Eggplant Pizza Bites | Grain Free, Low Carb

Every time I do an Instagram Q&A, one question always seems to come up:  

what's your favorite comfort food or "cheat meal"?

And honestly, I'd love to know yours!  Because those are the meals I'm always trying to somehow clean up in a way that doesn't make you feel yucky the next day, but still tastes just as good-  because food should be enjoyed, am I right?!

So as far as my favorites go... I'd have to say Mexican food, sushi, or pizza.  Pretty basic, right?  But not always the easiest things to make healthy versions of.

Except for pizza.  I have made so many pizza-inspired recipes over the years and have shared quite a few of them on the blog.  From Pizza Frittata for breakfast to Pizza Meatloaf for dinner and all of the "bites" and breads and crusts and sauces- there's a whole lot here, so use that search bar if you love those pizza flavors like me!

The toughest thing to replicate is pretty obviously the crust and the cheese.  So in this recipe I went ultra simple with an eggplant crust.  It's savory, good for you, and doesn't have to be soggy if you season & bake it first!

We don't enjoy cheese often, but when we do- we pick one that's high quality, minimal ingredients, and from grass fed cows.  Then we enjoy!

I personally have done really well with dairy while pregnant so I don't mind including it in my diet on occasion.

If you can't do dairy- there are still some "cheesy" options out there, just double check ingredients lists and find one you're comfortable with.  Daiya & So Delicious are two brands I know of that make dairy-free shredded cheese, but I'm not a huge fan of the ingredients so I haven't tried them for myself.

I would suggest going for a high quality goat's or sheep's milk cheese if you can't do cow's milk, or opt for nutritional yeast to keep it dairy free!  You can find this on Amazon, in the bulk foods department at Whole Foods or many grocery stores, or in a resealable bag at Trader Joe's!

I hope you enjoy my latest pizza creation-  these are easy to do, fun for kids to help with, and make a tasty lunch or dinner with a side salad or a bowl of soup!

Ingredients:

• 1 eggplant, trimmed & cut into 1/4 to 1/2" thick slices 
• pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup pizza sauce*
• 1/2 cup cheese*
• 1/4 cup basil leaves, sliced thin
• toppings of choice:  sliced baby tomatoes, chopped pepperoni, crumbled Italian sausage, chopped garlic, sliced black olives, etc.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF.  
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer.  Sprinkle the eggplant with salt, and allow it to sit for 10 minutes.
3. Transfer to the oven, and bake for 15 minutes.
4. Top your cooked eggplant slices with basil, sauce (about a tablespoon per pizza bite), and toppings of your choice.
5. Return to the oven and broil for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and lightly browned on top.

*Notes:

• For the pizza sauce, our favorite is a sugar free variety from Cucina Antica (find it on Amazon HERE).  You can also make your own, I have a recipe in THIS blog post.
• Feel free to omit the cheese or use whatever cheese substitute you like best that works for you!  Read the blog post for some recommendations.