Ideas for tasty (and healthier) pizzas

Yes, everyone loves the classic cheese or pepperoni pizza. So, why not try something new? These variations utilize vegetables, and most all steer away from the fatty meats. That's amore!

Margherita Top with tomatoes, dried oregano, salt, pepper and olive oil; bake until golden. Add fresh or shredded mozzarella, torn basil and salt. Bake until the cheese melts, then drizzle with olive oil.

Tomato Pie Make a margherita pizza without mozzarella or basil and use extra oregano.

Roasted Pepper Make a margherita pizza and add roasted pepper strips and red pepper flakes with the cheese.

Herb Top with olive oil, salt and chopped thyme and oregano. Bake until crisp, then brush with more olive oil.

Squash-Pepper Top with paper-thin slices of butternut squash, caramelized onions, olive oil and red pepper flakes. Bake until crisp.

Zucchini Top with minced garlic, thinly sliced zucchini, olive oil and red pepper flakes. Bake until crisp.

BBQ Chicken Top with cooked chicken breast, 1/4 cup barbecue sauce, scallions, pickled jalapeños and 1 cup shredded cheddar. Bake until golden.

Verde Puree 1/4 cup each pistachios, basil, parsley and scallions with 1 cup arugula, 2 garlic cloves, 1/2 cup olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread over crust. Top with parmesan and more arugula.

Onion-Corn Spread each with caramelized onions. Top with thyme, corn, olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake until golden; garnish with basil.

Apple-Cheddar Brush each with olive oil and season with salt; top with 1 sliced apple, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme and 1 cup shredded cheddar. Bake until golden; top with crumbled bacon and maple syrup.

Radicchio-Prosciutto Top with 1/2 sliced red onion, olive oil, salt and pepper, then bake until crisp. Sprinkle with 2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto and 1/2 head shredded radicchio; bake 1 more minute.

Pepper LatticeSpread with caramelized onions. Arrange sliced roasted red peppers on top in a lattice pattern; sprinkle with olives and bake until crisp. Brush with olive oil.

Ham-Brie Top with 2 ounces sliced ham, 3 ounces sliced brie and 1/2 thinly sliced green apple. Add olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake until golden.

Wild Mushroom Saute 12 ounces wild mushrooms and 3 sliced garlic cloves in olive oil; scatter over dough. Top with 1/2 cup each shredded fontina, romano and mozzarella; bake until golden.

Artichoke Top with 1 cup shredded asiago and grilled halved artichoke hearts. Sprinkle with thyme; bake until golden.

Fresh Veggie Stretch dough into a 15-inch round; bake until crisp. Mix 8 ounces cream cheese, 1/2 cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons chopped basil and 1 minced garlic clove. Spread over crust. Top with chopped mixed fresh vegetables and shredded cheddar. Sprinkle with paprika.

Potato-Rosemary Top with olive oil, fresh rosemary, sea salt and 1 thinly sliced potato. Sprinkle with pecorino and bake until crisp.

Sweet Potato Make Potato-Rosemary Pizza with sweet potato instead of regular and sage instead of rosemary. Top with crumbled gorgonzola and pine nuts 5 minutes before it's done.

Grape-Stuffed Stretch dough into two 12-by-7-inch ovals. Place one piece in an oiled pan and top with 1/2 cup halved grapes and 2 tablespoons sugar, then cover with the remaining dough and press to seal. Top with grapes, sugar, fennel seeds, salt and pepper. Bake at 450 degrees until golden.