MUSHROOM AND GARLIC PIZZA

MUSHROOM AND GARLIC PIZZA
Crust:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
1 cup pork rind crumbs, about 3 ounces
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

Topping:
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
Salt, to taste
8 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese, shredded

Cut a circle of parchment paper to fit a 14-inch round pizza pan and slightly going up the sides of the pan. Spray the pizza pan with cooking spray to help the parchment stay put. Place the parchment paper in the pan.

For the crust, whisk the cream cheese and eggs until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients except mozzarella until well combined. Stir in the mozzarella. Drop the dough by large spoonfuls all over parchment-lined pan. Cover with two sheets of plastic wrap that have been crossed so that the entire surface is covered. With a rolling pin, roll dough to the edges of the pan making it an even thickness. Remove the plastic wrap. With a rubber spatula, push the dough away from the edges of the pan by 1/4-1/2". If the dough goes all the way to the edges, it can bubble over in the oven or go under the parchment paper. Bake at 425?20 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes or chill several hours.

For the topping, heat the butter or oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saut?the mushrooms and garlic until tender, seasoning lightly with salt. Turn the heat to high; cook and stir constantly until any excess liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat immediatly. Adjust the seasoning. Sprinkle the cheese over the baked crust and top with the mushrooms. Bake at 375?about 10 minutes or until toppings are hot and bubbly.

Makes 8 servings
Can be frozen

Per Serving: 394 Calories; 32g Fat; 24g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 4g Net Carbs

This is based on an recipe from Rachael Ray's magazine. I used the Pork Rind Pizza crust as the base, but you could use your favorite low carb crust and adjust the carbs accordingly. Rachael used a combination of shiitake and cremini mushrooms and topped hers with Swiss and mozzarella cheeses. I had some smoked mozzarella on hand so I used that. There is no sauce on this pizza. I thought sauce would take away from the flavor of the mushrooms and smoked cheese. I think it could have been cheesier but there is already a lot of cheese in the crust so I'd hate to add even more calories and carbs. Click the photo to see a close-up.

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