Low Carb Pizza Casserole
Low Carb Pizza Casserole is a gluten-free, keto pizza casserole packed with all of your favorite pizza flavors without the carbs!
This Low Carb Pizza Casserole has solved all of my pizza-craving problems! Packed with all of the flavors of pizza, sauce, pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, peppers, and lots and lots of cheese this delicious pizza casserole skips the traditional pasta and substitutes it with cauliflower.
It’s a gluten-free, keto dinner casserole similar to our, Keto Chicken Alfredo Casserole, Keto Big Mac Casserole, Keto Taco Casserole, and Keto Buffalo Chicken Casserole. All are simple to make and so good that the whole family will love them, even if they aren’t cutting carbs.
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What is in Keto Pizza Casserole?
- Cauliflower
- Pepperoni
- Italian Sausage – You’ll want to use ground Italian sausage. If you have to buy Italian sausage that is in casings (sausage links) just remove the meat from the casings before cooking.
- Mushrooms
- Green Bell Pepper
- Mozzarella cheese
- Low Carb Pasta Sauce – We love Rao’s Homemade Marinara sauce. It has no added sugar and it’s only 4 grams of net carbs per 1/2 cup. Feel free to use whatever sauce you like. Just remember it may change the carb count of the finished meal.
- Parmesan cheese
- Italian Seasoning
As with any low carb recipe you’ll want to check the nutritional information on the products you use, especially the pasta sauce, and the Italian sausage.
As I mentioned we used Rao’s Homemade Marinara which is 4 net carbs per 1/2 cup. The Italian sausage we used was bought in the fresh meat section of the local grocery store and was approximately 1 carb per link (I removed the meat from the casings before cooking).
The great thing about pizza is that there are so many ways to make it. Feel free to customize this baked pizza casserole with any of your favorite pizza toppings (as long as they are low carb!).
Other Low Carb Pizza Toppings:
- Ham
- Bacon
- Chicken
- Ground Beef
- Genoa Salami
- Artichoke Hearts
- Spinach
- Jalapenos
- Pepperonicinis
- Black Olives
- Goat Cheese
- Blue cheese
How to Make Low Carb Pizza Casserole:
- Steam the cauliflower. I like to keep things quick and easy so I steam mine in the microwave. Place cut cauliflower in a microwave safe bowl with 1 cup of water. Cover with a damp paper towel and microwave on high for approximately 3 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender. Don’t overcook it! You don’t want mushy cauliflower, you just want it to be slightly tender so it won’t have to cook so long in the oven.
- Drain the cauliflower pat dry with a paper towel. Set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium high heat cook the Italian sausage, approximately 15 minutes. When the sausage has finished cooking drain the excess fat. Set aside.
- In the same skillet add olive oil and saute the sliced mushrooms for 10 minutes. This will help remove some of the excess water. Set aside when done.
- Prepare a 13 x 9 inch casserole dish by spraying it with non-stick spray then spread ½ cup of pasta sauce on the bottom.
- In a large bowl add the cauliflower, cooked Italian sausage, mushrooms, and green peppers. Toss together until well mixed.
- Spread ½ of the mixture in the casserole dish. Top with ½ cup of pasta sauce, followed by ½ of the pepperonis (kind of press them down in between the other toppings), and finally 6 ounces of mozzarella cheese.
- Next spread the remaining toppings mixture over the cheese followed by the pepperonis (save 10 slices for the top of the casserole), remaining ½ cup of pasta sauce, and 6 ounces of mozzarella cheese.
- In a small bowl mix together the Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning.
- Sprinkle the Parmesan mixture over the casserole and top with 10 slices of pepperoni.
- Place in the oven and bake at 400 degrees F. for 30 minutes, or until the casserole is warmed through and the cheese is fully melted.
Looking for More Low Carb and Keto Dinner Ideas?
- Keto Tacos
- Keto Buffalo Chicken Cauliflower Casserole
- Big Mac Keto Meatloaf
- Low Carb Meatloaf
- Low Carb Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole
- Low Carb Jalapeno Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
- Instant Pot Butter Chicken
- Low Carb Moo Shu Pork
- More Low Carb & Keto Recipes…
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Low Carb Pizza Casserole
Ingredients
- 14 ounces Cauliflower florets, cut into bite-size pieces
- 2.5 ounces Pepperoni
- 2 pounds Italian Sausage, if in casings remove from casing before cooking
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 8 ounces Mushrooms, sliced
- 1 Green Pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
- 12 ounces Mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1.5 cups Low Carb Pasta Sauce, we use Rao’s Homemade Marinara
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, powdered
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
Instructions
- Steam the cauliflower. Place cut cauliflower in a microwave safe bowl with 1 cup of water. Cover with a damp paper towel and microwave on high for approximately 3 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender. Don’t overcook!
- Drain the cauliflower pat dry with a paper towel. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large skillet over medium high heat cook the Italian sausage, approximately 15 minutes. When the sausage has finished cooking drain the excess fat. Set aside.
- In the same skillet at olive oil and saute mushrooms over medium high heat for 10 minutes to remove the excess water. Set aside when done.
- Prepare a 13×9 inch casserole dish by spraying it with non-stick spray then spread ½ cup of pasta sauce on the bottom.
- In a large bowl add the cauliflower, cooked Italian sausage, mushrooms, and green peppers. Toss together until well mixed.
- Spread ½ of the mixture in the casserole dish. Top with ½ cup of pasta sauce, followed by ½ of the pepperonis (kind of press them down in between the other toppings), and finally 6 ounces of mozzarella cheese.
- Next spread the remaining toppings mixture over the cheese followed by the pepperonis (save 10 slices for the top of the casserole), remaining ½ cup of pasta sauce, and 6 ounces of mozzarella cheese.
- In a small bowl mix together the Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning.
- Sprinkle the Parmesan mixture over the casserole and top with 10 slices of pepperoni.
- Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the casserole is warmed through and the cheese is fully melted.
Notes
Nutrition
I got diagnosed with gestational diabetes a few weeks ago so have been looking for low carb/sugar recipes. This one was SOOO tasty and helped with my pizza craving!
Instead of cauliflower, which can be overpowering and not mix well with flavors, could you use chickpeas? I think I’d like to try the chickpeas.
Of course, that sounds delicious. Just be aware that chickpeas are not considered keto. If you are just going for a nice high protein high fiber substitute I think they could be a delicious addition.
I used zucchini instead of cauliflower and it’s delicious!
I was looking for some low carb meals because my son’s family is eating that way now. Found this and am so glad I did. Made this for dinner tonight. Pretty easy to prep. Absolutely delicious. Just had a simple salad with it. I know it says 10 servings, but it is so good there was enough for 6. Will definitely make this again.
Wow! This is so good! It totally takes care of a pizza craving! I used a couple of bags of mixed veggies-cauliflower-broccoli-carrots, for the base. I lightly steamed them first, and drained them well. The flavor was fantastic! We used a homemade marinara sauce for a little extra tomato flavor on the side. I also added green olives, but really the toppings you could add are endless. Thanks for such wonderful recipe!! My whole family of 4 loved it, and we even had it for leftovers the next day!
Made it several times and love it!! Thanks!!
Perfect!! We loved it
Made this for my family, they loved it 💕 Thank you for sharing this recipe.
What could I use instead of cauliflower
You could use broccoli or cabbage or just skip it altogether and just add some extra meat and veggies (the ones you include for your toppings).
Usually I don’t make or even look at a recipe that mentions the word keto. But this one I will try.😊
I hope you like it! Everyone in my family enjoys it whether they are skipping the carbs or not!
What can I use instead of cauliflower? I cannot stand it.
Hi Neicy, you could use broccoli or cabbage or just skip it altogether and just add some extra meat and veggies (the ones you include for your toppings).
I wanted to cook something different so I found this recipe while on Pinterest. I didn’t have pepperonis so I sliced some smoked sausage thin in place of them and pan fried them to get them a little crispy. I also riced my cauliflower after I steamed them and got all the water out of them. It was delicious!!
Substituted chicken sausage and turkey peps. What a great recipe for a healthier pizza option!! Thanks!
Sooooo good! I will be making again for sure. I didn’t have mushrooms so cooked onions with sausage and threw in chopped peppers at the end. Also added some chopped bacon that I had leftover. My guys loved it!
That sounds delicious! I’m glad it was a hit with your guys. Thanks for sharing! 😊
Can you freeze leftovers?
Yes, you can freeze casseroles before or after baking, but you should make sure they’re cool before freezing.
I add onions to the recipe and it’s taste just like a supreme pizza from Pizza Hut ! So good ! This is a favorite in our house !
Really great tasting. I’m keeping the recipe, but where did all the liquid come from? I kept draining it and ended up with more than a cup of the liquid. I steamed the cauliflower, drained it, patted it dry and let it sit for a half hour. Cooked the mushrooms for 15 minutes, and even used Rao’ s homemade sauce. I’m saving the flavorable liquid and will be adding it to my pizza soup.
It’s from the veggies, especially the cauliflower. That’s why we steam it first to try to reduce some of the water released but unfortunately there is only so much you can do! I love the idea of adding the liquid to pizza soup!
This is amazing! I partially steamed my cauliflower and then roasted it as I love the taste of roasted cauliflower. I omitted the mushrooms and added olives. I will be making this again! I also subbed cheese for what I had which was cheddar and shredded Parmesan.
Could you do this in a crockpot?
I’ve never tried this in a crockpot but I think it would work. I would suggest starting with raw cauliflower (I’d cook any added veggies that are going to be your “toppings” and you’ll have to play around with the cook time to see how long it takes to heat everything through without making your cauliflower mushy.
Can you freeze this and bake later. I’m making for someone who is sick and want to let them bake it when they want it?
Yes you can assemble and freeze before baking or you can bake and let cool and then freeze. Either way you’ll want to let it thaw in the refrigerator before cooking/heating it up.
I doubled the cauliflower, added a bit more sauce, and loaded up on a carpet of peppers and added onions. I divided into 5 small tinfoil pans. Huge hit!
Can I use frozen cauliflower
Yes, you can use frozen cauliflower however it may make the dish slightly watery as the frozen cauliflower releases more water as it cooks.
I did add a few things such as fresh garlic and onions. The flavor was amazing. But it still turned out so watery even with trying my best to get as much moisture out of the cauliflower. And it for sure needed a much larger pan. Next time I plan on using maybe half as much cauliflower and larger pan. I will have a side of rice for my husband to put with his as he did not care for the cauliflower mixed in his. Oh I also minimized the cheese amount significantly and did not add extra Italian seasoning. The Raos and Italian sausage were plenty flavorful enough.