People of all ages will love this low carb Zucchini Pizza Casserole. A saucy ground beef and vegetable pizza mixture is topped with cheese and baked over a zucchini crust.
Looking for more zucchini casserole recipes? Our Chicken Zucchini Casserole is a reader favorite!
This recipe went over like gangbusters in my house. We all went for seconds.
In fact, it was so good that it has already made an appearance on our dinner table several times.
Zucchini Pizza Casserole recipe is easy to customize depending on your taste, or with whatever happens to be in your produce bins. The fact that it fits within our mostly low carb eating plan is just a wonderful bonus. But, I’m telling you, you do NOT need to be eating low carb to enjoy this meal. The pizza-inspired ingredients make it a super kid-friendly and teenager-friendly dinner.
Table of contents
Ingredients
- Zucchini crust: Shredded unpeeled zucchini, salt, eggs, grated Parmesan cheese, shredded mozzarella cheese, and shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
- Ground beef: 90% to 93% lean ground beef is cooked with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Vegetables: Chopped yellow onion, chopped bell pepper in any color(s), and sliced cremini mushrooms sautéed in a little olive oil.
- Tomato sauce: If you’re watching your sodium, I recommend using no salt added tomato sauce.
- Seasoning: Italian seasoning and garlic powder.
How to Wring out Shredded Zucchini
- Sweat the Zucchini: Place the shredded zucchini in a fine mesh colander, sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt, and toss to combine. Place the colander in the sink or over a bowl and let it stand for 10 minutes.
- Strain the Zucchini: Transfer the zucchini to cheesecloth or a double or triple layer of paper towels and squeeze it with your hands over the sink (or bowl) to remove as much liquid as possible.
How to Make Zucchini Pizza Casserole
- Use a fork to lightly whisk the eggs in a medium mixing bowl.
- Combine the zucchini, Parmesan, and a portion of the mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese (reserve the remaining cheese for top).
- Press the mixture evenly across the bottom of a greased baking dish.
- Bake until set and lightly golden brown in spots.
- While the crust is baking, cook the ground beef in a nonstick skillet with a little salt and pepper. Drain the excess grease. transfer the beef to a dish, and set it aside.
- Add the olive oil to the empty skillet and cook the onion, peppers, and mushrooms, until softened.
- Return the cooked beef to the skillet and add the tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Stir well and remove the skillet from the heat.
- Spoon the mixture over the baked zucchini crust.
- Spread the pizza mixture out evenly over the crust.
- Sprinkle with the remaining cheeses and bake until the cheese is melted and the casserole is bubbly.
Tips for the Best Zucchini Pizza Casserole
Avoiding a Watery Casserole: Don’t be tempted to skip the step of sweating the zucchini. The salt helps draw out the excess liquid and will make it easier to wring out. If you skip this step, the zucchini will let off the liquid as it cooks, resulting in a watery casserole.
Let it Rest: Remove the casserole from the oven and allow it to rest for 5 to 10 minutes to allow it time to set up a bit before serving.
Make it Your Own: Customize this recipe with different protein and vegetables to suit your taste. Substitute ground turkey or Italian sausage for the ground beef, or add some sliced pepperoni underneath the cheese. Add sliced black olives or other pizza toppings you love.
Storage
Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 to 4 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave for a quick and meal.
More Zucchini Recipes
- Skillet Parmesan Chicken and Zucchini Skillet
- Zucchini Lasagna
- Zucchini Feta Stuffed Chicken
- Ground Pork Stir Fry with Zucchini and Mushrooms
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Zucchini Pizza Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini, from two 7-inch zucchini
- ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, not shredded
- 2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 pound 90% to 93% lean ground beef
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1 medium bell pepper (red or green), chopped (or use ½ of each for more color and flavor)
- 4 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced (about 1 ½ cups sliced)
- 15 ounces tomato sauce, no salt added
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. with an oven rack in the center position. Coat a 13- x 9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place the shredded zucchini in a fine mesh colander, sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt, and toss to combine. Place the colander in the sink or over a bowl and let it stand for 10 minutes. Transfer the zucchini to cheesecloth or a double or triple layer of paper towels and squeeze over the sink (or bowl) to remove as much liquid as possible. Really try to get out as much liquid as possible to avoid a watery casserole. Set aside.
- Use a fork to lightly whisk the eggs in a medium mixing bowl. Add the zucchini, Parmesan, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and ½ cup of the cheddar cheese and mix well to combine (reserve remaining cheese for top). Press the mixture evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes until set and lightly golden brown in spots.
- Meanwhile, in a nonstick skillet over MEDIUM heat, cook the beef with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, until no pink remains. Drain excess grease from the skillet, if needed, transfer the beef to a dish, and set it aside.
- Add the olive oil to the empty skillet and return it to MEDIUM heat. Add the onion and peppers and cook, stirring occasionally until fork tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, or until softened. Return the cooked beef to the skillet. Add the tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Stir well to combine and remove from the heat.
- Remove the pan from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Spoon the sauce over the baked zucchini crust. Sprinkle with the remaining cheeses and bake for an additional 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the casserole is bubbly. Remove from the oven and allow it to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home. All information provided regarding nutrition on this website is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Content related to nutrition is not medical advice nor is it intended to replace medical advice. The website is not intended to diagnose, prescribe, or treat any disease, condition, illness, or injury. Before beginning any diet program, modifying your diet, or making changes to the diet of a child in your care, including following the nutrition information available on the website, you should seek advice from a licensed professional.
Adapted from Taste of Home