Ready for a DIY Lunchables-style, build-your-own pizzas that's way healthier? We've got the perfect solution for an on-the-go lunch!
You'll love this non-dairy mozzarella substitute!
This recipe can be found for FREE in this post, and also in my Six-or-Less Cookbook along with many more crazy-delicious recipes!
Pizza Sauce
It might look like there's a lot of ingredients involved for this step, but it's actually so simple to throw together. Just throw everything into a food processor and pulse a few times. One and done; now you have enough sauce for 3 days if you choose to have leftovers.
You can use it on breads, pastas, and salads too! If you're making this recipe with kids, you can skip this step and opt for a store-bought sauce instead.
Mozzarella-style "Cheese"
The Shredded Mozzarella-style "Cheese": This is where things get a little tricky, but bear with me, by no means impossible. If you had an affinity for those little Lunchable build-your-own pizzas before going dairy-free, one of the biggest challenges can be finding suitable cheese alternatives for certain recipes when making the switch. Especially ones that taste good even cold!
Thank the plant-based gods for nutritional yeast. With the inclusion of nutritional yeast in this recipe, you get both the comforting flavor of cheese as well as added protein, yay!
Now all that's left is finding something to mimic the texture of mozzarella cheese. I couldn't help but notice shredded tofu resembled mozzarella cheese when using it in a different recipe, so I decided to give that a shot. And what do you know, to my pleasure, it worked! You get an ample amount of protein from this cheesy goodness, it won't even feel like you're going astray from your diet.
The magic of miso
Miso paste could be considered the wildcard ingredient in this recipe. It might sound odd at first, but the umami flavors found in miso paste will make your tomato sauce taste that much more delicious. Don't worry, this won't give your pizza an overwhelming umami flavoring.
Miso paste is surprisingly easy to cook with once you familiarize yourself with it.
Most jars last 6-8 months after opening and since you only need 2 tablespoons of it for this recipe, you'll have a lot of paste left over to make more pizzas in the future.
Miso is packed full of nutrients and it is extremely beneficial for gut health. Who would have thought you can enjoy pizza while also helping out your gut??
Pizza party, work lunch or school lunch
This makes for a fun spread for the kids at events like pool parties, picnics, or just a good old-fashioned pizza night with the family. But it's easily transportable and assemble-able on the go as well. All you need is a sectioned-off lunchbox.
Place a piece of bread into one section, some pizza sauce stored in a container in another section, the mozzarella cheese in another section, and well, you get the rest. You can pack some cucumbers or a fruit salad on the side to step it up a notch, or any other veggies of your liking to use for toppings. The options are endless. Then you just build each pizza by spreading some sauce onto each slice of bread and finishing off with cheese shreds!
Build-your-own Mozzarella Cheese Pizzas
www.vege-cooking.com
*Kids can skip the step of making their own pizza sauce and use jarred!
**Skip the homemade mozzarella-style cheeze and use any packaged mozzarella-style cheese you like!
Tools and Equipment
Food processor & Pyrex storage bowl
Cutting board & knife & butter knife
Toaster oven
Measuring spoons
Rolly grater or box grater
Sectioned lunch box
Ingredients
Cucumber slices and/or fruit salad to round out the meal
1 slices whole wheat bread, or gluten free bread
No-cook pizza sauce*
1 (28-oz) can whole peeled tomatoes
1 Tablespoon granulated garlic or 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon coconut palm sugar (or omit for less sugar)
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Shredded Mozzarella-style Cheese** (or purchase a non-dairy shredded mozzarella)
1 16-oz block pre-pressed, super-firm tofu, such as Trader Joe’s Organic super-firm tofu or Nasoya Organic Sprouted Super Firm Tofu (found at Trader Joes, Whole Foods or Amazon)
2 Tablespoons miso paste (found at Whole Foods or on Amazon)
2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast (found at Trader Joes, Whole Foods, or on Amazon)
1-2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons garlic powder
Directions
1. Pulse pizza sauce ingredients in a food processor a few times until barely blended; pour into a bowl; use within three days or freeze leftovers.
2. Mix miso, 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast, Italian seasoning in a small bowl; slice the tofu thinly into four flat “cakes”; spread miso paste over each slice; layer the slices of tofu; cut into four sections; shred with a rolling grater or box grater; sprinkle garlic powder over and toss to coat.
3. Toast bread and cut into wedges.
4. To assemble lunch box, place the toasted bread wedges into one section of the lunch box; add ¼ cup no-cup pizza sauce to either a small container or one no-leak section of the lunch box; add ¼ cup mozzarella-style cheese shreds to another section; place cucumber and/or fruit salad into one or two sections. Build the pizza by spreading some sauce on each slice of toast and topping with mozzarella-style cheese shreds!
Author: Shruti is a current intern and recent graduate from The University of North Texas holding a bachelor’s of business administration degree in marketing. She has a passion for digital marketing, with a focus on social media, and advertising. In her free time, she enjoys baking, watching movies, and going on hikes.