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Get It Now- What Is Pizza Casserole?
- Why You’ll Love This Pepperoni Pizza Casserole Recipe
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- How To Make Pizza Casserole
- Recipe Variations
- Storage Instructions
- What To Serve With Pizza Casserole
- More Easy Casserole Recipes
- Tools To Make A Pizza Bake
- Pizza Casserole (Easy, 5 Ingredients!) Recipe card
- Recipe Reviews
This pepperoni pizza casserole recipe, sometimes called a pizza bake, is one of the easiest no crust pizza options you can make. Loads of pepperoni, marinara, Italian seasonings, and melty mozzarella cheese layer over roasted cauliflower and cook in under an hour, including prep! It’s similar to my pizza bowl and crustless pizza recipe in a cast iron skillet, but with the ease of a casserole.
Here at the Wholesome Yum house, we absolutely love pizza night. In fact, we have it for dinner in some form almost every week! Of course, this isn’t to say that keto pizza casserole actually replaces real pizza for us all the time. When we really want a true pizza – with the crust and everything – my keto pizza recipe is our absolute favorite. We alternate that one with a cauliflower pizza crust, portobello mushroom pizza, and chaffle pizza.
What Is Pizza Casserole?
Pizza casserole is a one-pan dish that with your favorite pizza toppings baked in! Variations of this casserole replace the usual crust with cooked pasta or vegetables.
This dish uses roasted cauliflower as the crust substitute — and just like with cauliflower mac and cheese and cauliflower potato salad, it makes a perfect starch replacement!
Why You’ll Love This Pepperoni Pizza Casserole Recipe
- Tangy tomato sauce with pepperoni and cheese
- Cheesy pizza taste with caramelized roasted veggies
- 5 simple ingredients
- Only 10 minutes of prep
- No kneading dough or rolling it out
- Naturally low carb, gluten-free, and healthy
- Great for kids (or any pizza lovers)!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for pizza casserole, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Cauliflower – I used cauliflower as a healthy base in this keto pizza casserole recipe. It works well since it has a neutral flavor, but you can get other ideas for the base in the Recipe Variations section below. Use fresh or frozen cauliflower florets, cut into bite-sized pieces. Riced cauliflower also works!
- Olive Oil – Extra virgin olive oil works well for this Italian recipe, but use any neutral cooking oil you like. Avoid butter because it can scorch before the cauliflower is cooked through.
- Italian Seasoning – I prefer to make my own homemade Italian seasoning, but store bought seasoning mixes work fine.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper – For seasoning cauliflower.
- Marinara Sauce – Any kind of marinara will do, but I always use no or low sugar varieties, either store-bought or this sugar-free marinara sauce recipe. You can also use sugar-free pizza sauce or even make a white pizza casserole with alfredo sauce.
- Mozzarella Cheese – Shred it yourself or get it pre-shredded to save time.
- Pepperoni Slices – Regular pepperoni or turkey pepperoni both work well. You can also do other pizza toppings either on top or inside the casserole — see the Recipe Variations section below for ideas.
How To Make Pizza Casserole
This section shows how to make baked pizza casserole, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Toss. In a casserole dish, toss the cauliflower with olive oil, Italian seasoning, sea salt, and black pepper. Arrange in a single layer.
TIP: Roasting on a sheet pan also works!
To save on washing dishes, I used the baking dish that’s later used for the casserole, but the cauliflower does roast faster if you use a baking sheet.
- Roast. Cook cauliflower until tender and lightly browned, stirring halfway through.
- Top. Evenly pour marinara sauce over the cauliflower mixture and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Top with pepperoni.
- Bake. Return pepperoni pizza casserole to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and golden. Let the pizza casserole rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe Variations
There’s more than one way to make this delicious pizza. Try these variations!
- Crockpot Pizza Casserole – Layer cauliflower florets in a slow cooker and pour in the marinara sauce. Cook on high for 2 hours. Add the cheese and pepperoni slices during the last 15 minutes.
- Zucchini Pizza Casserole – Use 1 lb of sliced zucchini instead of cauliflower. Brush slices with oil and season with salt, then roast on a sheet pan at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes. Pat dry, transfer to a casserole dish, and proceed with the rest of the recipe as written.
- Pizza Pasta Casserole – Trade cauliflower with your cooked pasta of choice (I use keto egg noodles). Transfer pasta with sauce to a greased 9×13 inch baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees F, then remove from oven and top with shredded cheese and pepperoni slices. Bake an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
- Use other veggies – Swap out some (or all) cauliflower for broccoli, mushrooms, onions, green bell peppers, garlic, or black olives. Cut into even pieces (so they roast at the same rate) and fold them into the cauliflower (the base layer of the pizza bake), or use them as toppings instead of pepperoni.
- Try other meats – I made a pepperoni pizza casserole since it’s the most popular flavor, but you can also make this dish with Canadian bacon, cooked ground beef (or ground turkey), Italian sausage, shredded chicken, or baked bacon.
- Add toppings – I used fresh parsley as a garnish, but you can also try fresh basil, crushed red pepper flakes, or grated parmesan cheese.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Keep leftover cauliflower pizza casserole in an airtight container up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- Meal prep: Assemble ahead, cover in plastic wrap and store in the fridge until ready to bake. Or, freeze the assembled casserole and bake straight from the freezer. This method takes longer, but allows for more long term storage. It will last at least 3 months frozen.
- Reheat: Reheat portions in the microwave, or reheat the entire casserole in a warm oven at 350 degrees F.
- Freeze: Wrap fully cooled portions of keto pizza casserole in plastic wrap and freeze up to 3 months.
What To Serve With Pizza Casserole
This easy pizza casserole recipe stands on its own, but for heartier appetites or if company’s coming, here are some extras to go with it:
- Easy veggies – Share oven space with tasty sides like baked brussels sprouts, roasted green beans with garlic, and balsamic roasted mushrooms.
- Salads – Pair a pizza bake with a Caprese salad, Greek salad, or cucumber tomato avocado salad.
- Soups – Try this dish with chicken florentine soup, vegetable soup, or sausage kale soup.
- Chicken Wings – Whenever I ordered pizza in college, I always got an order of chicken wings on the side. So, on pizza nights we usually make air fryer chicken wings or baked chicken wings.
More Easy Casserole Recipes
Casseroles are among the most common dishes I make for dinner. Making a meal is so much faster and easier when you only have to make one thing! Here are more of my favorites:
Tools To Make A Pizza Bake
- Stoneware Casserole Dish – A high-quality baking dish that goes from oven to table.
Pizza Casserole (Easy, 5 Ingredients!)
This pepperoni pizza casserole recipe is an easy dinner in one dish, featuring tomato sauce, melty cheese & zesty pepperoni. 10 minutes prep!
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (218 degrees C).
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In a 9×13 in (23×33 cm) white stoneware casserole dish, toss the cauliflower with olive oil, Italian seasoning, sea salt, and black pepper. Arrange evenly in a single layer.
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Roast cauliflower in the oven for about 25 minutes, tossing halfway through, until tender and a little golden. (Leave oven on afterward — you will need to use it again.)
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Pour the marinara sauce evenly over the cauliflower. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Place pepperoni slices on top.
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Place the casserole back in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden.
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup, or 1/6 of entire casserole
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I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Pizza Casserole
161 Comments
Chrissy
1This was so tasty. The only change made was to bake in a 9” springform pan, which then resembled a deep dish pizza! After cooling and unbuckling from the pan, it was so incredibly structurally sound that I could divide it into 6 neat wedges. Thank you!
Kara
1I used half sausage and half pepperoni, and it was so yummy! Roasting the cauliflower first really does make a difference!
Jenai
1Guys. DELICIOUS is the only word I can use to describe this. This is my first try at a cauliflower based recipe and I am definitely a new fan. I made a few changes to really up the recipe for my own personal taste! I added red onions, yellow bell pepper, and mushrooms with fennel seed to give it a supreme pizza style! I also did the added Italian seasoning and some red pepper flakes inside the cauliflower mix. I was straight winging it but it worked!! So good, and I still have 5 more slices to look forward to. ❤️