Three Low-Calorie Mini Pizza Recipes

Personal pies are the bane of the pizza experience. Many pizza joints load individual pizzas with more than a day's worth of fat and sodium. English muffins, though, come with built-in portion control, so no matter how lavishly you adorn them, you won't break the 400-calorie barrier. And that's why they serve as the perfect base for our personal, mini-sized pizza recipe. We even have three different variations, so any and all pizza cravings you may have will be satisfied. (Yes, that includes Hawaiian, too!)

Nutrition: 193 calories, 8 g fat (4 g saturated), 563 mg sodium

Serves 4

You'll Need

Tomato Sauce:
1 can (14 oz) whole peeled tomatoes
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tbsp olive oil
3-4 turns of a black-pepper mill

Hawaiian:
¼ cup Tomato Sauce
2 English muffins, split
1 cup shredded mozzarella
2 slices deli ham, cut into strips
½ cup pineapple chunks
16 slices pickled jalapenos6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Pesto-Goat Cheese:
2 Tbsp basil pesto
2 English muffins, split
4 Tbsp goat cheese
2 Tbsp chopped green or kalamata olives
Red onion slices
4 bottled or canned artichoke hearts, quartered

Sausage and Pepper:
1⁄4 cup tomato sauce
2 English muffins, split
1 cup shredded mozzarella
Cooked chicken sausage, sliced Pepperonata, or 1⁄4 cup roasted red peppers
Red pepper flakes
Fresh basil leaves

How to Make It

Tomato Sauce:

1. Combine the ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse briefly until blended but still slightly chunky.

Hawaiian:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Spread the sauce among the 4 muffin halves, then top with cheese, ham, pineapple, and jalapeños.
3. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the bottoms of the English muffins are slightly crisp.

Pesto-Goat Cheese:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Divide the pesto among the 4 muffin halves, then top with the remaining ingredients.
2. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the bottoms of the English muffins are slightly crisp.

Sausage and Pepper:

1. Divide the sauce among the 4 muffin halves, then top with the cheese, sausage, and peppers; season with the pepper flakes.
2. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the bottoms of the English muffins are slightly crisp.
3. Garnish with the basil.