This deep-dish pizza casserole reminds me of going to Pizza Hut as a child. I read so many books to get those “Book it” rewards. Full of beef, pizza sauce, mushrooms, peppers and more- this recipe is simply delicious!
I love Italian deep-dish pizzas, straight from the oven in a large cast-iron skillet; they’re the ultimate comfort food.
I’m not a huge fan of most keto cauliflower or chicken-crust pizzas. However, I love my pizza flavored cauliflower and spaghetti squash pizza nests.
A few years back, while in Chicago, I got my pregnant hands on one of the city’s famous deep-dish pizzas (back in my carb-crazy days). This recipe was inspired by Giordanos.
Now, I’m watching what I eat, but I still love and crave a deep-dish pizza. So, I created this monster of an easy keto pizza casserole.
Table of Contents
How do I make the perfect deep-dish keto pizza?
I made my pizza casserole in a cast-iron skillet for a bit more flavor. My favorite is the Lodge brand skillets.
However, you can make this recipe without a cast-iron skillet; just use a deep casserole dish instead.
Notice I didn’t use pizza sauce in this recipe. Instead, I used spaghetti sauce, which I think has more of a rich taste for casseroles than pizza sauce.
Tips for cooking your deep-dish pizza casserole:
To save on time, I added in my chopped onion and green pepper while browning the ground beef. Now, they’re soft and savory from the oven later on.
I added in some favorite pizza toppings. However, you may wish to substitute any meats, cheeses, and veggies as long as they’re low-carb or keto friendly.
How do I make pizza casserole keto friendly?
Unlike other keto pizzas, this pizza casserole does not use an almond flour, cauliflower, or pizza crust.
Only the delicious toppings, sauce and cheese for this crustless low carb pizza!
To make this more keto friendly, you can omit the onions and add in more peppers, olives, or mushrooms.
Extra meat is also a great way to beef up your deep-dish casserole.
Can I make other substitutions for a keto pizza?
- bbq sauce, chicken and onions instead of pizza sauce/ground beef
- meat lover’s pizza with ham, Italian sausage, and beef
- Philly cheesesteak pizza with steak, peppers, onion, and white American cheese
A few ideas if you love a variety of pies:
- make it ahead of time and freeze for easy meal prep
- add in extra cheeses to make a cheesy pizza party dip
- make leftovers into a pizza shashuka for breakfast (eggs baked into the tomato sauce)
Deep-dish pizza casserole (keto)
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/3 cup green olives
- 12 slices pepperoni
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 yellow onion
- 3 tbsp pickled jalapeños
- 8 oz baby bella mushrooms
- 1.5 cup low carb spaghetti sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Meanwhile, on med-high heat, brown ground beef with onions and green peppers. Drain any excess juice.
- Add low-carb pizza sauce, pepperoni, green olives, mushrooms and jalapeños. Top with mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cheese is golden.
Nutrition
If you like this keto deep-dish pizza casserole, you’ll love:
Kellea
Great recipe. Can’t wait to try it. And I love Giordanos in Chicago!