Description
Grated zucchini pizza casserole brings Italian-inspired comfort to weeknight dinners with its cheesy, veggie-packed goodness. Hearty layers of zucchini, marinara, and melted cheese create a crowd-pleasing meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 4 medium zucchini, grated (approximately 4 cups / 960 milliliters)
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) shredded Italian blend cheese
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Seasoning:
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 milliliters) salt
Instructions
- Prepare the zucchini base by grating the vegetable and extracting excess moisture through a salting technique to prevent a soggy foundation.
- Create a cohesive crust mixture by blending grated zucchini with eggs and cheeses, ensuring a uniform consistency that will hold together during baking.
- Transform the zucchini mixture into a sturdy crust by pressing it evenly into a greased baking dish and baking until it becomes golden and set.
- Develop a rich sauce by browning sausage in a skillet, rendering its flavorful oils and creating a robust meat component for the casserole.
- Enhance the sauce’s depth by sautéing aromatic vegetables like onions and mushrooms, releasing their natural sugars and creating a complex flavor profile.
- Incorporate roma tomatoes, garlic, and Italian seasoning into the skillet, allowing the ingredients to meld and intensify their collective taste.
- Pour crushed tomatoes into the skillet, reunite the cooked sausage with the vegetable mixture, and allow the sauce to simmer and concentrate its flavors.
- Assemble the casserole by spreading the hearty sausage and tomato sauce evenly across the pre-baked zucchini crust.
- Finish the dish by generously covering the sauce with a blend of Colby Jack and Italian cheeses, creating a molten, golden topping.
- Return the casserole to the oven, baking until the cheese melts completely and develops a bubbling, appetizing surface.
- Elevate the presentation by sprinkling fresh chopped parsley over the casserole, adding a bright, herbaceous note to the rich dish.
Notes
- Thoroughly drain zucchini to prevent a soggy crust, which can ruin the texture of your pizza casserole.
- Swap out cheeses based on preference or dietary needs without compromising the dish’s overall flavor profile.
- This recipe naturally provides a vegetable-based alternative to traditional pizza crust, making it ideal for low-carb or gluten-sensitive diets.
- Easily substitute sausage with ground turkey, chicken, or plant-based protein crumbles for different dietary requirements.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg