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place peppers on top, cut side facing up.
  • Mist a large skillet with nonstick oil spray and warm over medium heat.
  • Cook turkey with the Italian seasoning, a sprinkling of salt, and optional crushed red pepper in the skillet for about 4 minutes, or until turkey is no longer pink, breaking it up into crumbles. Drain off fat, then add about 1 cup pizza sauce and cook for an additional minute.
  • Fill each bell pepper with an equal amount of the meat-sauce mixture. Place in the oven and cook for 25 minutes.
  • Remove peppers from oven and top each with 1 tablespoon of the reserved sauce. Next, sprinkle mozzarella then Parmesan, tomatoes, and onions evenly over the tops of each pepper.
  • Place pepper pizzas back in oven for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is melty and bubbly. Garnish with any preferred extra seasonings and fresh torn basil leaves. Allow to set 5 minutes before serving.
Author: Joy Bauer, MS, RDN, CDN

Nutrition Information per serving

Serving Size: 2poppersCalories: 280Carbohydrates: 15gProtein: 31gTotal Fat: 6g— Unsaturated Fat: 2.5g— Saturated Fat: 3.5gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 330mgFiber: 3gTotal Sugar: 9g— Natural Sugar: 9g— Added Sugar: 0g
Nutrition information is calculated using a leading industry software. That being said, brands can vary, and there may be slight fluctuations in the numbers.
I’m hoping you loved this recipe! If you made it and want to share feedback, I’d be so grateful to hear from you. Please leave a review below or tag @joybauer on Instagram!