Variations of this ingenious pizza recipe have been circulating online in the low-carb community. I can’t pinpoint its creator, but I suspect it may be progeny from Jamie Van Eaton’s accidental recipe called Oopsies. The always amusing Jamie, who blogs as Cleochatra (http://cleochatra.blogspot.com/), was making a recipe called Revolution Rolls that appeared in one of the early Atkins books when she misread 3 tablespoons of cream cheese as 3 ounces. The rest is low-carb history, with countless variations and even competitions for the most creative uses for Oopsies, ranging from corn dogs and grilled cheese sandwiches to chocolate eclairs and doughnuts.
I’ve added a pizza sauce and my favorite toppings. I was amazed at how much like real pizza it is.
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Crust
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
¼ cup (1 ounce) grated Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
Pinch of black or cayenne pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese or Italian cheese blend
Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add Parmesan and oregano and stir until moistened. Spread mixture in a well-greased 9- x 13-inch baking pan. Bake at 375°F for 20 to 25 minutes or until browned. Use a wide spatula to loosen crust from pan but do not remove from pan. Place pan on wire rack until completely cool. Refrigerate, uncovered, for several hours or overnight.
Pizza Sauce
1 eight-ounce can tomato sauce (without added sugar)
2 cloves garlic (1/8-ounce each), peeled and minced or crushed (2 teaspoons)
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon dried basil
Ground black pepper to taste
Mix together. Recipe makes about 1 cup. (There will be extra sauce.)
Pizza
Crust recipe, above
1/3 cup pizza sauce (6 tablespoons), above
1 ½ cups (6 ounces) mozzarella cheese
1 ounce (¼ cup) cheddar or Parmesan cheese, shredded or grated
¼ cup (1 ounce) thinly sliced onion
¼ cup (1 ounce) thinly sliced red or green bell pepper
¼ cup (1 ounce) sliced black olives
2 ounces sliced pepperoni (about 28 slices)
Spread chilled crust with pizza sauce. Scatter onions, peppers, and olives over sauce. Top with cheeses.
Microwave pepperoni slices on paper toweling for 30 to 40 seconds to render some of the grease but do not let it become crisp. Distribute pepperoni slices evenly over pizza. Bake at 375°F for about 15 to 20 minutes or until toppings are bubbly. Let stand a few minutes before cutting.
Makes 6 servings with 3.4 Net grams of carbohydrate each.
Tip:A glass baking dish will make it easier to judge when the crust is brown.
(C) 2008 Judy Barnes Baker
