If you're from the United States, the thought of pizza will likely conjure up an image of thick crust, piled high with gooey cheese and topped with sausage and pepperoni.  It's likely that after just hearing the word pizza, your mouth will begin to water. Though like most delicious indulgences, pizza comes with a hefty cost and sadly your waistline rather than your wallet is responsible for paying the price.

You see, the average American consumes 46 slices or 23 pounds of pizza each year, which adds up to over 22,000 calories! But, before you swear off pizza entirely, try these quick makeover tips from The Café at Daireds, which will allow you to ditch the guilt, as well as some extra pounds.

• Use a homemade flatbread for a base, instead of a thick crust
• Add fresh herbs to your sauce to add flavor without the fat
• Choose lean protein options, such as chicken or Canadian bacon
• Add vegetables for extra fiber
• Try a bold flavored cheese, such as Parmesan, and add sparingly

Recipe Make-Over: Personal Supreme vs. Chicken & Mushroom Flatbread

Personal Supreme Pizza
720 calories
35 grams fat
13 grams saturated fat
4 grams fiber

Daireds Chicken and Mushroom Flatbread
498 calories
14 grams fat
3 grams saturated fat
5 grams fiber

Recipe for Daireds Chicken and Mushroom Flatbread:

Flatbread Dough (4 servings
1 C Warm Water
¼ Oz. Dry Yeast
1 T Granulated Sugar
2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 ¼ C All Purpose Flour
½ tsp Kosher Salt

Flatbread Red Sauce (1 serving= 2 oz)
1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
32 oz Tomato Sauce
12 oz Tomato Paste
2 cloves Fresh Garlic (minced)
1 Shallot (minced)
1 tsp. Fresh Thyme
1 tsp Oregano
1/4 Bunch Basil (chopped)
2 tsp Black Pepper (ground)
2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Garlic Powder

Toppings
1 T Parmesan Cheese, in strips made with potato peeler
1 Grilled Chicken Breast (1/4 tsp salt , ¼ tsp pepper, ¼ tsp garlic powder)
1 T Basil Chiffonade (thinly sliced)
2 oz Sautéed Onion  (onion, EVOO, salt, pepper and thyme)
2 oz Sautéed Mushroom  (button mushrooms, EVOO, salt, pepper and thyme)

Instructions:
For Dough: Place warm water, yeast and sugar in a mixer bowl and mix to combine. Let sit for five minutes. Add olive oil, salt and flour to mixture and using a dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until the dough starts to “climb” the hook. Remove from mixer bowl and form into a ball. Place the dough ball into an oiled bowl, cover with a towel and set in a warm place to proof for 45 minutes to an hour. Cut dough into 4 equal portions and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the Red Sauce: Sweat the garlic and shallot over medium low heat until translucent. Add all other ingredients except basil and cook at a simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add basil at the end.

For the Toppings:
Saute onions in olive oil over medium low heat until caramelized. Season with salt and pepper. You may add some water if they start getting too dark. Saute the mushrooms in olive oil over medium heat until all of the water that comes out of them has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and chopped fresh thyme.

For the chicken breast: Light up a grill. Season chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder and grill until done, about 5 minutes per side, or until an instant read thermometer registers 165F at the center of the meat.

To assemble: Preheat oven to 450F, and light up your grill! Roll out the dough balls with a rolling pin one at a time and place directly onto your (hot!) grill. Grill for about 45 seconds on each side, the dough should puff up and be grill marked but not burned.

Put 2 ounces of the red sauce on the flatbread, followed by onions, mushrooms, chicken and parmesan cheese strips. Bake directly on the rack at 450F for four minutes.

Garnish flatbreads with basil chiffonade and serve with a side salad of mixed greens with your favorite vinaigrette!