Introduction to Keto Pizza Casserole
Cheesy, gooey, and flavorful, pizza is always on my mind! This Keto Pizza Casserole comes in handy when you have a craving or you’re looking for easy, delicious dinner for the whole family. I like to keep toppings simple with cheese, pepperoni and olives, but feel free to get wild with toppings to satisfy all your cravings!
Your New Favorite Easy Keto Dinner
What’s not to love when you combine hearty Italian sausage, tender cauliflower and top it off with cheese and pepperoni? That was a rhetorical question, of course. The best part about this casserole, as well as most others, is that you can have fun with the toppings! Your kids can join in and dinner can become a family time activity. Matt and I love cooking in the kitchen together as we listen to music and feed little nibbles to Julius (our dog). It enhances the flavors of the food and our relationship!
We Love Casserole Recipes!
Casserole recipes are great for meal prep, easy to assemble and whip up quick on any busy weeknight of the week! You can also clean out your kitchen via casserole, by cooking everything down in a skillet, topping it with cheese and baking it until melty and delicious. Some of our favorite casserole recipes are breakfast style. Eggs are filling, tasty and easy to mix in with whatever fillings you have on hand! If you’re egg lovers like us, give our broccoli, cheese and sausage breakfast casserole or cheesy cauliflower breakfast casserole a try. If you prefer something a bit more complex in flavors give our enchilada casserole a try!
Benefits to Pizza Casserole
You heard right, there are finally benefits to pizza! If I could eat one food for the rest of my life it might just be this low carb pizza casserole. So let’s break down what makes this pizza casserole so good for you:
- Pepperoni- High quality pepperoni like the pork and bacon variety from Applegate farms provide high amounts of protein as well as fat. Protein is muscle sparing as well as being the most efficient macro requiring more energy to burn than carbs and fats.
- Cheese- Parmesan cheese and Mozzarella cheese have a fair amount of sodium which is an important electrolyte for those on keto. Plus cheese is a rich source of calcium which is good for your bones.
- Sausage- In the base of this recipe sausage adds structure as well as fat which is very important on a keto diet. Fat will help to keep you satiated and provide fuel for your day.
- Carbs- This keto/ low carb pizza casserole is only 7 net carbs per serving, aka only 7 net carbs per 1/6
Is Marinara Sauce Keto?
There is a lot of controversy with whether or not marinara sauce should be consumed on keto. In this keto recipe we only use a 1 cup of marinara sauce between 6 servings. That is about 1.75-2 carbs per serving if you use our favorite sauce Rao’s. This sauce is bursting with bright tomato flavor, garlic, and herbs, perfect for keto recipes.
Best Keto Toppings
Don’t worry we’re no “weird-DOUGHS” pizza toppings are a must! Low carb pizza casserole is best served with YOUR favorite toppings. Some of our favorites are:
Meats:
- Pepperonis- A classic, crispy pepperoni atop cheesy goodness!
- Sausage- Maybe your feeling a bit extra Italian. Try chunks of freshly cooked Italian sausage or slices of cooked mild Italian links.
- Prosciutto- For the classier pizza connoisseurs this is the topping for you. Thinly slice prosciutto and place it on top of the pizza. Put it under broil for a minute to slightly crisp and viola!
- Ground Beef- Believe it or no ground beef actually makes a great pizza topping, that is for TACO PIZZA! Layer ground beef, cheese, olives, and tomatoes on top. Once out of the oven hit it with some sour cream and lettuce. Simple ground beef never tasted so good!
Cheeses:
- Shredded Mozzarella- This is another classic ingredient that’s essential for making the perfect low carb pizza casserole
- Mexican 3 cheese blend- Believe it or not this works great on pizza too. That is, if you are making a ground beef style taco pizza!
Finishing Touches:
- Olive Oil- A simple drizzle of high quality oil adds a beautiful mild peppery flavor. Try an extra bit of fresh cracked salt and pepper for added flavor too!
- Vegetables- An easy keto way to get in vegetables is just thinly slicing olives and mushrooms to place on top of the low carb pizza casserole
Making Low Carb Pizza Casserole Fancy
Making keto recipes upscale is not only fun but super tasty too! If you want to try a fancier keto/ low carb pizza with minimal prep time check out these quick recipe adjustments:
- Cheese- Sub standard mozzarella for an aged Manchego or parmesan and mozzarella blend. Aged cheeses have a wonderful Umami flavor unbeatable to regular cheeses. Another option is to make cream cheese pockets. Do this by cubing cream cheese into tiny pieces. Tuck the little cream cheese pieces into the top of your casserole before baking. Once you take it out you’ll have gooey and creamy pockets of goodness.
- Meat- Most meats are keto friendly and I find some of the best fancy meats to be super thinly sliced Capocollo or Prosciutto. They are saltier keto/ low carb meats that crisp up well under the broiler on this pizza casserole recipe.
- Toppings: Try finishing your cooked keto casserole with fresh basil, arugula, feta, or pesto a high fat herb sauce. All of these toppings are gluten free keto ideas so no need to stress about any wheat allergens.
How to Make Keto Pizza
If you’ve decided on making some new recipes like this super easy keto friendly pizza and want to know the steps keep reading! Because with only 30 minutes total time you’ll be making this recipe a lot more.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Pour 2 inches of water into a large saucepan set over medium-high heat. Place a steamer basket inside and add the cauliflower florets. Cover and steam for 5-6 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender but still slightly firm.
- Meanwhile, large cast iron skillet to medium high heat. Add sausage and break apart using a wood spoon. Once partially cooked, add the onion, and mushroom and saute until browned and everything is cooked through, 5-7 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook 1 additional minute, until fragrant.
- Add pasta sauce to skillet. Season with 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, stirring well (if using unseasoned sausage).
- Add the cauliflower to the skillet and stir to combine. Remove from heat and sprinkle the top evenly with mozzarella cheese. Evenly place pepperoni (or desired toppings) on top of the cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted and the edges are golden brown. Sprinkle with remaining Italian seasoning and serve.
Notes
**If you use seasoned sausage, feel free to skip the additional seasonings.
Net Carbs: 7g
Serving Size: 1/6th casserole
Nutrition Facts
Keto Pizza Casserole
Amount Per Serving
Calories 413
Calories from Fat 288
% Daily Value*
Fat 32g 49%
Carbohydrates 10g 3%
Fiber 3g 12%
Protein 23g 46%
- Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
