Low-Carb Zucchini Pizza Casserole
With just 20 minutes of prep time, this nutrient-dense low-carb zucchini pizza casserole is easy to make, gluten-free, coconut-free, and nut-free! This recipe is flourless and does not require any almond flour or coconut flour and the required ingredients are very straightforward and likely in your kitchen right now.
Servings: 8 pieces
Ingredients
- 16 oz zucchini stems and ends cut off
- 2 cups 224g shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 1/4 cup 140g shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 2/3 cup 80g grated parmesan cheese
- 2 eggs
- 1 lb ground beef
- 7 oz Rao's Pizza Sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp ground sage
- 1/8 tsp ground thyme
- 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
- 15 pepperoni
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and coat 9" x 13" casserole pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a food processor, pulse zucchini until finely shredded. Transfer shredded zucchini to a nut milk bag or cheesecloth and squeeze to remove excess liquid. Discard excess liquid.
- In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, mix together shredded zucchini, 1 cup (112g) shredded mozzarella, 3/4 cup (84g) shredded cheddar, grated parmesan, and eggs. Transfer mixture to prepared casserole pan and, using the back of a spoon or your hands, press mixture into even layer. Transfer pan to oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a pan over medium heat, brown ground beef, breaking beef apart with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Drain excess grease. In same pan or a mixing bowl, stir together cooked ground beef, pizza sauce, and spices until well-combined.
- After base layer of zucchini has finished baking, pour beef and tomato mixture on top. Sprinkle remaining shredded mozzarella and shredded cheddar then add pepperoni in even layer on top. Return casserole pan to oven and bake until cheese is golden brown, about 23-25 additional minutes.
- Remove pan from oven and allow to cool fully before slicing and serving.
Notes
Zucchini Substitution: You can try using some shredded broccoli or cauliflower instead, but I cannot say with certainly this will work as I have not tested it.
Nut Milk Bag Or Cheesecloth To Squeeze Out Excess Liquid From Shredded Zucchini: This is an essential skip that cannot be skipped. If you do, your casserole will have way too much liquid. You can purchase a nut milk bag or cheesecloth at most kitchen supply stores or on Amazon by clicking the link for the exact product I use.
Ground Beef Substitution: Any other ground protein should work just fine here. You could try ground pork, ground Italian sausage, ground turkey, or ground chicken.
Net Carbs: There are 5.9 grams of net carbs per serving.
Storage: Store casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Eat within 3 days.