PIZZA IN A BOWL

I love pizza but it raises my blood sugar more than most other foods. I find this a good alternative when I crave pizza. The meat, mushrooms, whole-grain pasta, etc help to keep my blood sugar in line. To lower the carbs you can use your favorite low-carb pasta if whole-grain doesn't work for you. Personally, white whole wheat or regular whole-wheat works fine for me.

1 lb lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, diced
3 cups whole-grain pasta, parboiled for 3 minutes, drained
1 can (15-oz) pizza sauce (watch sugar content)
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

Spray the bottom of a Dutch oven and cook the beef, mushrooms, bell pepper and onion 5 minutes or until meat is browned. Drain if you have grease from the meat.

Stir in the pasta, pizza sauce, water, Italian seasoning and salt. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until pasta is tender. Sprinkle cheese over the top and let set about 5 minutes for cheese to melt.

Yield: 6 servings

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