The surprise in Pizza Casserole Surprise is in the base; instead of pizza dough or pasta, it uses couscous! Tender, fluffy couscous, it turns out, is a wonderful addition to rich tomato sauce and melty mozzarella cheese. A medley of favorite pizza toppings, including savory chicken, tender spinach, and beefy mushrooms makes sure the Pizza Casserole Surprise is both hearty and surprisingly flavorful! It’ll be no surprise when this dish becomes a favorite!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups dry Moroccan couscous
- 2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more, to taste, for greasing the baking dish
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 (8-ounce) carton cremini mushrooms, sliced thinly
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 6 handfuls baby spinach
- 2 cups chicken, cooked, shredded or chopped
- 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce, homemade or store-bought, can substitute pizza sauce
- 1 cup fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded or sliced
Directions
Step 1 –In a saucepan over high heat, add the water and bring it to a boil.
Step 2 –Add the couscous and stir well to combine.
Step 3 –Cover the saucepan and let the saucepan stand off the heat until all of the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes.
Step 4 –Fluff the couscous with a fork.
Step 5 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 6 –Using the extra olive oil, lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish.
Step 7 –In a large pan or skillet over medium heat, add the remaining 2 teaspoons of the olive oil.
Step 8 –Add the onions and the mushrooms to the hot oil and cook, while stirring, until softened, about 5-8 minutes.
Step 9 –Add the tomato paste and cook, while stirring, until fragrant and beginning to caramelize, about 1-2 minutes.
Step 10 –Add the spinach and the chicken to the skillet and cook, while stirring, until the chicken is heated through and the spinach starts to wilt, about 2-3 minutes.
Step 11 –Evenly spread the couscous in the prepared baking dish.
Step 12 –Add the tomato sauce to the baking dish and spread it out evenly.
Step 13 –Layer the chicken-vegetable mixture over the sauce layer.
Step 14 –Evenly spread the mozzarella over the chicken-vegetable layer.
Step 15 –Cover and bake until the cheese is melted and golden and the sauce is bubbly, about 20-25 minutes.
Step 16 –Serve hot.
