Unreal Deli Steak Slices...Featuring Air Fryer Meatless Cheesesteak Pizza #meatlessmonday #plantbasedmeat #healthierpizza #unrealdeli #healthy2021

Earlier this Summer, I introduced you to Unreal Deli, a company that's created a line of delicious plant-based vegan deli meats. I used their sliced Turk'y to create this yummy Vegan Turk'y Wrap with Avocado Garlic Aioli. 

This time, I'm using their Unreal Steak Slices to create a vegetarian pizza...and it's made in the air fryer! My Air Fryer Meatless Cheesesteak Pizza is made with a lower-carb cauliflower pizza crust. It's made with the flavors commonly found in a cheesesteak sandwich...but lower in carbs and fat! Each personal size pizza features a creamy "pink" sauce, provolone cheese, and strips of Unreal Deli Steak Slices...along with cooked mushrooms, bell peppers, and onions. Using the air fryer to bake these pizzas ensures they bake up golden in about 7 minutes! The end result is something so cheesy and yummy that even the most picky eaters won't miss having traditional meat. My Texan Daddy is a true meat lover. He ate this pizza for lunch earlier this week and declared it delicious! This recipe is perfect for anyone trying to eat fewer carbs and more meatless meals.

   Air Fryer Meatless Cheesesteak Pizza

a Weekend Gourmet original 

NOTE: Although this pizza is baked in an air fryer, it can also be baked in a 425℉ degree standard oven. For the cauliflower thins' first toast, bake for 7 minutes per side. Baking the assembled pizzas will take 10-12 minutes in a standard oven.

Ingredients (makes 1 personal size pizza...but is easily doubled...or even tripled):

• 2 ounces -- approx. four slices -- Unreal Deli Steak Strips
• 1 TBS jarred alfredo sauce
• 1/8 cup low sugar jarred marinara sauce
• 1.33 ounces sliced provolone [NOTE: look for a brand with <6 grams of fat/ounce...I used Sargento]
• 1/2 tsp. olive oil + non-stick spray
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced bell pepper strips
• 1/4 cup sliced cremini mushrooms, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
• 2 TBS finely chopped yellow onion
• 1 personal size cauliflower pizza crust [NOTE: I use Outer Aisle Italian Pizza Crusts]

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat air fryer to 400℉. Cook the cauliflower thins in the air fryer for about 7 minutes, until golden and toasted. While the cauliflower thins toast, cook the veggies. Add the olive oil and a few spritzes of non-stick spray to a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the bell pepper, mushrooms, scallion, and yellow onion. Cook until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms start to brown, stirring every minute or so. This process will take 5-7 minutes.

Step 2: Prepare the rest of the pizza toppings. Cut the Unreal Deli Steak Slices into bite-size strips. Cut the provolone slices into long strips. Make the sauce by stirring the alfredo and marinara sauces until completely incorporated. Assemble the pizzas on the toasted cauliflower thins -- one per rack in your air fryer. Add half of the sauce to each cauliflower thin.  Arrange the provolone strips on top of the sauce. Then, evenly scatter the Steak Slices strips on top of the cheese. Finally, place half of the cooked veggies on top of each pizza. Bake the pizzas in the air fryer at 400℉ for 7-8 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly. The pizza on my top rack cooked more quickly than the lower rack, so I moved that pizza up to the top slot while I sliced the first pizza.

Step 3: Let the cooked pizzas rest for a few minutes while you pour drinks. Using a sharp pizza cutter, cut each pizza into quarters. Serve while warm. If you've never used cauliflower pizza crusts before -- in my experience -- they're typically toasty around the edges and softer in the center. 

This pizza is so good! I didn't feel one bit guilty eating the entire thing, because the portion size isn't huge...and I knew there was no hidden fat, carbs, or empty calories. The Unreal Deli Steak Strips cooked up meaty, with a nice spice. They weren't the least bit dry, even after baking in my air fryer. The sauce is creamy, with a mellow tomato flavor...the melted provolone is gooey...and the veggies are typical of those found on a cheesesteak sandwich. This pizza is proof that healthy food can definitely taste great...this pizza would make a perfect addition to your next at-home Pizza Night!

Unreal Deli meats are complete proteins -- which means each serving provides a range of vitamins and nutrients. Unreal Deli products are: 

Plant-Based
Kosher
Animal Free
Cholesterol Free

Nitrate Free
Low-Fat
Low-Carb
High in Protein

Unreal Deli items can be purchased at select grocery stores...including H-E-B for my Texas readers. No store near you? No worries! Unreal Deli also has a convenient online store and can ship their vegan deli meats to your home.

Disclosure: Unreal Deli provided me sample packages of their Steak Slices to facilitate recipe development for this feature. All opinions stated in this feature are solely my own. Unreal Deli does not make any health claims regarding its products.