Ed and I were pleasantly surprised with this dish – it was better than we anticipated and the leftovers were even better. I don’t usually start off a post like this, but hoped it would keep you reading.
If you are gluten-free/wheat-free or looking to limit your carbohydrates, this dish is a great option. You start by baking a zucchini ‘crust’ (hence the ‘pizza’ reference in the title) made up of zucchini, eggs and cheese. This provides a great base for the dish. Top this with cooked ground beef, onion and tomatoes, some more cheese and red peppers. The zucchini does get firm and the remaining ingredients contribute to a pizza-like flavor. All around a good fall comfort meal.
With the increased activities that fall brings (whether school is involved or not), this dish provides two options for preparing ahead of time. First you can prepare it until the last step before it goes into the oven (for the second bake), cover it for up to 24 hours and bake it for a few additional minutes.
You can also prepare it fully and let it cool, cover it with aluminum foil, and freeze it for up to three months. Take it straight from the freezer (still covered in aluminum foil) and reheat it in the oven for about an hour.
I opted for a bit of a hybrid. I made four servings. We had our first servings fresh from the oven. I froze the remaining servings for a later date. We both agreed that the leftovers tasted even better than the first time we had it. (I don’t have a good explanation for why!).
| Ground Beef-Zucchini ‘Crust’ Pizza Casserole | | Print |
- 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
- 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.
* 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.
Source: Variation of a recipe from Optavia
Do you think this would hold up if cut into small squares for an appetizer? Need something for my book club at the beach.
Susie – Great question. I don’t think so. While a ‘crust’ forms, no matter what you do, zucchini still has a lot of water in it. I fear that the base might be a bit too moist to hold up to be a finger food. I know how you love finger foods. How great that you do book club at the beach!
That looks great!
Spenser – Thank you! A lot of vegan conversions, but I think it could work!
I finally got a chance to make this last night. We ate the whole thing, and it was delicious. I’m giving it 4 stars only because it takes a bit more effort than I would like for such a meal (shredding zucchini and cheeses, mostly). I suppose one could buy those already prepared.
Susie – I am so glad to hear you liked it! I agree, it’s a bit of work. That’s why I like to make four servings and freeze two. But we are sometimes tempted to eat it all in one sitting!