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Deep Dish Zucchini Crusted Pizza Casserole

paula

Whether you are wanting a gluten-free pizza, to increase your vegetable intake, use up some of a bumper crop of zucchini, or to eat a really yummy meal, this deep dish zucchini pizza casserole may just be the ticket.

The original recipe from the Lehman’s Anniversary Cookbook called for incorporating ground beef, green peppers and cheese with the ingredients for a tomato sauce. I found that you can use any topping you would want to eat on a pizza: onions, olives, pineapple, ham, mushrooms… If you decide to use pepperoni, I suggest using turkey pepperoni or a quality brand that is not as greasy as some others (I like Boar’s Head) or else you’ll end up with a greasy dish like this one.

The recipe calls for shredded zucchini. If your like me and don’t own a mandolin or larger food processor, a box or hand shredder/grater works great. In fact, I found that it turns out better if you don’t use the much of the seeded area of the zucchini.

How then do I shred the zucchini? First, I cut off the ends of the zucchini and then cut it into a manageable size pieces to handle on the shredder (or mandolin)…4 or 5 inches maybe. Next, I place a long, skin side next to the shredder and run it from the top to the bottom of the shredder about 4 or so times until I get near or start to see the seeds (only moving it in the one direction against the shredder). Finally, I rotate the zucchini and repeat the shredding actions until I have gone around the entire piece. I repeat these steps until I have enough zucchini for the recipe.

I do not find that it took me any longer to make this deep dish pizza than it does to a regular deep dish pizza from scratch. It does require a little time to drain moister from the zucchini, but it also requires time to let the dough rise.

 

Recipe: Deep Dish Zucchini Crusted Pizza Casserole

Ingredients:

  1. 4 c. +/- shredded zucchini, unpeeled (3- 4 average zucchini)
  2. 1/2 tsp. salt
  3. 2 eggs or egg whites
  4. 1/2 Parmesan cheese, grated
  5. 1 c. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  6. 2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
  7. tomato pasta sauce
  8. toppings of your choice (sauteed or roasted mushrooms, onions, peppers, sausage, ground beef, etc.)

Instructions:

  1. Place shredded zucchini in a strainer, sprinkle with salt.
  2. Allow to drain for 10 to 15 minutes.
  3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  4. Squeeze zucchini to remove more moisture.
  5. In medium/large bowl, combine zucchini, eggs, Parmesan cheese, half of the Cheddar cheese, and half of the mozzarella cheese.
  6. Press into a greased/oiled 9 X 13 in pan.
  7. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until firm/lightly browned.
  8. Remove from oven and top with vegetables and/or meats, sauce, and remaining cheese.
  9. Return to oven on the top rack.
  10. Bake at 400 or 425 until cheese is melted, bubbly…about 10 to 15 minutes more.

Copyright © 2013.
Recipe by Paula, A Simple Home Cook.

 

Note:  I don’t find it necessary to grease or oil the baking dish when I use my Fiesta baking dish.

This is a very filling dish! After just one slice, my husband even noted how full he felt…he usually does not say that when eating pizza. I guess it must be the added dietary fiber of the zucchini 🙂

Enjoy!

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