Sausage Pizza Topped with Crispy Kale

I hopped on the kale chip bandwagon a couple of years ago and never looked back. Since then I enjoy them every so often for a healthy-ish crunchy snack. I've never thought of doing anything but eating them right off of the pan until I saw this pizza topped with kale chips on The Kitchn. It's pretty brilliant and an excellent way to enjoy kale chips. For a pizza, it's relatively healthy too especially if you use whole wheat pizza dough (store bought, because sometimes I just don't feel like making my own).






Sausage Pizza Topped with Crispy Kale
(Adapted from The Kitchn)

Makes 1 12-inch pizza

1 pound curly kale, washed, thoroughly patted dry and torn into 1-inch pieces
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
3 links hot Italian sausage, crumbled
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)
1 pound whole wheat pizza dough
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into thin slices

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread the kale in an even layer over a baking sheet. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and season with salt. Cook for 8-10 minutes until crispy, turning once halfway through. Set the kale aside.

Pour the tomatoes into a strainer and drain until they are dry. Stir the thyme and oregano into the drained tomatoes. Meanwhile, cook the sausage in a pan and set aside.

Turn the oven up to 450 degrees. Roll the dough out to a 12-inch circle. Spread the tomatoes evenly over the pizza, followed by the sausage and then the cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the crust has browned and the cheese is bubbling. Remove the pizza from the oven and top with the crispy kale.

Printable Recipe