AIP pizza with baked seasoned-meat crust, nomato sauce, and vegetable toppings

Pizza is the one people bring up most, the specific thing they miss, not food in general but this exact food, on a certain night, in a certain mood. You are not getting a substitute here. The crust is a full sheet of seasoned ground beef and pork, baked until the edges crisp, and it holds toppings the way a crust should.

Beef and pork together are a strong source of B vitamins, plus iron and zinc, both of which run low in a lot of people living with autoimmune conditions. Mushrooms are a source of beta-glucans, compounds that research links to immune modulation and to a healthier mix of gut microbes, and the spinach folded on top supports the vitamin K your body is asking for.

Two animals go into this crust, raised for food, and it is worth a beat of thought before you cut the first slice: nothing here is wasted, ground meat pressed thin instead of trimmed into something fancier and less honest. Make a double batch of nomato sauce while you are at it and freeze half, so the next craving has less standing between you and dinner.

Ingredients

Meat crust:

• 1.5 lb ground beef
• 1.5 lb ground pork
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Note: black pepper and paprika omitted (seed-spice and nightshade; not AIP-compliant).

Toppings:

• 3/4 cup nomato sauce
• 1 cup fresh spinach, roughly chopped
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 3 oz prosciutto or clean-label bacon, torn into pieces (replaces pepperoni; confirm no added seed spices or nitrates)
• 4 oz mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 3 oz sliced black olives

Method

Heat your oven to 350 F. Line a rimmed half-sheet pan with parchment paper.

Combine the ground beef, ground pork, sea salt, dried oregano, and garlic powder in a large bowl. Mix until the seasonings are evenly distributed. Turn the mixture out onto the prepared sheet pan and press it firmly and evenly across the surface to about a 1/4-inch thickness. Try to keep the edges slightly raised so the sauce has a border to sit within.

Bake for 10 minutes, until the meat is cooked through and beginning to pull away from the edges. Remove from the oven.

Carefully slide the crust (still on its parchment) onto a wire rack or pizza stone - this helps the bottom stay firm rather than steaming. Spread the nomato sauce evenly across the surface. Scatter the spinach, red onion, prosciutto or bacon, mushrooms, and black olives over the top.

Return to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes, until the toppings are warmed through and the mushrooms are tender.

Let it rest for 2-3 minutes before slicing.

*Adapted from acleanplate.com*