| Ground Beef-Zucchini ‘Crust’ Pizza Casserole |
Author: Nicole
Ingredients
- 3-1/2 cups shredded, unpeeled zucchini (see Notes)
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided (see Notes)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella, divided (see Notes)
- 8 ounces (1/2 pound) ground beef (90% to 95%)
- 1 small sweet onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1-14.5 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained (see Notes)
- ½ cup chopped red pepper (~ ½ medium pepper)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
- Spray a 10-inch baking dish with oil spray and set aside.
- Place zucchini in a strainer, and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt. Let stand for 10 minutes. Press to release the moisture.
- In a medium bowl, beat the eggs.
- Add zucchini, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, half of the cheddar cheese and half of the mozzarella cheese. Stir to combine with a rubber spatula. Season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Press the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
- While the zucchini base is baking, in a 10-inch non-stick skillet set over medium heat, cook beef and onion, breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the beef is no longer pink and the onion is soft. Drain any fat.
- Stir in garlic and tomatoes. Cook for 2 minutes. Season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Pour beef mixture over the zucchini. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar and mozzarella cheeses on top. Sprinkle red pepper on top of the cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, for an additional 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through.
- Serve warm.
Notes
* Approximately 2-1/2 medium zucchini (about 22 ounces)
* Can’t find fire roasted diced tomatoes? Use regular diced tomatoes.
* Low fat/low moisture cheddar and/or mozzarella works fine.
* You can prepare this dish ahead of time (up to 24 hours) – up until the step before it goes into the oven the second time. Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake. Add 10 minutes to the baking time.
* You can fully prepare this dish and let it cool. Cover it with aluminum foil and freeze it for up to three months. Remove from the freezer (no need to defrost), leave it covered, and reheat it at 350˚F for about an hour or until cooked through.
* I made the recipe as is and froze 2 servings wrapped in aluminum foil. I reheated the leftover casserole in an oven-safe baking dish, covered in aluminum foil, at 350˚F for about an hour. Half way through, I drained off some of the liquid from the zucchini.
* Can’t find fire roasted diced tomatoes? Use regular diced tomatoes.
* Low fat/low moisture cheddar and/or mozzarella works fine.
* You can prepare this dish ahead of time (up to 24 hours) – up until the step before it goes into the oven the second time. Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake. Add 10 minutes to the baking time.
* You can fully prepare this dish and let it cool. Cover it with aluminum foil and freeze it for up to three months. Remove from the freezer (no need to defrost), leave it covered, and reheat it at 350˚F for about an hour or until cooked through.
* I made the recipe as is and froze 2 servings wrapped in aluminum foil. I reheated the leftover casserole in an oven-safe baking dish, covered in aluminum foil, at 350˚F for about an hour. Half way through, I drained off some of the liquid from the zucchini.
Recipe by Riegl Palate at https://www.rieglpalate.com/ground-beef-zucchini-crust-pizza-casserole/