Oatmeal Crust Veggie Pizza

I have not posted a recipe since November. November? That is a long time.

Admittedly while I consider myself a decent cook, I often get stuck in a food rut. Once I throw together a meal that I like, I make it at least once a week, sometimes even more.

Right now I living on a limited budget. I am very mindful of how I spend money, especially my weekly grocery bill. In order to keep my bill down, I essentially purchase the same items every week. I also purchase pantry items in bulk and avoid being too loyal to one brand (I purchase what is on sale/ what I have coupons for).

As a result of purchasing the same items week after week, I have to get creative when I want to mix up my meals. There are only so many ways you can make eggs, quinoa, and yogurt bowls and sometimes I get food cravings that are out of the blue.

Tonight I had a huge craving for pizza. It was an odd thing for me to crave since I’m not the biggest fan of it, but it was all I could think about. I searched Google for a recipe for an easy dough but came to find that the flour in my pantry was expired. I saw that I had oats so I improvised and the oatmeal crust veggie pizza was created.

Oatmeal Crust Veggie Pizza

An oatmeal pizza crust may sound odd, but is actually a great neutral base for a pizza. If you like thin, but soft crust, then definitely give this a try! Feel free to change the toppings to your own palate.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Assembly/ Cook Time: 40-50 minutes

Serving Size: 3 palm sized crusts

Ingredients:

• For crust:
  • 1 package active dry yeast
  • 3/4 cup warm water (separated into 1/4 cup for proofing and 1/2 cup for mixing the dough)
  • 1/4 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups oat flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

• For pizza (individual serving):
  • 1/4- 1/3 cup of your favorite tomato sauce
  • 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese (I substituted nutritional yeast- not the same, but works in a pinch)
  • 1/8 cup mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/8 cup green pepper, diced
  • 1/8 cup carrots, thinly sliced
  • 1/8 cup zucchini, thinly sliced
  • 1/8 cup green onion, sliced
  • Black olives
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
2. Proof your yeast by combining 1/4 cup warm (but not hot) water, 1/4 tsp sugar, and package of yeast in a small bowl. Let sit for about 8 minutes.
3. While the yeast is proofing, process oats until they become a fine flour.
4. In a large bowl, combine oat flour and salt. Then add yeast mixture and additional 1/2 cup water. Mix until well combined.
5. Spread out dough on a pan. You can make one large crust (cooking time may vary) or three palm-sized individual crusts.
6. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown.
7. While the crust is baking, prep your sauce and vegetables for the crust.
8. Remove crust from oven and reduce temperature to 350.
9. Put sauce and toppings onto crust to your desired liking.
10. Return the pizza to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked and cheese is melted.

This definitely satisfied my pizza craving and I know that I will be making it again. I’m already dreaming up creating a fruity dessert pizza with a slightly sweeter crust!

What is your favorite type of pizza?