Paleo Hamburger Deluxe Meatza

Hamburgers. Pizza. Bacon. Combine it all together and you get a Hamburger Deluxe Meatza. I was inspired last week when I made PaleOMG's Meat Quiche Crust. I was so excited as I lied down for bed that night that I could hardly sleep. My mind started thinking of all the different creations for meatzas. I came up with this idea for a hamburger deluxe meatza. What does deluxe mean? I consider deluxe a hamburger with mushrooms, onions and bacon. I also knew I couldn't make a meatza without some sort of "cheese." I came up with a "cheddar cheese" sauce with raw cashews, nutritional yeast, basil, red bell pepper and garlic. Such a fantastic meatza. I can't wait to create my next one!

This recipe seems like it's labor-intensive. There are a few parts to making it. Some can be done in advance, such as: cooking the bacon and slicing the mushrooms and onions. Be sure to soak the raw cashews in a bowl of water. I typically do that part in the morning before going to work. If you plan a little bit, the cooking and assembly will be a breeze.

Hamburger Deluxe Meatza

 

Serves: 5-6

Ingredients:

Meatza Crust:

2 pounds grass-fed ground beef

1 egg

1 t. onion powder

1 ½ t. garlic powder

Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Toppings:

2 T. fat of choice (I used coconut oil, though you could use bacon grease since you are cooking bacon)

2 onions, thinly sliced

3 Portobello mushroom caps, sliced

8 slices bacon, crumbled

1 15 oz. can sugar-free pizza sauce (I used Muir Glen Organic)

“Cheddar Cheese” Sauce:

1 ½ cups raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 6 hours

1 small to medium red bell pepper, cut into a few large pieces

3 garlic cloves

2-3 T. fresh basil leaves

2/3 cup nutritional yeast

Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375°F.

To make the crust:

1. Mix all crust ingredients in a large mixing bowl. You may have to get your hands meaty in order to combine everything.
2. Pour onto a rimmed metal baking sheet and spread into a thin, consistent layer. I used a 15.25” x 10.25” pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
4. Drain off excess grease (there will be quite a bit).

To make your toppings:

1. Cook your bacon. I prefer to bake it in the oven (this can be done in advance). If you cook it in the frying pan, you can use the leftover bacon grease to cook your onions and mushrooms. Once cooked, crumble and set aside.
2. Melt fat of choice in a large pan over medium heat.
3. Add your onions and toss in the fat so they’re all coated. Season with a dash of sea salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes.
4. Add sliced mushrooms and toss. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for an additional 6-8 minutes, or until the mushrooms are cooked.
5. Set aside.

To make your “cheddar cheese” sauce:

1. Drain and rinse the raw cashews. Add to a high-speed blender (I use my Vitamix). Add enough fresh water just to cover the top of the cashews. Blend until smooth.
2. Add bell pepper, garlic, basil, nutritional yeast, sea salt and pepper. Blend until everything is incorporated. Taste and adjust seasonings, as needed.

To assemble your meatza:

1. Spread pizza sauce on top of your meat crust. You may not use all of the sauce, so save leftovers for another use.
2. Add your mushrooms and onions atop the pizza sauce. Spread them evenly across the entire meatza.
3. Ladle the “cheddar cheese” sauce over the top and cover the entire meatza. You'll have extra sauce. It can be used in/on omelettes in the morning. 
4. Sprinkle the crumbled bacon on top.
5. Put back into the oven for 6 minutes. Turn your broiler on high and cook for 4 more minutes.
6. Cut into 5 or 6 pieces and enjoy! Serve with a simple side salad to round out the meal.

This meal was love at first bite. The meat crust was so incredibly moist (I was worried it would turn out dry). The pizza sauce blended perfectly with the “cheddar cheese” sauce. The bacon added a beautiful crunch. After making and devouring this meatza, I am even more excited to get to work on my next one. I have a really phenomenal idea in mind and hope it turns out as amazing as this one. 

If you like this recipe, please share on Pinterest and Facebook. I appreciate your support! 

Whole30 - Unofficial Day 1

Today is my unofficial Day 1 of the Whole30. I will officially start tomorrow, so I may end up doing 31 days. I'm OK with that.

Last night was New Year's Eve. We went to one of our favorite restaurants - J. Alexander's. They serve decadent American fare: steaks, seafood, chicken, salads, burgers, sandwiches and appetizers. They do have Paleo options, but for some reason I always stray when we eat there. We ordered the Spinach con Queso Dip (served with pico de gallo and tortilla chips). We also got sourdough bread to snack on. For my meal, I ate a veggie burger topped with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo and mustard (no bun). I had their insanely cheesy mac & cheese as my side. Can you say cheese overload?

Needless to say, today was a recovery day from all the low-octane foods I put into my body last night. We stayed up until midnight last night as well... that's very difficult for someone who typically is in bed by 9:30pm everyday. Sleep is such an important part of a healthy lifestyle.

After arising around 8am, I heated up some of our leftover Paleo sausage & veggie pizza that I prepared for lunch yesterday with a slice of cantaloupe on the side. I used this pizza crust recipe from The Unrefined Kitchen. It doesn't really crisp up. It's more of a soft crust, but tastes amazing!

Sausage and Veggie Pizza

1 pound lean ground pork
1 small can tomato sauce (read the labels so it doesn't have sugars - it already has spices in it - you could make your own as well)
1/2 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 - 1 1/2 t. sage
1 - 1 1/2 t. rosemary
1/2 t. paprika
1/2 t. thyme
A few dashes of red pepper flakes
1 1/2 t. sea salt
Freshly ground pepper

I just cooked the pork and veggies in a frying pan with all the spices (and a little olive oil). After pre-baking the crust, spread the tomato sauce on top. Then I topped with my sausage and veggies. I had some leftover cashew cheese sauce and drizzled it over the top before baking for another 10 minutes.

For the cashew cheese sauce:
1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 3 hours (overnight or all day is the best)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 T. olive oil
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 t. sea salt

Drain the raw cashews. Add to a high-speed blender with enough cold water to cover them (I used my Vitamix). Blend until creamy. Heat olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Saute the garlic, stirring frequently so it doesn't burn. Add to the blender with the nutritional yeast and sea salt. Blend again until smooth. Add water as needed (may need a 1/4 cup to thin it out).

For lunch today, we went to a local sports bar to watch the Purdue bowl game (my Alma Mater). I had their pan-seared lemon salmon plate with broccoli, spinach and red bell peppers. It's a very tasty meal.

Before making dinner, I did snack a little on these. I had three of each flavor: Lemon and Chocolate. There are dates, so these would need to be kept to a minimum during Whole30, but are an occasional treat. I've also tried their Pizza Flax Snax. Amazing.

For dinner tonight, we ate Paleo chicken fajitas served on Pure Wraps with diced avocado and salsa. In my fajitas, I used chicken breast tenders, green/red/orange/yellow bell peppers, onion and a jalapeño. Marinade: olive oil, fresh lime juice, cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder and sea salt.



Fajitas in the pan

Assembled Fajita

 

I don't feel deprived today. I did feel bored this afternoon and wanted to snack, but refrained. I knew it was boredom and not actual hunger.

 

Menu recap for January 1st

Breakfast: Leftover pizza and cantaloupe

Lunch: Salmon with spinach, red bell peppers and broccoli

Snack: a few Go Raw Super Cookies

Dinner: Two Chicken Fajitas

 

I may snack on some fruit and a few more of the Go Raw Super Cookies and then call it a day.

 

What was your favorite food that you ate today?