You need another easy-peasy (and cheesy) week-night meal, don’t you!?  I think we can NEVER have enough of these recipes.

This recipe is definitely tasty, but it isn’t going to blow-your-socks off.  I debated on sharing it because (A) – the pictures don’t make it look super pretty and (B) – it’s pretty simple in taste.  However, I decided to share it with you because it’s super easy to throw together, the simple taste fits virtually all palettes, and the short ingredient list is all stuff that I always have on hand.  These reasons are truly why this even got put on the menu one night.  I was tired and hadn’t really thought about dinner until, well, it was time to eat.  I scrambled for something easy and fast and this is what came out of it.  My little Evie Doll ate it like it was her new favorite food and Beau and I enjoyed it just fine too.  I gotta be honest and tell you that I was glad there were leftovers because that made lunch the next day a slam dunk!

I used my easy whole wheat pizza dough recipe for the crust.  I love this recipe because it requires no rising time.  And, when I don’t think of making dinner until the last second, this is perfect since I don’t have time to wait hours for dough to rise.  Lately when I make pizza I’ve been rolling it in a rectangular shape to fit my rectangular pizza stone (or a cookie sheet).  I can cut it into equal sections and it seems easier to cut up for my baby.  However, you can totally make it round too.

If you feel up to it and have more energy than I did the night I made this, you can definitely make your pizza more snazzy by adding chopped tomatoes, onions, and maybe even chopped pickles when it comes out of the oven.  But, if you’re like me most nights . . . making it as written will usually win you some smiles without a whole lot of effort.

Easy and Simple Cheeseburger Pizza
Mimi’s Original

For the Dough:
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon instant yeast
1 tablespoon lecithin
1 cup hot water (as hot as you can get it out of your tap)

For the Pizza:
3/4 cup Marinara/Tomato Sauce
(you can also us a canned spaghetti sauce like Prego Heart Smart)
1 cup reduced fat shredded cheese  (I used 4 cheese Mexican blend)
1 pound lean ground beef, cooked and drained

For the dough:
Mix dry ingredients.  Add lecithin and water.  Mix in until dough combines, approximately 1 minute and check for consistency (use your dough hook on your mixer).  Dough should be a little sticky.  If dough is too dry, add more water.  Mix for 5 minutes on a medium speed (this will knead your dough).

Using a rolling pin, roll into your desired shape and place on a lightly greased pizza stone (or cookie sheet).   (Lately, I like to roll mine into a rectangle because it fits nicely on my rectangle pizza stone or on a cookie sheet.  However, I sometimes roll into a circle and use my round pizza stone too.)  Your crust is now ready to put all your toppings on.  You do not have to wait for this dough recipe to do any rising.  Awesome!

For the Pizza:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spread marinara/tomato sauce all over dough, reaching to the sides.  Top with 1/2 cup of cheese, crumbled ground beef, and the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.

Bake in 400-degree oven for 12-15 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted and bubbly.

Cut into 12 equal pieces.

Serves 6.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 2 Slices)
Calories:  375
Protein:  28.7g
Carbs:  45g
Fat:  10.1g (4.5g = Sat.)
Fiber:  7.3g
Sugars:  6.7g