AIP Pizza Bites

Pizza was probably one of the first foods to go when you started AIP, and it is fair to grieve that. These bites will not replicate the original experience exactly, but they do something the original never could: the dough is two ingredients (white sweet potato and arrowroot starch), the sauce is nightshade-free, and you can eat them without a single compromise on the elimination protocol. A child on AIP and an adult who has never heard of the protocol can sit at the same table and eat the same thing. That matters.

Sweet potato is a source of potassium and vitamin B6, both involved in nerve signalling and energy metabolism. Ground beef contributes iron and zinc, two minerals worth keeping steady when the immune system is under recalibration. The nutritional yeast in the dough (optional but recommended) adds a savory depth that pulls the whole bite toward something that genuinely tastes like pizza.

Eating something you thought you had lost is its own form of nourishment. Make a double batch. Share one with someone who needs to be shown that this way of eating has room for joy.

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 cup cooked mashed white sweet potato (Hannah, Jersey, or Japanese variety - white flesh, not orange)
• 1/2 cup arrowroot starch
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp nutritional yeast (optional, adds a cheesy note; use unfortified)

Filling

• 1/3 lb ground beef, cooked
• 1/2 cup nightshade-free marinara (nomato sauce - see the ARM sauce library for a compliant recipe, or use a pre-made AIP-compliant nomato sauce)
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• Salt to taste

To serve

• Extra nomato sauce for dipping
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

For baking

• Avocado oil spray

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, work the arrowroot starch into the mashed sweet potato until a pliable dough forms. Mix in the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and nutritional yeast if using. The dough should hold together when pressed - if it feels wet, add a little more arrowroot starch a teaspoon at a time.
3. In a small skillet over low heat, warm the cooked ground beef with the nomato sauce, dried parsley, and oregano for 2-3 minutes until the beef is coated and the mixture is heated through. Season with salt and set aside.
4. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough and roll it into a ball. Flatten it in your palm into a rough circle. Place a spoonful of the beef mixture in the centre, fold the dough up around it, and press the edges closed to seal. Roll gently into a ball and flatten slightly into a rounded disc. Place on the lined baking sheet. Repeat until the dough and filling are used up - you should get about 8 bites.
5. Spray the tops and sides lightly with avocado oil.
6. Bake for 35-40 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the outside is set and beginning to firm at the edges.
7. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve warm with nomato sauce for dipping.

Notes

• White sweet potato (Hannah, Jersey, or Japanese) is specified because it has a milder, less sweet flavour than orange varieties, which matters here.
• The dough is naturally sticky and soft. Dampening your hands slightly makes shaping easier.
• Empanada-size portions (using more dough per piece) are easier to seal than very small bites and will require a few extra minutes in the oven.
• Storage: keep in a sealed glass container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat in the oven at 300 F to restore the exterior texture.
• The dough can also be pressed flat and baked as a pizza crust base.
• This recipe is egg-free, grain-free, nut-free, dairy-free, and nightshade-free as written.

*Adapted from unboundwellness.com*

*Provenance: source-derived (re-grounded). Method rebuilt in ARM's own words from the ingredient list in /Users/Christopher/Documents/Claude/01-Projects/ARM/aip-source-archives/unbound-wellness/aip-pizza-rolls.md (unboundwellness.com, author Michelle Hoover). Ingredient quantities used as factual reference. Introduction and health framing written fresh. No third-party method text reproduced. Nomato sauce sourcing note added; Hannah/Jersey/Japanese sweet potato specification retained from source.*