Description
Indulge in the ultimate comfort food experience with this low-carb zucchini pizza casserole. Packed with savory ground pork, a rich tomato sauce and a medley of aromatic spices, this dish is bursting with Italian flavor in every bite. But the real star is the generous layer of tender zucchini, mixed with eggs and a cheesy blend, offering a guilt-free twist on traditional pizza. Whether you’re a pizza lover seeking a low-carb alternative or simply in search of a hearty and satisfying meal, this zucchini recipe is a must-try for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
- 2 lb ground pork (see note 1)
- 1 can (398 ml) tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (see note 2)
- 6 cups zucchini (approx. 1.5 lbs or 24 oz.) sliced or grated (see note 3)
- 4 cups grated cheese (approx. 400 g or 14 oz.), divided in half (see note 4)
- 4 medium eggs, beaten
- 8–10 big mushrooms, sliced
- A bit of oil to grease the oven dish
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 F.
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In a medium pot, brown the ground pork until it’s cooked through.
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Stir in the tomato sauce, dried oregano, dried basil, sea salt and chili flakes into the cooked pork.
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While the meat is browning, slice or grate the zucchini and measure out 6 cups. If you grated the zucchini, make sure to squeeze out excess liquid.
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While the meat is browning, grate the cheese and divide it into two equal portions.
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In a separate bowl, beat the eggs.
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Slice the mushrooms and place them in a small bowl.
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In a greased 11×13 oven-proof dish, make six layers with all the ingredients.
Layer 1 – spread the zucchini evenly
Layer 2 – sprinkle 2 cups of grated cheese over the zucchini
Layer 3 – pour the beaten eggs over the zucchini and cheese
Layer 4 – spread the ground meat mixture evenly
Layer 5 – sprinkle another 2 cups of grated cheese
Layer 6 – arrange the sliced mushrooms on top
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Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for 60 minutes or until the casserole is cooked through.
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Remove the zucchini casserole from the oven and slice it into portions.
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Serve it warm.
Enjoy!
Notes
You can use your favourite ground meat. Today I used ground pork, but I had used ground chicken and ground turkey in the past and both options turned out really well.
If you’d like to replace the meat with a vegan option, please check out the substitutions above.
If you use ½ tsp chili flakes, the pizza casserole will be mildly spicy. If you prefer a non-spicy pizza casserole, omit the chili flakes. Double the chili flakes if you’d like it spicier.
If you use grated zucchini, make sure you squeeze it well after grating. If you use sliced zucchini, you can’t squeeze it, so the end result will have a bit more moisture.
You can use your favourite cheese. I usually use mozzarella, cheddar or a mixture of both.
Alina’s notes
This is the dish I’m using. It’s big and perfect for this recipe.