Okay, okay, we all know that pizza doesn’t generally make the cut for the healthiest of dishes. But sometimes, the key to a successful diet is getting the flavor with newer, more nourishing ingredients. That’s the secret behind Feel-Good Pizza Bake; using tender, mild cauliflower, low-carb pasta sauce, and low-fat cheeses, you get all the same rich, melty, cheesy wonder of pizza without all the heaviness! With Feel-Good Pizza Bake on your side, feeling good really never felt so simple!
Ingredients
- 14 ounces cauliflower florets, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 cup water
- 2 pounds Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups jarred low-carb pasta sauce
- 1 green pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 1/2 ounces pepperoni slices
- 12 ounces low-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Step 2 –Coat a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Step 3 –In a microwave-safe bowl, add the cauliflower and the water.
Step 4 –Cover the bowl with a damp paper towel and microwave on high until the cauliflower is tender, about 3 minutes.
Step 5 –Drain the cauliflower and pat it dry with a paper towel.
Step 6 –In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the Italian sausage and cook, while crumbling, until it is no longer pink, about 15 minutes.
Step 7 –Drain the grease from the skillet and set the sausage aside on a plate.
Step 8 –In the same skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil.
Step 9 –Add the mushrooms to the hot oil and cook, while stirring, until the mushrooms are tender and their liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes.
Step 10 –Spread 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce evenly into the bottom of the prepared casserole dish.
Step 11 –In a large bowl, add the cooked cauliflower, the cooked Italian sausage, the cooked mushrooms, and the green peppers and toss together until well-combined.
Step 12 –Spread 1/2 of the sausage mixture in the prepared dish over the pasta sauce layer.
Step 13 –Top the sausage mixture with 1/2 of the remaining pasta sauce, 1/2 of the pepperoni, and 1/2 of the mozzarella, in that order.
Step 14 –Top the mozzarella layer with the remaining sausage mixture, all but 10 slices of the remaining pepperoni, the remaining pasta sauce, and the remaining mozzarella.
Step 15 –In a small bowl add the parmesan cheese and the Italian seasoning and stir to combine.
Step 16 –Sprinkle the parmesan mixture over the top of the casserole dish and top it with the reserved 10 slices of the pepperoni.
Step 17 –Bake until the casserole is warmed through and the cheese is fully melted, about 30 minutes.
Step 18 –Serve.
