Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.
Your kids love pizza, you’re trying to avoid gluten or carbs, and your husband just wants to eat meat. Oh, and you have no time to cook! Instead of calling for carry-out, prepare one easy Dump-and-Bake Zucchini Pizza Casserole that will keep your whole family happy!
Table of Contents
- Quick & Healthy Zucchini Pizza Casserole Recipe
- Ingredients for Easy Zucchini Pizza Casserole
- How to Make Low-Carb Zucchini Pizza Casserole
- Pizza Casserole Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
- Low-Carb Pizza Casserole Cook’s Tips and Variations
- More Delicious Pizza Recipes to Try
- Dump and Bake Zucchini Pizza Casserole Recipe
Any busy parent knows how hard it can be to come up with new or different dinners that are healthy, that are fast, and that actually appeal to everyone around the table. I feel like I’m on a never-ending quest to get my boys to eat their veggies (husband included)! So, when I saw a recipe on Taste of Home for zucchini pizza casserole, it obviously caught my attention. What better way to get the kids to eat some greens than by combining the veggies with their #1 favorite food — pizza?!
Quick & Healthy Zucchini Pizza Casserole Recipe
I tweaked the original recipe to suit my busy schedule and my family’s tastes. Dump-and-bake is always the way to go, right?! The cool thing about this low carb pizza bake is that it tastes just like pizza, but there’s no bread/dough/flour involved. Instead, you create a crust with the zucchini, egg, and cheese…and it’s seriously GOOD. My boys were a bit skeptical when I originally introduced them to this concept. No surprise there, right? Tell 3-, 5-, and 7-year-olds that they’re eating a zucchini-crusted pizza casserole and eyes start to roll.
But, when they smelled the pizza zucchini casserole baking in the oven, and then when they saw it on their plates, they were completely sold! The boys all gave this dinner two thumbs up and a stamp of approval. And according to Gibbs, “you don’t even taste the zucchini!” And that’s actually true.
This is one more dump-and-bake dinner to add to your weeknight repertoire that will keep each of your finicky eaters happy and healthy this year!
Ingredients for Easy Zucchini Pizza Casserole
There’s nothing quite like a healthy recipe that uses simple ingredients – and this easy zucchini pizza casserole checks all those boxes! As always, you can find the full ingredient list and directions in the printable recipe card at the end of this blog post. Here’s everything you need to make a low carb pizza casserole.
- Zucchini Noodles: “zoodles” are what make this delicious recipe so healthy and low carb. I use about 3 small fresh zucchini to make enough zoodles.
- Eggs: act as a binder for the cheesy zucchini mixture.
- Cheese: I use a mixture of grated Parmesan cheese, shredded mozzarella cheese, and cheddar cheese for the crust and cheesy pizza topping.
- Pizza Sauce: using your favorite pizza or marinara sauce is what makes this recipe taste exactly like your favorite pizza.
- Pizza Toppings: my family loves simple turkey pepperoni.
How to Make Low-Carb Zucchini Pizza Casserole
Fitting healthy recipes into your regular dinner rotation doesn’t have to be hard – especially when they taste delicious! The pizza lovers in your family will devour this quick and easy veggie pizza casserole. It’s a great way to use up an abundance of zucchini and get your picky kids to eat their vegetables!
- Prep the zucchini noodles by salting them and letting them drain, wringing out the excess moisture.
- Combine zucchini noodles, eggs, and cheese mixture in a large mixing bowl.
- Press the zucchini crust into the bottom of a baking dish; bake for 20 minutes.
- Top the zucchini casserole with pizza sauce, cheese, and toppings.
- Bake until heated through and cheese is melted.
How do I avoid a soggy zucchini pizza crust?
The base of this pizza casserole is the yummy, cheesy zucchini crust. But if you’re not careful with how you prepare the zucchini, you could end up with a soggy crust rather than a perfectly crisp, firm base. Here are some quick tips for working with and preparing a zucchini crust:
- Zucchini prep is key. Zucchini holds a lot of water, so it’s important to drain that excess liquid before making the zucchini crust mixture. Use paper towels, cheesecloth, or thin tea towels to thoroughly squeeze out any excess moisture.
- Let frozen zucchini noodles thaw before using. Frozen zucchini will release far too much moisture into the crust, so prep ahead by allowing the frozen zucchini to thaw in the fridge for up to two days ahead of when you’re making the recipe.
- Salt brings out the excess moisture. Just one-half teaspoon salt is enough to draw out the water in fresh zucchini noodles.
How to Make Zucchini Noodles Without a Spiralizer
We love our spiralizer for making zucchini noodles, but if you don’t own a spiralizer or if you really want this to be dump-and-go with no prep, then you can usually purchase zucchini noodles (“zoodles”) in the produce or deli section at a grocery store. That’s a shortcut that will make this pizza casserole even faster (and who doesn’t want that?)! Another option is shredded zucchini, which you can make using a cheese grater or food processor.
Pizza Casserole Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
- Want to prep this meal ahead of time? You can prepare the zucchini crust early in the day and then just top the crust and bake it for dinner later on.
- This is a freezer-friendly pizza casserole recipe! If you would like to freeze the meal, you can bake the dish in the oven as directed, allow it to cool completely, and then cover tightly. Place in the freezer until ready to serve. To thaw the frozen dish, allow the casserole to partially thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Thirty minutes before baking, remove the casserole from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temp. Uncover and bake at 350 degrees F until heated through.
- You can store any leftovers for 3-4 days. As long as the leftover zucchini pizza casserole is stored in an airtight container, it will be good for a few days. Reheating is easy in the microwave, but try the air fryer or oven to re-crisp the crust.
Low-Carb Pizza Casserole Cook’s Tips and Variations
- You can add more substance to the pizza sauce by adding meat. Simply brown ground beef, Italian sausage, or ground turkey, drain any excess fat, and stir in your pizza or marinara sauce. Spread the sauce over the zucchini crust base and continue to prepare as directed!
- Add your favorite pizza toppings – the sky is the limit! Add sliced bell peppers, sliced mushrooms, sausage, black olives, onions, or any other pizza toppings you desire.
- To make the cheesy topping perfectly golden and bubbly, put the casserole under the broiler for the last 2-5 minutes of cook time.
- If you’re using a jarred sauce, spruce it up with some herbs and spices for more flavor. Italian seasoning, garlic and onion powder, salt, black pepper, or red pepper flakes will boost the flavor of any jarred sauce.
- You can easily cut this recipe in half and prepare it in an 8-inch square baking dish. You might also like to make a full recipe but divide the ingredients between two 8-inch square baking dishes, freezing one of the dishes for later use.
- If you don’t have a spiralizer, or if you want a shortcut, you can purchase zucchini noodles in the produce section at a lot of grocery stores. Alternatively, you can use about 4 cups of grated zucchini.
More Delicious Pizza Recipes to Try
Dump and Bake Zucchini Pizza Casserole
Ingredients
Zucchini Crust:
- 4 cups “zoodles” zucchini noodles (I used about 3 small zucchinis)*
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Pizza Casserole Topping:
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese divided
- 14 ounces pizza sauce
- 15 slices turkey pepperoni
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F (200C). Spray a 13×9-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Place zucchini in a colander, sprinkle with salt, and allow to sit for about 10 minutes (this will help draw out some of the water from the zucchini). After 10 minutes, squeeze out moisture from the zucchini.4 cups “zoodles”, ½ teaspoon salt
- In the prepared dish, combine zucchini, eggs, Parmesan cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, and ½ cup of cheddar cheese. I like to use my hands to make sure that it’s all completely combined, and then press the mixture into the baking dish like a crust.2 eggs, ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Top cooked zucchini with pizza sauce, pepperoni, and remaining cheese.1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 14 ounces pizza sauce, 15 slices turkey pepperoni
- Bake for another 15 minutes, or until heated through and cheese is melted.
Notes
- You can add more substance to the pizza sauce by adding meat. Simply brown ground beef, Italian sausage, or ground turkey, drain any excess fat, and stir in your pizza or marinara sauce. Spread the sauce over the zucchini crust base and continue to prepare as directed!
- Add your favorite pizza toppings – the sky is the limit! Add sliced bell peppers, sliced mushrooms, sausage, black olives, onions, or any other pizza toppings you desire.
- To make the cheesy topping perfectly golden and bubbly, put the casserole under the broiler for the last 2-5 minutes of cook time.
- If you’re using a jarred sauce, spruce it up with some herbs and spices for more flavor. Italian seasoning, garlic and onion powder, salt, black pepper, or red pepper flakes will boost the flavor of any jarred sauce.
- You can easily cut this recipe in half and prepare it in an 8-inch square baking dish. You might also like to make a full recipe but divide the ingredients between two 8-inch square baking dishes, freezing one of the dishes for later use.
- If you don’t have a spiralizer, or if you want a shortcut, you can purchase zucchini noodles in the produce section at a lot of grocery stores. Alternatively, you can use about 4 cups of grated zucchini.
OMG this looks so good! I love that zucchini can substitute so easily for most breads and grains.
Exactly! So delicious, Megan!
I’ve never made a dish like this with zucchini before…I’m intrigued! Especially since pizza is my favorite food. Love that this is on the healthier side and loaded with flavor. My husband would love this, too!
Thanks, Gayle! Yep — it appeals to ALL! Have a great weekend!
This is genius! As much as I love zoodles, my love for pizza will ALWAYS be greater! So great that you combined the two for this tasty crowd-pleasing casserole!
Thanks, Bethany! I agree — Pizza > Zoodles! 🙂
Anything with “dump and bake” in the title is right up my alley. This looks delicious and so darn simple! I have a feeling this one might be a new weeknight staple!
You and me both, Karly! Dump and bake is the way to go!
Yum! This looks amazing – and Jesse has just started loving zucchini so this came at the perfect time!
Awesome! Hope you’ll give it a try, Kristy!
I am so excited to try this out. I love eating zucchini and I like it even better when I can trick my kids into eating it. Unfortunately, none of them are fans of zucchini – raw or cooked. Another trick is to shred, then freeze the zucchini when it’s in season. Then when you thaw it, the water naturally separates and can be drained right off. Thanks for another great recipe!
Hi, Treasure! I love the idea of freezing zucchini to use in the off-season. Thank you! And I’m so glad that you might give this a try. Hopefully it passes the kids’ approval!
I made this last weekend and I will tell you it was AMAZING!!! I am a family of one so I cut it into single servings and froze a few of them. I did add a diced onion which I sauteed for a few minutes while the zucchini was draining. I ate this for the whole week and literally could not wait for lunch each day! It heats back up very nicely. I will definitely be making this again. Thank you for the great recipe!
Yay! I’m so glad that you loved it, Courtney! I agree — it reheats so well!
Im confused we are taki g a zucchini and slicimg it and using it as the base
Yes, the zucchini noodles (or grated zucchini) will form a crust when it’s baked with the egg and cheese. 🙂
OMG… this was absolutely delicious! My husband and I both loved it! I made it exactly like the recipe! Next time I will add some mushrooms on the top and put onions in the crust just for a different variation! Thank you so much for the recipe and a great way to use up my frozen shredded zucchini?
Yay! So glad that it was a hit, Denise! I always feel a huge amount of success when my husband will actually eat zucchini (or any veggies, really). 🙂
Absolute winner! I added white mushrooms and green onions on top. Glorious last night, great for lunch, and Im already looking forward to leftovers tonight! Lol When Im happy eating anything 3 meals in a row, you know its fabulous. Perfect for my low carb, calorie controlled diet, too! Thanks so much for this one. Next time we’ll make 4 and freeze 3. Just perfect for grab and het dinners!
That’s amazing to hear, Rachel. Thank you!!
OMG I have made this twice and will be making it again this weekend for football!! The flavor is amazing and just like eating your most favorite pizza. You can add and doctor up any way you like and I agree it reheats great. I always gratre zucchini and zoodle it and vacuum seal and freeze it. I also make cauliflower rice and florets and vacuum seal and freeze as it is so much cheaper to do and keeps so long. THIS IS A KEEPER!!!!!!????????????????????
Yay! That’s so great, Kathleen! I agree — it’s crazy how much it tastes like a regular pizza! Glad that you’ve enjoyed it, and have fun watching football this weekend (we’ll be doing the same thing around here). 🙂
WOW! I made this tonight and my husband said, several times, “This is a keeper. Don’t forget about this one. It’s amazing!” He had no idea the crust was zucchini. When I told him, he couldn’t believe it. I use zucchini noodles in quite a few dishes, usually with a little pasta, and he likes it but he LOVED this dish!!! I did too! Thank you!
That’s wonderful, Beth! I’m so glad to hear that your husband enjoyed it too! That’s always the best feeling — when you can convince the men in the house that a healthier option is still tasty! 🙂
I think that what makes pizza have the best flavor is when the cheese is browned….I have been making my own pizza casserole for years and always bake it enough to get bubbly and brown or broil…
I also make this basic recipe into CHEESE ENCHILADA CASSEROLE OR BEEF ENCHILADA CASSEROLE using only cheddar or mexican cheese combo and canned enchilada sauce. I did find that I missed the flavor of the corn tortillas so I do use a layer of them on the bottom, after a little sauce to soft and less sticking…
I agree! The browned cheese on top is SO good! 🙂
Do you think you could turn this into a bbq chicken pizza by changing the meat, sauce and adding so Gouda and cilantro?
Yes! I think that would be a great new recipe! 🙂
This sounds so yummy! We just happen to have some Zukes on the counter waiting to be spiralized!!
Perfect! Enjoy, Jeanine!
Made this one with some turkey sausage, mushrooms, and black olives!! We loved it!
Thanks for putting all these out; your recipes never disappoint!
Wonderful! I love that you found this oldie-but-goodie! I need to remember to enjoy it when the zucchini is abundant this summer. Thanks for taking the time to leave me a note. 🙂
This was delicious, even my hubby said it was a keeper. I used crumbled cooked sausage, mushrooms, basil and fresh tomatoes for our toppings.I’ll definitely be making this again especially since another zucchini got away from us again.
Awesome! Thanks, Karen!
My husband and I have been coming back to this recipe for years, it’s a total staple in our household! Thank you so much for the great recipe!!
Thank you, Rachel! We’re so happy to hear this.