A thin-crust pizza made entirely in the pan: a tortilla crisped up, loaded with lean beef, peppers, onion and cheese, then steamed under a lid to melt it. The whole thing is 37g of protein for 475 calories.

Crisping the tortilla bottom first gives you a genuinely thin, crackery crust.

Ingredients

  • Ground beef — ½ cup, ~115 g (95% lean) [P 25 C 0 F 6]
  • Tortilla — 1 large, whole wheat [P 5 C 27 F 3]
  • Tomato sauce (or pizza sauce) — ¼ cup [P 1 C 4 F 0]
  • Low-fat cheese — ¼ cup (mozzarella) [P 9 C 2 F 6]
  • Onion — 1 small, sliced
  • Red or green bell pepper — ½ medium, thinly sliced
  • Olive oil — 1 tsp (or spray)
  • Salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, oregano — to taste

Method

  1. Brown the beef. Cook with the spices 6–8 minutes until crispy-brown; remove.
  2. Crisp the base. Add the tortilla to the pan; let the bottom cook 1 minute until crispy.
  3. Top. Spread tomato sauce, beef, peppers, onion and cheese over it.
  4. Melt. Add a splash of water to the pan edge and cover to steam the cheese. Slice.

What to eat it with

  • Chilli flakes — for heat.
  • A side salad.
  • Folded into a quesadilla — more cheese, then fold.

Variations

  • Higher calorie: swap the tortilla for flatbread, naan or pita.
  • Any ground meat: turkey or chicken.
  • More veg: mushrooms, extra peppers.

Honest notes

  • Fibre: about 5g, from the tortilla and veg.
  • Fat note: at 18g this is on the higher-fat side of the chapter — the cheese and beef drive it; a fat-free cheese trims it.
  • Macros: reconcile with the 475 cal / 37g protein listed (½ cup beef ≈ 115g; the book’s “8 oz” label is a chapter-wide copy error).