Low-Carb Deconstructed Pizza Casserole
Low-Carb Deconstructed Pizza Casserole is a delicious comfort food dinner that the whole family is going to love. And this Keto pizza casserole is one of the most popular casserole recipes on my blog!
PIN the Keto Pizza Casserole to try it later!
Low-Carb Deconstructed Pizza Casserole has been a hit with so many of my readers that it’s one of the most popular low-carb pizza casseroles on the internet! And this recipe is also perfect if you want a Keto Pizza Casserole.
If you struggle with feeling deprived when you give up carbs, I promise that this pizza casserole without the crust is a low-carb and Keto comfort food recipe that’s going to feel like a treat. And when the weather starts to get colder in the fall, everyone needs comfort food so I’m reminding you about this recipe for today’s Friday Favorites pick.
When the idea for a casserole with pizza flavors popped into my mind, I couldn’t wait to make it. Then when the casserole was cooking I couldn’t wait to eat it, and when I tried it I couldn’t wait to share the recipe. This is a dinner I’ve made many times at my house. And I promise this deconstructed pizza will be a hit when you’re craving pizza but don’t want the carbs! I hope you enjoy trying it.
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe with ingredient amounts.)
- can of diced tomatoes
- uncooked turkey or pork Italian sausage
- Olive Oil (affiliate link)
- Dried Oregano (affiliate link)
- salt and fresh-ground pepper to taste
- fresh mushrooms
- grated Mozzarella cheese
- slices of pepperoni
How low in carbs is this Keto Pizza Casserole recipe?
This amazing deconstructed pizza casserole has only 4 net carbs and 26 grams of protein per serving!
Can you use other toppings for this low-carb Pizza Casserole?
Sausage, pepperoni, and cheese are the pizza toppings I love most, so of course that’s what I used for this Keto pizza casserole recipe! But you can definitely replace the sausage with ground beef or use other toppings like ham, green bell pepper, olives, or even bacon if you want to switch it up. And if you look in the comments on the post you’ll notice that people make it with a variety of toppings.
Can you freeze the Deconstructed Pizza Casserole?
Like most casserole recipes, this pizza casserole will freeze well and can be reheated in the microwave or a hot oven. Unfortunately at my house it usually disappears before I can get any in the freezer!
How to Make Low-Carb Deconstructed Pizza Casserole:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Dump a can of diced tomatoes into a colander and rinse; then spread them out to dry on a paper towel.
- Squeeze turkey Italian sausage out of the casings and brown well, then put it into a small casserole dish.
- Put the drained tomatoes over the sausage and season.
- Wash the mushrooms, pat dry, and cut into thick slices.
- Saute mushrooms until they give up their liquid and are starting to brown.
- Then layer mushrooms over the sausage-tomato mixture.
- Cut pepperoni in half (I use kitchen shears. (affiliate link)
- Spread the grated mozzarella over the casserole and top with pepperoni.
- Bake about 25 minutes, or until the ingredients are heated through and the cheese is starting to brown. (I baked mine a bit too long, don’t get distracted!)
- Serve the low-carb and Keto pizza casserole hot and enjoy! And I promise this will hit the spot any time you’re really craving pizza.
Make it a Low-Carb Meal:
Pizza Casserole may be a good low-carb or Keto dinner on it’s own, but here are some ideas if you want a side dish:
- Chopped Antipasto Salad Recipe
- No-Mayo Vinegar Coleslaw
- Kalyn’s Favorite Baby Arugula Salad
- Ottolenghi’s Perfect Lettuce Salad
- Cucumber Salad with Balsamic Dressing
Want more ideas for low-carb and Keto pizza?
When you’re craving pizza but don’t want the carbs, there are more ideas from Kalyn’s Kitchen or around the web in my huge collection of Low-Carb Pizza Recipes. And most of those recipes are also Keto and gluten-free.
Weekend Food Prep:
This Keto Pizza Casserole recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
Low-Carb Deconstructed Pizza Casserole
Low-Carb Deconstructed Pizza Casserole is a comfort food casserole the whole family will enjoy! And this tasty pizza casserole is also suitable for Keto and gluten-free, so enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 can diced tomatoes, well drained ((14.5 oz. can; do not use petite dice tomatoes)
- 5 links uncooked turkey or pork Italian sausage (19.5 oz.)
- 2 tsp. + 2 tsp. olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- salt and fresh-ground pepper to taste (I didn't use much salt.)
- 12 oz. fresh mushrooms, washed and cut into thick slices (I used brown Cremini mushrooms.)
- 1 1/2 cups grated Mozzarella cheese
- 15 slices pepperoni, cut in half (I used regular pepperoni, but you can use turkey pepperoni if you prefer)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F/200C.
- Spray an 8 inch x 11 inch glass casserole dish with non-stick spray or olive oil.
- Pour the diced tomatoes into a colander placed in the sink and rinse with cold water. Let tomatoes drain a minute or two, then spread them out on paper towels to dry (or blot dry with another paper towel on top.)
- While tomatoes dry, heat 2 tsp. olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan, squeeze the sausage out of the casing, and cook sausage over medium-high heat until it's nicely browned, breaking it apart as it cooks. (I use an old-fashioned potato masher (affiliate link) to break the sausage apart.)
- While sausage cooks, wash mushrooms, pat dry, and slice into thick slices.
- When the sausage is done make a layer of sausage in the bottom of the casserole dish and top with the drained tomatoes, spreading them out over the top of the sausage.
- Season with dried oregano, salt, and fresh-ground black pepper. (I didn't use much salt.)
- Rinse out the pan if needed, then heat the other 2 tsp. of olive oil over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot add the mushrooms and cook, stirring a few times, until all the liquid is released and the mushrooms are starting to brown.
- Layer the mushrooms over the sausage-tomato mixture.
- Cut pepperoni in half.
- Sprinkle the grated Mozzarella over the top of the casserole and lay the pepperoni pieces on top of the cheese, spacing them evenly so the whole top is covered with pepperoni.
- Bake about 25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.
- Serve this low-carb and Keto pizza casserole hot, and enjoy!
Notes
I used my favorite turkey Italian sausage for this recipe; use pork sausage if you prefer.
This recipe created by Kalyn.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 289Total Fat 18gSaturated Fat 7gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 85mgSodium 561mgCarbohydrates 6gFiber 2gSugar 3gProtein 26g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This pizza casserole is perfect for low-carb and Keto diets, and it’s also gluten-free. It can also work for the original South Beach Diet with the right ingredients. Low-carb diet plans will probably prefer pork sausage and pepperoni and full-fat cheese. If you’re following the original South Beach Diet, they’d recommend turkey Italian sausage, turkey pepperoni, and reduced fat Mozzarella.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Casserole Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This low-carb and Keto pizza casserole was first posted in 2016, and it quickly became one of the most popular casseroles on my site. The recipe was last updated with more information in 2025.
260 Comments on “Low-Carb Deconstructed Pizza Casserole”
This is one of my fav recipes from your site. I make it once a month and leftovers are better than normal pizza with a crust. Neither my husband nor I care for mushrooms, so we add sliced black olives along with the sausage and pepperoni. I also add some Italian seasoning. Wonderful recipe!!!
So glad you guys are enjoying it! Thanks for letting me know.
My husband asked me to make this recipe. I’m curious about the 8×11 glass casserole dish mentioned in the instructions. I’m not familiar with that size. What company makes an 8×11?I’ll be using a standard Pyrex 9×13.
I hope you enjoy the recipe. I’m sure any size close to what I used will be fine.
It was actually good. I did add an onion and some green veggies. My husband said he would definitely eat it again.
This recipe has been hugely popular; glad you liked it!
Made this tonight and really liked it. Stayed true to the recipe but added black olives. I’m going to try the suggestion in the comments and add pizza sauce to sausage after it’s browned. (I love sauce)
Thanks!!
So glad to hear you enjoyed it; thanks for letting me know!
We love this!!!!! It is in the weekly rotation. Add a salad and you have a meal!
So glad to hear you’re enjoying it; thanks for letting me know. (And star ratings are always so helpful if you’re ever inclined to do that.)
Great recipe! I often add black olives as well
Glad you like it; I would love olives on this!
Can’t wait to try this recipe out tonight!
This is absolutely delicious! I will make it again and again! My husband loved it, too! The only changes I made was that I used a can of Giorgio’s chunky portabella mushrooms and a can of basil, garlic, & oregano diced tomatoes. It was very easy to make and didn’t take a long time to bake. A GREAT recipe!
Thanks, so glad you loved it!
I just came across this recipe. My children do not like tomatoes, but will eat pizza sauce I make from scratch. Can I use that instead of the tomatoes? Thank you.
That might work but this recipe rinses the liquid off the tomatoes so the casserole will be more runny with a liquid sauce.
Yes, that should work using “from scratch” pizza sauce. Enjoy!
I loved this recipe! I doubled everything and I also added fresh broccoli & cauliflower to it. ( just to get some veggies in.) It was absolutely delicious! Thanks for a quick & easy meal that I didn’t hate cooking! 😉
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thanks for letting me know!
It was good but I would add another can of tomatoes and check it after 20 minutes in the oven, as it was quite dry.
I wonder why you had that result? It hasn’t been dry for me. I hope you will try it again with more tomatoes, and glad you enjoyed it.
I heat up pizza sauce separately and add after it’s cut and on the plate.
Interesting idea! This has never been dry for me though.
Made this for dinner last night and we loved it . I didn’t have Italian Sausage on hand so I used ground beef with Italian Seasoning and it was really yummy. Also used a can of Fire Roasted Tomatoes because we love the flavor over plain diced tomatoes. Already added to my Favorites and next time I’ll use Italian Sausage. Thank you for sharing your recipe with us.
So glad you enjoyed it so much and were able to adapt it to your preferences; that is what good cooking is all about! Thanks for taking time to let me know you liked it!
Loved it! prepared with ground pork sausage. adored by all ! Thanks
Thanks for the nice feedback! So glad you liked it.
Can you make make this ahead of time, then bake it for dinner same day?
Sorry I missed this comment. I moved my site to a new web host, and the site was up but I just realized today that no comments were coming to my e-mail for NINE DAYS, yikes.
Yes, you can do that but if it’s been refrigerated I’d let it come to room temperature before baking.
I only have diced petite tomatoes?
Recommended not to use.
Anyone have a comment on why?
Sorry I missed this comment. I moved my site to a new web host, and the site was up but I just realized today that no comments were coming to my e-mail for NINE DAYS, yikes.
I prefer the more substantial pieces of tomato for this recipe, but I do hope you went ahead and made it with what you had!
So delicious! Didn’t miss the crust st all. Made it exactly as written 👍
So glad you enjoyed!
We finally made this & added red & green bell peppers & black olives to make it “supreme” style. I also mixed a little pizza sauce in with the sausage after it was browned & we just LOVE this! SO good!
Made 2 versions of this casserole tonight, one for my husband and I and one for the grandkids. In theirs I substituted diced ham for the sausage and didn’t add the mushrooms. Added bacon pieces to both, mushrooms and garlic and yellow onion and black olives along with the ham and sausage to ours, and extra cheese to both. Also used pepperoni, mozzarella, and triple cheddar and some shredded parmesan. Will definitely be making this again.
So glad you enjoyed. Sounds like you did well at making a version both groups could enjoy.
Can’t wait to try this!! Any suggestions on what could be substituted for mushrooms? I love them but my husband isn’t a fan.
Hope you enjoy! Maybe just put mushrooms on half of it!
You can substitute or add to almost anything. I added black olives, sauteed onions, & spinach.
This was sooooo good! Perfect for my pizza craving!
Why are we removing casing from Italian sausage links when it comes without the casing cheaper?
Everyone gets to use the ingredients they prefer and/or find available, and for me, the sausage in links is cheaper.
Loved this recipe! I added spinach and 1/2 cup of grated parmesan as well. So yummy.
So glad you enjoyed and fun hearing how you switched it up a bit!
Had this tonight for dinner and it was delicious! Definitely will make this again for dinner.
Hi Cassidy, so glad you enjoyed it!
What a simple yet delicious recipe. We made yesterday and enjoyed every bite!
Thanks Kate! So glad you guys enjoyed it. And fun hearing from you too.
Excellent! We’ve been craving pizza for weeks but wanted to stay true to our low carb diet. This is the answer. We substituted hot Italian sausage and added jalapeños to my wife’s side. Baked it on our Traeger in an enameled cast iron skillet at 450 for 25 mins. Yummmmm …..
Glad you enjoyed! I like the idea of “baking” on the Traeger!
I made this last night and it was INCREDIBLE! This is definitely going into the regular rotation. Thank you!!
Thanks Elizabeth, so glad you enjoyed it!
This looks so yummy and I have it in the oven now. Since I am on the Code Red lifestyle regular cheese is not allowed so I grated frozen cream cheese on it. Can’t wait to taste it!
Good idea, hope you enjoy!
This is my carb-loving husband’s FAVORITE low-carb recipe. I make it all the time! I add green bell peppers in with the mushrooms, and it’s *chef’s kiss* PERFECT.
This was delicious. I added a partially sauteed green bell pepper and omitted the mushrooms. Turned out phenomenal! Will definitely be making this again soon.
So glad you enjoyed it!
I made this last night for Pizza night so I wouldn’t feel left out. Instead, there was leftover pizza! Everyone loved it! Thanks!
Btw- it made a very tasty breakfast this morning too!
So glad to hear you enjoyed it. I wish I had some for breakfast right now!
I have made this so many times. It is a huge hit in our house. So yummy!
So happy to hear that! Thanks for taking time to let me know.
Trying this tonight, it looks great. Doing it ahead with a cook time of 20 minutes so it can be warmed in the microwave when we get home. I felt I was a bit short on browned sausage in the bottom so tossed in a little riced cauliflower to fill it. Will see how that works, I did not have time to down it.. Will let you know.
I think that might work fine, but let me know how it turns out!
This was delicious!! I added onions and garlic with the mushrooms. This is our new pizza night!
So glad you liked it! Your change sounds good to me.
Thanks for sharing that. I do love that Rao’s sauce; I haven’t found a sauce that’s lower in carbs than that one!
Now I just hope people asking for info will find it.
No garlic? Isn’t that sacrilege? 🤔😆
Feel free to add garlic if you prefer.
Made this today for dinner. Turned out so well and was very filling! It is hard to find ideas that allow me to eat keto and feed a picky hubby😉 Had a yellow tomato from my garden😋 a perfect addition. Now I am going to have to make 2 so I can add some fresh veggies😁
So glad to hear you guys enjoyed it!
Say I don’t have an 8×11 dish, only a 13×9… Should I cook at the same temperature and just keep an eye on it? Increase the amount of ingredients? Any thoughts?
I’m guessing it will still work, probably cook a bit more quickly since the mixture will be thinner. If you had more sausage it wouldn’t hurt to increase that a little. You might want to increase the cheese too. Hope that helps; let me know how it goes.
It ended up turning out great!
I did add about 25% more sausage…based on some rough math. And did closer to 2 cups of the cheese.
For timing, I followed the original instructions and then moved under the broiler for a few additional minutes.
Turned out delicious! Will make again and again!
Happy to hear that it worked well and you enjoyed it so much!
I made this today, but I did it a little different. I used all the ingredients and put them in the order you did, but I’m the only one eating healthy in my family and I can’t eat all that alone. So I cooked them in the same layers using a muffin pan, and released them from the edges, let them cool and now there in the freezer except the one I ate lol. After they freeze I will package them and then I’ll have them on hand when I’m craving pizza. Hopefully they freeze well but if not I’ll know for next time. One thing I did wrong was to bake as directed, the instructions was for a whole casserole so I should have cut the cooking time down for cupcake size. The cheese on top was a little hard but that’s my fault. They were amazing and I plan on adding this to my rotation and maybe eventually making a whole one to share with the family. If you weren’t told it was healthy you would know by the taste. Thank you for the amazing recipe!!
Glad you liked it. I love how you made the individual servings; great idea. I am guessing it will freeze well although I don’t think I have frozen it.
Had one for breakfast and they froze and reheated perfectly.
Good to know Mary, thanks!
This is a wonderful idea. I have tried to make many substitute crusts. They were awful. What we want is the sausage, pepperoni, cheese, vegs, etc….
This provides all the good stuff..
thanks for the recipe.
Thanks Mary Ann, glad you like it!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Hope you enjoy!
I added a bit of onion and green pepper, and had shitake mushrooms (I could afford the carbs today) It was delicious. I look forward to trying your other recipes.
I am not 100% sure what you mean. But if you clicked on a PIN on Pinterest that had a photo of this recipe but went to the Pepperoni Pizza Chicken Bake I can guess what happened. When someone clicks the pin icon on my site, they get all the photos on this page that they can pin. That includes the popular posts in the sidebar, and this post is one of them. So if someone clicked on that photo and pinned, the PIN would link to the post it was on at that time, apparently the pizza chicken one. Unfortunately there’s nothing I can do about that kind of random pinning!
Ah, thank you. Perhaps the person I linked from did just that. It’s all good. I repinned it, and it’s in the oven!
So glad you enjoyed it!
This was delicious. I went from Whole 30 to low carb and this is my first “Decadent” meal since. Totally worth it. Thanks Lady <3
Great recipe. Even my picky husband liked it.
Hi!
I can’t wait to test this out!!
Do you think it would freeze well?
Cheers
I don’t think I’ve frozen it, but I do think it will freeze well.
What kind of turkey sausage did u use.
I used this turkey Italian sausage which has been my favorite for years!
What do you normally serve this with?
I’d serve with some kind of green salad; this Low-Carb Caesar Salad is one of my favorites.
If I add zucchini, would I have to cook that with the mushrooms or adjust cook time or ingredients? I don’t know if it would make it watery..
I can’t say for sure how it would work to add zucchini to this recipe, since I haven’t made it that way. But if you wanted to try it, I would saute the zucchini with the mushrooms, using fairly high heat to evaporate as much water as possible. Cooked zucchini does have more water than cooked mushrooms though, so I can’t say for sure if it will make the finished dish more watery. I’d love to hear what you think if you try it!
Sounds really good, but we aren’t fans of sausage. Could organic, grass-fed lean ground beef be used in its place?
Of course you *could* use ground beef. Whether it will be as tasty with the beef, I can’t really say because I haven’t ever made it that way. If you like ground beef on pizza, you’ll probably like it. I’d love to hear what you think if you try it.
Your recipes are enabling me to stick with my keto-low carb diet and I am being successful! Thank you! I am learning to cook again!
So happy to hear that Holly!
This was good but very dry. Did I do something wrong?
Hard for me to say without knowing just what you did or what your definition of dry is, but you can surely not drain the tomatoes if you prefer.
So glad to see this was ordering pizza for rhe family and so wantwd something great. I found this and tried it and it was Awsome . Thanks
So glad you enjoyed it Sebrenia!
Why not petite diced tomatoes?
I used the chunkier diced tomatoes in this to give more structure to the recipe. I worried that the petite dice wouldn’t work the same way but you can try them.
I just popped this in the oven. Can’t wait to taste it. Instead of mushrooms and olives I used fresh jalapeno peppers. Kids not a fan of mushrooms and olives but next time I’ll make it the way my husband and I want it. 😊
Hope you enjoy the spicy version!
It was soooooo good! Definitely gonna be a regular meal in our house. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it!
My husband said he would eat this every night! With 3 boys (11,11,13) I made a full 9×11 casserole and it was gone! I upped most of the ingredients to fill the dish. I also made garlic toast for them. Have your tried making this the night before and cooking the next day? Seems like a good one to get the kids to pop in the oven on our busy nights.
So glad to hear it was a hit! Sounds like a challenge feeding all those boys, glad they enjoyed it. I’m sorry but I haven’t made it ahead and refrigerated, then cooked later. It seems like it would work, although I would let it come to room temperature before you bake. I’d love to hear how it goes if you try that, thanks!
I used your recipe as a jumping off point for dinner last night. It was so good! My teen boy balked at a “no crust” pizza, then came back for 3 helpings! I added fresh sautéed spinach and used petite tomatoes that were well drained. I also served with cottage cheese (cold on the side) but it would have been good mixed with the tomatoes for a little more sauce. SO GOOD! I’ll add a lot more spinach next time.
So glad to hear it was a hit, even with the teens! And fun hearing how you adapted the recipe!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was fabulous! I did add 2 layers of thinly sliced zucchini for a little more veg and fiber and some black olives b/c I love ’em on pizza, otherwise followed recipe exactly. Will definitely make this one again! Maybe artichoke hearts next time . . . ?
So glad you enjoyed it! And I love the idea of adding some layers of zucchini; that’s brilliant!
It’s working for me (on iMac desktop). There are so many variables that affect videos and they’re hosted through another company so I’m not really able to troubleshoot. Hope it will start up for you.
That was really really good!!!!
Thank you
So glad you liked it!
Quick question regarding servings… If this was the only thing I made for dinner for two people, would you expect it to stretch two meals based on experience?
I would say yes it could make two meals for two people, but obviously that will depend on who the two people are and how big of eaters they were.
This was so good I did not even miss the crust! Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed it!
I made this 2 nights ago and my hubby said it’s a keeper! The only thing I think I’ll do is add a little bit of pizza sauce/spaghetti sauce with the tomatoes next time. It was a bit dry for our taste, but that’s just us. Love the recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it! Feel free to adapt in any way you prefer!
Oh boy! This looks amazing. I would also add green peppers and some black olives.
Glad you like it. I would love both those additions.
My husband really liked this recipe… I’ve been trying low carb recipes now for 3 months it is hard fo find ones that the husband likes, bit you have created one.. Thank You…
So glad to hear that!
Plus in every recipe I give a link to a place where you can enter the ingredients and it will calculate it for you, in addition to a suggestion to use Yummly, which calculates it (although they are not always 100% accurate.
This is a great idea! Will make something similar. Did you forget to list the garlic and/or onions you used? That would be in any pizza sauce/most Italian dishes. Or are your family allergic to them? It does look nice 🙂 Garlic is essential tho 🙂 Thanks again!
The sausage I used is really flavorful and garlicky, but you can definitely add garlic or onion!
I just want to add my praise to this fantastic recipe! I am thrilled at how well it turned out.
Even my husband – a devoted pizza and carb lover – thought it was delicious. (Though admittedly, he wrapped his servings up in a tortilla. Ha!)
Thanks for creating a recipe both my husband and I can enjoy together 🙂
So glad to hear it worked for and pleased you both!
Looks good
6 days on Keto 😬 barely. Just wondering why not petite dice tomatoes (I have those in my pantry)
I used the chunkier diced tomatoes in this to give more structure to the recipe. I worried that the petite dice wouldn’t work the same way but you can try them.
YOU MUST TRY THIS recipe. My go to for a LC lunch. Make a pan on Sunday divide into 5 dishes. I do use ground Italian seasoned chicken for the sausage. Heat and eat. I will also take 1 1/2 cups lettuce and dump this on top hot or cold for pizza salad.
Glad you have enjoyed it!
Very good.Next time we are gonna add black olives and alittle more cheese.
That sounds good to me!
Does this freeze well?
I haven’t frozen it before cooking as a freezer meal, but I’ve frozen leftovers, then thawed in the fridge and reheated in the microwave and that worked well.
I was wondering, have you made this casserole before and put it in the freezer before you cooked it in the oven? Thanks!
I haven’t done that. I’m guessing it will work, but that’s only a guess. Best to thaw overnight in the fridge and then let it come to room temperature before you cook if you try it. Let me know how it works if you do!
I find I crave this! Leftovers are so good reheated in a microwave the next day. Thanks for the great recipe!
Glad you are enjoying it!
I made this tonight it is delicious 😍
Glad you liked it!
I made this tonight. I used cherry tomatoes cut in half instead of canned and it was delicious! Great idea.
I like that idea; glad you enjoyed it!
I’ve made this just like you outline and then a week later with a little modifications such as adding green chili’s and gluten free Penne Pasta. Both ways my family loved it. Love your site! Thanks for sharing.
So glad you enjoyed it!
Everyone has different preferences, but as you can see there are 127 comments which are overwhelmingly positive so most people seem to like it. Not sure how something with this much cheese could be dry? But definitely experiment to get it to your liking.
I hate mushrooms, so I made a few swaps. I used hot, ground Italian sausage and fire roasted tomatoes. Left out the mushrooms and used some green peppers and onions. Added in a few banana peppers. It was delicious!
I have been a keto eater for over a year now and am always looking for something new to eat. I added a few ingredients such as black olives. It was really good. The only problem I had was that I really really wanted an entire loaf of warm Italian bread with lots of butter. Why can’t bread be keto? sad face here.
Glad you enjoyed it! I’m afraid I can’t help you with the bread though!
I made this to a T and it is sooo freakin’ delicious! Thank you!!
So glad you enjoyed it!
How about using fresh tomatoes? I’m not a cook so I’m not sure if I would make to make additional changes if I used fresh tomatoes.
I haven’t tried it with fresh tomatoes and I wonder if it would make it watery? It might work, but I would drain the tomatoes very well and pat dry.
What can I use in place of tomatoes? I can’t have night shades. it sounds delicious.
I can’t think of anything that would make it seem like pizza that doesn’t involve tomatoes, sorry!
What about a white pizza? Use some cottage cheese, probably about 2 cups, a beaten egg and about 2 tablespoons of sour cream mixed and spread over the meat. I haven’t tried this but I use a similar mixture for a lot of casseroles.
That sounds good to me!
I tried it with cottage cheese, and it was good, but got kinda watery. I wonder if ricotta might work better.
I am slightly addicted to this, so much that I ate leftovers for breakfast. I’ve been making this once a week. So good!
So glad you have been enjoying it!
Hello! This looks delicious. I was wondering, I’m not a huge mushrooms fan. I know, I’m probably the only one out here….what could I use in place of mushrooms??
Thanks in advance.
You can use any low-carb ingredient that goes with pizza flavors. Maybe olives or peppers, or another type of meat. Hope you enjoy.
I have made this twice already. It s delicious and the whole family enjoys it. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
My pleasure; so glad you are enjoying it!
Made this last night and oh my was it delicious! Hubby just texted me and he is having it again for lunch. I will definitely be making this again. Hubby cooked the Sweet Turkey sausage and the mushrooms in advance. He also chopped up some onion and a red pepper to go with it and threw them in baggies. I made mine into an individual small casserole. Hubby built his on a tortilla. Baked both at the same time. Just fabulous! I did use Italian died tomatoes. Drained thoroughly in a colander, but not rinsed. Since all ingredients were already prepared and in the fridge when I got home. All I had to do was drain the tomatoes. This came together in NO TIME. We started to watch our TV show after we built our dinner and it was cooking away in the oven. Oh the smell was divine! This will for sure satisfy any pizza craving. Plus we still have leftover toppings, cheese and sausage and could make omelets!
SO glad to hear you enjoyed it so much! Love the idea of using the leftovers for omelets!
Love this recipe and so does my husband who usually doesn't like things that are "different" from the original (like pizza!). He doesn't eat mushrooms so I substituted sliced black olives and green peppers to make up for the bulk. It was delicious! We ate it for dinner and then both took it in our lunch the next day. My husband says this has to become a "regular" in the dinner rotation. I do have one question: why do you specify not to use petite diced tomatoes? I didn't because I always like to try a new recipe exactly as written the first time, but I always have a few cans of those on hand and just wondered what problem it would cause to use them.
Thanks so much for your site and all of your delicious recipes. They enable me to manage my weight and eat really good food at the same time!
So glad you both enjoyed it. About the tomatoes, I was concerned about the tomatoes making the finished dish watery, so I felt that larger chunks of tomato would be easier to rinse and drain, leaving big relatively dry pieces of tomato. But you could try petite dice and see what you think.
That makes sense. I am going to try sundried tomatoes next time just to see how they work. I love them and put them on pizza as a topping frequently. But I will probably do a half and half so if it doesn't turn out well, I will still have another delicious side to eat! AND, I am going to make the experimental side with mushrooms because I love them even if my husband doesn't. 😉
I did make this dish using sun-dried tomatoes and it was a winner! It made a "drier" casserole in that there wasn't really juice in the bottom like I have experienced with the canned tomatoes (even drained). But not dry like hard to swallow. We liked it very much. Thanks so much for this recipe Kalyn! It has become a favorite that gets prepared at least every couple of weeks at our house.
Thanks for reporting on that; I will have to try it too!
Hi there! Thank you for posting such wonderful recipes. We have to eat a low carb diet due to some medical needs my one year old has and time and again I find myself cooking recipes from your website!?
My question is, could I use fresh tomatoes from our garden for this recipe or do they need to be canned?
So glad to hear you're enjoying the recipes!
First, I haven't made it with fresh tomatoes, so I can't say for sure how it will work. The biggest issue would be the water content. If you cut up the fresh tomatoes, then cook then (maybe with some dried oregano and basil) until they're quite dry in the pan, that might work. Would love to hear how it works if you try it! I think the fresh tomato flavor would be great in this.
making this for dinner tonight for my husband and myself…we are eating low carb…trying a low protein version of this for my kids (they have PKU)…no meat…just mushrooms, and diced veggies..and their special cheese
…it sounds awesome…thank you so much…sounds wonderful…
Hope everyone enjoys it!
This was absolutely delicious – I made it with ground beef (I don't like sausage) but loaded it with Italian seasoning, and bought Italian Style diced tomatoes so that helped. I also added a little bit of Boboli pizza sauce for some extra flavor.
As a newly-diagnosed diabetic, I've been CRAVING pizza and went looking for recipes when I was just ready to bake some mozz and sauce and pepperoni and eat it with a spoon. Thank you for having an alternative!
Glad you enjoyed it!
So glad you enjoyed it! I always love hearing that!
Can this be made the day before, then heated up the next day for lunch?
Yes it can definitely be re-heated. Be sure not to overcook in the first place if you know you'll be reheating. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you! This was sooo good!
Glad to hear you enjoyed it!
I made this last night and added whole grain spaghetti to the bottom for an extra twist and it turned out fantastic! I do not have a place big enough for an oven, since I live in Japan, but I used my toaster oven and it cut the cooking time in half, which was even better! Great recipe! Super easy to make and I will definitely make it again. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it, and how fun hearing from someone in Japan!
What about using ground sausage instead of links? Maybe adding some onion, thinking purple onion?
I squeezed the sausage out of the links to cook it, so it was ground sausage. The ground turkey Italian sausage that come in packages would also be great, and definitely add red onion too if you like.
Hi there. I'm Sheri. Will be making this for the 2nd time tonight. We are eating low-carb and this really satisfied my craving for pizza. Now if you can just come up with something to satisfy my need for cheese enchiladas, rice and beans….
Hi Sheri, so glad you enjoyed it! I do have a few mexican food casseroles if you want to do a search for casserole, but no cheese enchiladas. (Sounds so good though!)
This recipe is a life saver! I have Gestational Diabetes and was craving pizza. But was told the sauce and crust was not good for me. My favorite happens to be pepperoni with Mushrooms. I made this, and it squashed the craving. My numbers were good too! I might have to make this a few more times. My 3 year old and hubby love it too. Thank you so much for this!
SO glad it worked for your blood sugar and that you enjoyed it! Good luck with the pregnancy. Mu niece had gestational diabetes but now she has a beautiful baby girl; hang in there!
Does this recipe freeze well after being cooked?
Cierra, I've never had any left to freeze, but I am guessing it will freeze well if it's in a container with a tight lid.
Kalyn, I just made this after I had a pizza craving and it was delicious! I added onions and peppers and served it with zucchini noodles. Perfect! Thank you so much!
Thanks Alexa; so glad you enjoyed it!
I am a pizza lover but had weight loss surgery nearly a year ago. Someone shared this recipe with me tonight and can't wait to try it! Thank you!
Hi Ruth, hope you enjoy!
. I'm low carb and gluten-free. Nice to have a pizza like substitute to satisfying a craving.
Janet, hope you enjoy!
It was definitely more than just okay for me; hope you can adjust to your liking!
Made this tonight without mushrooms but with bell pepper and onion, and a mix of ground beef and chicken Italian sausage, with a few shakes of crushed red pepper and some sliced green onions to finish. Wonderful!! When we're not feeling so carb-conscious, I would definitely serve this over corkscrew pasta. Appreciate this versatile recipe. Thanks, Kalyn!
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! I love hearing how you adapted!
Hello! Are you able to use Colby jack cheese or Mexican blend cheese instead of mozzarella? Thank you!
I think that would be fine if you prefer that type of cheese!
I have this in the oven now! Used ground turkey for the base meat, thought I had turkey pepperoni but the boyfriend must have ate it all! So deconstructed cheese pizza it is 😉
Hope you enjoy!
Just made this tonight with a few changes and it was so good!! I used trader joes refrigerated pizza sauce instead of diced tomatoes, I did cook it down a little before adding it, and I would definitely use turkey pepperoni next time there was a little too much grease with regular pepperoni. I added onions, green peppers and black olives to the mix, and I used a mix of mozzarella and trader joes quarto formaggio mix. It definitely satisfied my craving for pizza (better than anything else I've tried) Thanks for such a great recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Kim so glad you enjoyed it. I don't calculate nutritional information (too hard to do it accurately and I already spend 8-10 hours on each recipe). But if you look in the post where it says "Nutritional Information" I have two suggestions for how you can get that information if you need it.
This is absolutely delicious, I put mine on top a lay of baby spinach.
Carolyn, that sounds good to me; so glad you enjoyed it!
Can't wait to feature this on my Friday Five list tomorrow! 🙂
Thanks Kara; glad you like it!
Does this freeze well?
I haven't frozen it but I don't think it will freeze well, sorry.
I used hot Italian chicken sausage and added the egg mixture talked about above but used cottage cheese instead of ricotta. I am incapable of cooking anything without onions and garlic, so added those with the mushrooms. I thought it sounded quite weird, but wow, it turned out fantastic. Even hubby liked it. I watch calories and am gluten free. I was shocked when I calculated the calories how low it was. Thanks for a great recipe!
So happy to hear you enjoyed it!
Glad you liked it; interesting to hear how you adapted the recipe.
This looks amazing! Do you think if I used a jarred tomato sauce, it would be too watery? Do the diced tomatoes help hold it together somehow?
Yes, I do think sauce from a jar will be too watery unless you cook it down for quite a while to thicken it. Even then I can't say for sure how it will work since I haven't done it that way, but that's why I rinsed the tomatoes.
Oops, sorry for the duplicate post. Feel free to delete at will. I didn't realize I'd submitted earlier yesterday.
No worries; glad to hear it worked out like you wanted!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this recipe! My family has been missing pizza. 🙂 I did make a few changes the second time I made it. I decided to make the bottom layer hold together by adding ricotta cheese, 2 eggs, and some parmesan and Italian herbs to the sausage and tomato mixture. I also added some additional veggies – green pepper, green chile, red onion and sliced tomato and added some more parmesan over the top. Yum!:)
KT, sounds like it might work if you want a more pizza-like dish. I considered it a casserole, so I was eating it with a fork and didn't mind that it didn't stick together.
I'm not a fan of mushrooms. Any suggestions on what I can substitute with instead? Or can I just omit them?
It would be quite thin without the mushrooms; I'd replace them with another type of vegetable that you like on pizza.
This is a wonderful idea that absolutely tastes GREAT! It is my husband's favorite new low-carb recipe! I cooked the sausage with onions and bell peppers because we like that on our pizza too! I am sharing this recipe with all of my friends! Thanks so much for making pizza easy and low carb!!
So glad you're enjoying it!
I'm not clear where you'd put the spinach? As a topping? Mixed in with the meat?
This is a delicious recipe! I think you could customize the toppings to your own family. I had turkey breakfast sausage so I used that and omitted seasoning the meat. Yummy! Next time I will double the recipe so we have extra.
I found your site last year when we needed variety on South Beach. Thank you for posting your ideas. I don't feel very creative some days so I love what you have come up with. Thank you so much.
As a side note- I visit Salt Lake regularly as I have a son living there. I have tried the Red Iguana, it is delicious. I may try some of the restaurants you recommend. Thanks again!
Thanks Shayna, so glad you have been enjoying the recipes ! I love, love, love The Red Iguana. Have fun visiting Salt Lake.
Looks delicious and this is on the menu at the Winn's this week. 🙂
Hope you enjoy Jenn!
Why "rinse" canned, chopped tomatoes? What remains? Never seen that one before.
The reason for rinsing the tomatoes is so that the finished dish doesn't turn out watery. You can try it without rinsing if you prefer, but I thought the results were great with the rinsed tomatoes.
Yum gonna try it this week!
Hope you enjoy Sommer!
This sounds amazing, can't wait to try!!
Thanks Betti, hope you enjoy!
Do you think that this could work with ground beef or turkey substituted for the sausage? I have one picky eater in the family!
It will work, but truthfully a lot of the flavor in the dish comes from the sausage so I don't know if it will be as good that way. Maybe if you season the meat a bit more than I did?
Oh, wow, this looks wonderful! I absolutely love pizza, and even as a kid wished I could have the toppings only with no crust (Mom: Don't be wasteful, there are children starving in China!). Question, though, do the tomatoes add enough moisture like sauce does, to kind of bind everything together?
It's really the cheese that melts down and binds it together, just enough that you can cut it into pieces. Definitely you need to eat with a fork.
I like to serve my family low carb meals 2 or 3 times a week, and this sounds amazing, especially since we're crazy about pizza. Since I always put a few rings of green bell peppers & onions on my homemade pizza, I'll put a thin layer of (diced & sautéed) green bell peppers and onions over the tomato layer, and I'll definitely use turkey pepperoni. Thanks for this recipe, and Happy New Year to you and your family.
Thanks; Happy New Year to you too! Glad you like it. I think the peppers and onions sound like a nice addition.
thank you for this recipe. I try to really eat low carb these days. I will make this for next week when I go back to work after taking some time off for the holidays. Please keep posting low carb meals.
Thanks Maria, glad you like it!
Nice idea, I like it.
Thanks Amy; hope you enjoy!
I made it, was very very tasty !!
Glad you liked it!
I think there are some kids in my family who would eat this in a heartbeat! What a fun (and low carb) way to start the new year!
Thanks Lydia! I am seriously thinking about eating some of the leftovers for breakfast; it was so good!