zucchini pizza casserole

Pizza is my husbands favorite meal ever. Like, if he were in prison choosing his last meal he’d ever eat, it’d be pizza (knock on wood)! I, on the other hand, have never been an avid pizza lover. Even with our different food preferences… I’m happy to report that we both loved this low carb zucchini pizza casserole!

let’s get cooking!

First, preheat your oven to 400º F. Shred zucchini (a cheese grater works perfectly). You will need 3 1/2 cups of shredded zucchini — it’s approximately 2 medium zucchinis. Place zucchini in a strainer and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp of salt. Let stand at least 10 minutes, and then press to release moisture. You really want to get as much moisture out as possible! I used a cheesecloth to put my shredded zucchini in and squeezed it until no more juice came out.

Next, combine zucchini with 2 eggs, 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, 2 oz mozzarella cheese and 2 oz cheddar cheese. Stir together!

Press zucchini mixture into a greased baking dish. An 8 x 8 dish is the perfect size! Bake, uncovered for 20 minutes.

While your crust is cooking, get started on the meat and sauce! This simple sauce is my FAVORITE! I’ve made this sauce to pair with homemade gnocchi before, too. It tastes so fresh and light! #1 thing to remember for this sauce: YOU MUST USE ITALIAN BRANDED TOMATOES. The San Marzano brand is my go to Italian brand (as shown below).

Use one 28 oz can of tomatoes. Drain 3/4 of the juice off the tomatoes. Discard juice. Add tomatoes, 1 tsp coarse salt, 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper and 1 tsp dried oregano to a medium size shallow saucepan. Stir occasionally and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, while the crust is cooking and your sauce is simmering, cook 1/2 lb of ground beef. I prefer to use 90%-94% lean ground beef. Drain any liquid. P.s. If you don’t have a meat chopper – you NEED one! It’s part of my top 4 kitchen essentials blog post. Click here to read the post!

After the sauce has simmered for 20 minutes, stir in 2 1/2 Tablespoons of olive oil. Crush tomatoes to desired consistency. I like to have more of a rough texture vs completely smooth.

Combine ground beef and simple sauce. Pour onto cooked crust.

Top with 2 oz cheddar cheese and 2 oz mozzarella cheese. Bake an additional 20 minutes at the same 400º F.

ENJOY!

If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on instagram @lexingtonbrewer

Zucchini Pizza Casserole with Homemade Sauce

• 3 1/2 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini (about 2 medium zucchinis)
• 1/4 tsp coarse salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 4 oz mozzarella cheese
• 4 oz cheddar cheese
• 1/2 lb ground beef

simple sauce

• 28 oz can Italian branded tomatoes (San Marzano brand is my favorite Italian brand!)
• 1 tsp coarse salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400º F. Shred zucchini. Place in a strainer, and sprinkle with salt. Let stand 10 minutes, and then press to release moisture.

   2. Combine zucchini with eggs, parmesan cheese, half of the mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Press mixture into lightly greased 8 x 8 pan. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

   3. While crust is cooking, get started on simple sauce. Drain 3/4 of the juice off the tomatoes. Discard juice. Place tomatoes in a medium size shallow saucepan. Add salt, pepper, and oregano to tomatoes. Stir and let simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.

   4. Meahwhile, while crust is still cooking and sauce is simmering, brown ground beef in a separate pan. Drain any liquid and set aside.

   5. Add olive oil to tomato sauce pan and stir to desired consistency. Add drained ground beef to simple sauce. Pour beef and tomato sauce mixture over the zucchini crust. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar and mozzarella cheese. 

   6. Bake for an additional 20 minutes. Enjoy!!

   – If you make this recipe, tag me on instagram @lexingtonbrewer so I can see!

 

• Drain zucchini extremely well! I used a cheese cloth and wrung out all the excess water I could. You want it has dry as possible so that your crust is crispy vs soggy.
• Must use Italian branded tomatoes for the simple sauce! The San Marzano brand I love. It is usually in a yellow and red can. I have found it at Walmart. 
• This recipe can be made with a lot of variations. Italian sausage or ground turkey can be subbed for the beef. 
• Can add vegetables like, bell pepper, onion, etc.
• May substitute 15 oz tomato sauce instead of homemade simple sauce.