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My Pizza Casserole Is The Easiest Kind Of Pizza
Here at the Wholesome Yum house, we absolutely love pizza night. In fact, we have it for dinner in some form almost every week! I’m not going to pretend this pizza casserole can always replace actual pizza (sometimes you just want the crust and all), but it’s definitely one of the easiest options and still hits that pizza craving. Here’s why I keep it on rotation:
- It’s the best parts of a pizza – I think the best part of pizza is the melty cheese and toppings, so my pizza casserole recipe focuses on that! I picked a simple base and my family’s favorite topping (pepperoni, naturally), but you can customize it to your heart’s content. I’ll explain how!
- So much easier than a crust – This 5-ingredient recipe involves no kneading, no rolling, and it comes together as a one-pan meal. It’s a lot like my pizza bowl and crustless pizza, but even easier in casserole form.
- Better for you – Unlike regular pizza (and even many pizza casserole recipes I’ve seen that use pasta), my version is packed with veggies, naturally gluten-free, and mainly protein and fiber instead of simple carbs. It’s lightened up comfort food at its best.
- Family friendly – Despite the veggies, my kids still enjoy this. You can easily customize it with a base and toppings that your family likes.
If you’re down for a lighter, easier (but still super cheesy) kind of pizza night, this pizza casserole is here for it. Make it with me!
Reader Review
“I made this tonight for the first time and it was a hit! I appreciate the versatility of this recipe and added a few veggies on top. The family wants this to be a regular.” –Jan
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Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my easy pizza casserole recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Base – I used roasted cauliflower as a healthy base in my pizza casserole recipe. I know, I know… everyone is always trying to get this veggie to be everything. (I’m looking at you, cauliflower mac and cheese and cauliflower potato salad.) But honestly, its neutral flavor works incredibly well here. If you’re not a fan, you can use:
- Other veggies – I’ve also made this dish using riced cauliflower and roasted zucchini (similar to the base of my Big Mac casserole). If you prefer more classic pizza vibes, I recommend roasting a mixture of mushrooms, onions, green bell peppers, and black olives for your base.
- Cooked meats – Try crumbled ground beef or Italian sausage, or shredded chicken.
- Sauce – My favorite here is this marinara sauce recipe. You can also use sugar-free pizza sauce (I recommend using less because it’s more intense), grab your favorite store-bought brand, or even choose white pizza vibes using my Alfredo sauce.
- Cheese – I almost always use classic mozzarella.
- Toppings – I kept it simple with just pepperoni slices. You can also use veggies or even cooked meats as toppings.
- Oil & Seasonings – I use olive oil, Italian seasoning (optional), sea salt, and black pepper for roasting the cauliflower. Garlic powder can be a nice addition, too!
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How To Make Pizza Casserole
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Cook your base. In a casserole dish, stir the cauliflower with olive oil, Italian seasoning, sea salt, and black pepper. Roast in the oven until tender and lightly browned, tossing halfway through. (If you go with cooked meat as your base like I suggested above, just cook it in a large skillet instead, then transfer to the baking dish.)
- Layer on the sauce, cheese, and toppings. I pour on the marinara sauce first, so it coats the base, then top with shredded cheese and pepperoni.
- Bake until melty. Return pepperoni pizza casserole to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and golden. I sprinkled fresh parsley on top for garnish this time, but other pizza garnishes (like fresh basil, crushed red pepper flakes, or grated parmesan cheese) also taste great here!
My Recipe Tips
- To avoid a watery casserole, your base has to be completely precooked. If you don’t roast your cauliflower long enough, it’ll release more water during the second bake and water down your sauce. And if you use a meat base without cooking it, you’ll end up with a greasy mess. Trust me!
- Thicker sauces work best in this pizza casserole. I’ve found that thinner ones can yield a watery dish overall, even if the veggies are precooked.
- For more browning and faster cook time, roast the cauliflower on a sheet pan instead. I just used the same baking dish to save on washing dishes, but the cauliflower does roast faster and caramelize more if you use a baking sheet!
- Can you cook the base another way? Sure! You can boil or steam the vegetables, and just drain before assembling the casserole. I just prefer the flavor of roasting.
- Most of your favorite pizza toppings can work as a base or a topping in this recipe. I usually put all my “pizza toppings” on top when I do the cauliflower base, but when I’m tired of that, I do cooked meats or more traditional “pizza veggies” as the base itself. Anything works as long as it’s all precooked!
Pizza Casserole (5 Ingredients)
By
My pizza casserole recipe is an easy, 5-ingredient, one-pan dinner with melty cheese, marinara sauce, pepperoni, and roasted veggies.
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]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.
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup, or 1/6 of entire casserole
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you avoid a watery result, plus my shortcut when I want to make this faster.
- Storage: If I have a lot left, I keep leftovers right in the baking dish and cover with plastic wrap. They keep for 2-3 days that way. When I have just a little bit or want meal prep portions, I transfer them to an airtight container, which gets an extra 1-2 days out of them.
- Meal prep: This pizza casserole is perfect for meal prep! I often assemble it in advance, and either keep in the refrigerator or freeze.
- Reheat: Microwave pieces individually, or warm the whole thing in the oven at 350 degrees F.
- Freeze: You can freeze the entire baking dish (which I recommend thawing before heating), or divide into portions and wrap individually for easy lunches (that I heat right from the freezer). They’re best within 3-6 months.
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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
179 Comments
Pam G.
0Delicious! I followed the recipe as written and I did add the italian seasoning. My husband was a bit skeptical about it, but after his first bite he said “Wow! this is not bad at all. It’s actually pretty good.” And he went back for seconds. This recipe is a keeper. Thank you Maya!
Deborah Desmond
0This was delicious and had a great flavor. Everyone enjoyed it. It looks like a deep dish pizza.
Diane
0Did I do something wrong? I followed the directions but it turned out very watery. The flavor was good but it didn’t hold its shape. Did anyone else have this problem?
Pam G.
0When I made it I had some watery-ness, but I thought it was from the marinara sauce I used. Not sure, but next time I will try Maya’s suggestion and roast the cauliflower longer.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Diane, Sorry to hear you had issues with it. It sounds like either your marinara was thin/watery or the cauliflower needed to roast for longer before assembling the casserole. Hope this helps for next time!
Shirley
0I made this casserole tonight. I made it per the recipe and it was delicious. Very simple and easy keto recipe that helps me stay on the program. Thanks.
Pat
0What can I eliminate for the sugar?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Pat, The sugar in this recipe mainly comes from the marinara sauce.
Carol Leek
0Made this tonight! I could have ate the whole pan!! So delicious and super easy to make. I added broccoli, mushrooms, black olives, and peppers. It really tastes like pizza!!
Nancy Sproull
0I have made this three times and we love it! The two layers make it so thick and hearty and we use sausage,green and black olives, mushrooms, onions, colored peppers, and lots of pepperoni. It is delicious whatever we use! We like to keep some in the freezer for carefree delicious dinners!
John Howell
0Wow, this was the best! I had a yellow onion, so I diced up about a 1/4 cup and tossed it with the cauliflower for roasting. This was so good I wanted to eat the whole casserole in one sitting.
Kristen Lee Schultz
0Amazing recipe!!
Eve
0After roasting the cauliflower, I added two precooked shredded chicken breasts. I’m not a huge fan of red sauce, so I added a couple tablespoons of tomato paste with a little over half a jar of Raos Alfredo sauce equaling 1 1/2 cups. I used 2 1/2 ounces ( half a package) of pepperoni. This was so good! And I can see it being a base for lots of different variations. Thank you.
Maria
0We loved this pizza casserole! So versatile. Our little store didn’t have cauli so I used broccoli and mushrooms. Hubby and I were both happy that it’s so filling we have enough for dinner tomorrow.
Debbie
0Hi there! I am wondering how much riced cauliflower would be an adequate substitute for a large head of cauliflower? I have prepackaged 240 gram each. Thinking maybe 2 pkgs.? Thank you. Love your recipes. They make it easy to eat keto. 🙂 This one sounds delicious too!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Debbie, Yes, I would recommend two packages.
Journa Liz Ramirez
0Brought this pizza casserole to our church potluck, it was a hit! Everyone was impressed! I’ll surely make this again, thanks Maya!
Ramona D
0Such a fun twist on pizza and you don’t miss the crust at all. Very easy to make, thanks!
Clare
0Has anyone tried frozen riced cauliflower?
Clare
0Nevermind, I used the comment search function and found out that “yes, you can use rice cauliflower” 😀
Kim
0So good!! And easy!!
Jill
0Yes, I did roast the cauliflower beforehand. It was still delicious though! Thanks for your quick reply and also for all of your great recipes!
Jill
0Hello, This tasted great! I added veggies on the top as well. I used a thicker pizza sauce, but it still created a lot of liquid on the bottom after it came out of the oven. Is there any way to avoid this? Thanks!
Laurie Mansfield
0I think I would like more meat. In addition to the pepperoni, could you also add Italian sausage drained after cooked?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Laurie, Yes, that would work.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Jill, This recipe does produce liquid when baked. Just want to confirm you baked the cauliflower before adding it to the casserole dish?
Elizabeth
0It was delicious. My son doesn’t like cauliflower and he loved it!
Marsha Whitt
0Thank you for all your wonderful recipes! It looks like cheese is a very important part of this recipe. I can’t eat regular dairy cheese. I can eat goat cheese. Any suggestions on what to use for this recipe? Thanks.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Marsha, I have never tried it but you could try vegan Mozzarella cheese in this recipe.
Marsha Whitt
0Thank you for the suggestion. I made this tonight using spaghetti squash, onion, mushrooms, sausage, and pepperoni. I used regular cheese on my husband’s half, and Earth Grown Vegan Mozzarella on my half (this added a few more carbs than I would prefer though). This was sooooo goooood! Even Kevin loved it. Will definitely make this again!