Monday, November 28, 2011

Zucchini Pizza Casserole

We have about 15 C of shredded zucchini in our freezer from our end of the summer garden harvest, and this pizza casserole is sure to make a few appearances at our place over the coming year to help us use up that zucchini. 

This recipe is similar to another I have on my blog, but that one relies on rice in the crust.  Using rice in the crust gives the bottom layer more of a pizza crust density – it’s much more solid than the base of this casserole, which is good for different reasons. 

Regardless, both of these recipes are GF, which is a plus when you are cooking for a friend with celiac disease or a gluten allergy. 

And, gluten-free or not, this dinner was a hit at our place!  We reduced the cheese substantially (by more than 1 1/2 C), decreased the beef by a 1/2 lb (got to love stretching that meat), and added more veggies.  And, we loved it. 

Zucchini Pizza Casserole – Adapted from Sweet Treats & More

Ingredients

  • 4 C shredded zucchini
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/8 C Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 – 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 lb. ground beef or turkey
  • 2 T dried, minced onion
  • 2 C spaghetti sauce {crockpot or stovetop}
  • 1 medium bell pepper, diced into small pieces
  • 8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 C mozzarella cheese, divided
  • 1/2 C extra sharp cheddar cheese, divided

Begin by shredding your zucchini.   Sprinkle the thawed zucchini with salt – allowing the zucchini to stand for 10 minutes; squeeze out all the moisture. 

{Note: If you are using pre-frozen, as we did, thaw first.  Then, drain all the excess water off the zucchini, and continue with the salting step}

Mix the zucchini with 2 eggs, 1/8 C Parmesan and 1/4 C mozzarella and 1/4 C cheddar cheeses.  Add in 1/2 – 1 tsp. Italian seasoning. 

Press the zucchini mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 9x13 glass baking dish. 

Bake the “crust” uncovered for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. 

While the crust bakes, brown the 1/2 lb. ground beef or turkey in a large skillet, until meat is no longer pink.  Drain excess grease. 

Add in the onion & 2 C spaghetti sauce. 

Remove the crust from the oven.

Pour the meat and sauce mixture over the crust.  I love that our sauce had carrots and other yummy veggies in it.  I say the more veggies, the merrier. 

Top with sliced mushrooms and peppers. 

Sprinkle with remaining cheese. 

Bake for 20 minutes at 400 until the pizza is heated through and cheese is melted and slightly browned. 

Allow the dish to stand for 2-3 minutes before slicing and serving. 

The leftovers for this casserole were great too.  Now I’m thinking we need to make it again. 

11 comments:

  1. I love the zucchini with rice casserole and am excited about this one too!

    For some reason your recipes aren't pinable on pinterest. None of the photos from the recipe show up as options - just the header and sidebar images. I wish they were because that's how I menu plan!

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  2. This looks great - almost like a gluten free lasagna :) We have tons of frozen bell peppers and zucchini in our freezer too, so I'll definitely be making this! - liz@carpeseason

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  3. I love casseroles like this! There's something so satisfying about them especially in the winter. Everything in this looks delicious!

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  4. Mmm more veggies always sounds good to me! I love that you get all of the flavor of pizza but without all the calories!

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  5. Hello Snowhite,
    This casserole sounds wonderful! I am going to make it today! Thanks for all the good recipes you provide!
    Polly, Memphis

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  6. Pretty soon you're going to think i'm a stalker for all the recipes that I've been making of yours. I have a ton of them saved! This is going on the menu soon for sure!

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  7. Made this for supper tonight!! We almost didn't even have any leftovers for hubby to take for lunch tomorrow! Will DEFINITELY be making this one again!

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  8. Made this last night and everyone loved it!! I make something similar to this with pasta as the base, and the zucchini crust was a surprisingly good sub for the pasta. Will definitely be making this again! Thanks!!

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  9. is it possible to get this put together ahead - bake the 'crust' and save overnight adding toppings later? or would it get soggy? thanks for a great idea!

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    1. I haven't tried putting it together much earlier than 1-2 hours before eating. I might go with your approach of baking the crust, and keeping the topping separately. Before adding the toppings I'd heat the base in the oven to crisp it up a little bit. Let me know how it turns out if you try it.

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