Don't sacrifice goodness for your waistline. Here are 5+ low-carb pizza recipes you just have to try

Cooktop Cove: Don't sacrifice goodness for your waistline. Here are 5+ low-carb pizza recipes you just have to try

By Holly Antoine

Even when I’m fully in the low-carb eating groove, there are certain simple pleasures I still crave. Crunchy tacos, a fully loaded sandwich or a slice of cheesy, saucy, pepperoni pizza falls into that category. The recipes below are sure to satisfy one of these cravings. Too bad you can’t get them delivered.

If you have a friend who likes pizza and is watching carbs, check out these recipes and share them. That's crazy to say, though, right? Who doesn't like pizza?

1. Pizza casserole
The flavors of pizza without the carbs? It's not too good to be true, thanks to the recipe below. In this dish, homemade tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni and ground beef unite for a dish that will satisfy even the most intense pizza craving.

2. Zucchini pizza boats
Zucchini makes a wonderful base for all of the traditional pizza toppings because on its own it has a mild flavor, but thanks to its shape it can easily be made into a boat that will hold in all that goodness. You can even eat these “pizzas” with your hands, just like you would a traditional slice. Add whatever pizza toppings you crave the most.

3. No-crust pizza
Is pizza really pizza without the crust? Yes, thanks to the versatile eggplant. These little pizza bites have all of the flavor of a favorite pizza with very few carbs, thanks to a homemade tomato sauce that's rich in flavor (so you don't have to use a ton of it!) and lots of gooey mozzarella cheese.

4. Pepperoni chicken pizza bake
Sometimes you want the heartiness of pizza but you don't want to actually eat pizza that's not so good for the waistline. Although many hacks exist to give you the taste of pizza, often these just involve cheese, sauce and pepperoni. That's not very filling if you're in the mood for a big meal after a long day. The recipe below lets you have heartiness and deliciousness in one dish when that pizza craving strikes.

5. Pepperoni pizza bites
Let's be real. This recipe won't provide you with a full meal (unless you eat a lot of them). On the other hand, they're very delicious snacks that will satisfy any pizza craving without wrecking your waistline. Also, they only take three ingredients to make and about five minutes of your time. If you include prep time and preheating the broiler, it's still only 10 minutes.