This time of year I am always looking for new zucchini recipes. My family gets tired of seeing zucchini over and over. My friend told me about an old Taste of Home recipe that was in a cookbook we both have. I thought it sounded like a fun, easy, and frugal dinner idea.
But, the first time I made this “pizza” my family did not know what to think. The recipe calls it pizza, but it is not really like a real pizza. This is how the conversation with my son went the first time we had this.
While I was making dinner my son asked, “What is for dinner, mom?”
I said, “Zucchini Pizza”
He said, “Ok” and ran off.
Then at dinner he looked at it and said, “Mom, you said we were having pizza!”
I said, “We are, zucchini pizza.”
He said, “But you said we were having PIZZA.”
I said, “This is called zucchini pizza.”
Then throughout the meal he kept saying, “But if this is pizza, where is the crust?”
He finished eating dinner and said, “Mom, this is good, but it is not pizza!”
So, this dinner is really good, but if you serve it to your family you might want to rename it. Otherwise you might be having a similar conversation.
Zucchini Pizza
- 4 cups shredded peeled zucchini, drained and squeezed dry
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 eggs
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1-1/2 cups prepared spaghetti sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
In a bowl, combine zucchini, rice, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and eggs until well blended. Press mixture into a greased 15-in. x 11-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is set and lightly browned. Meanwhile, brown ground beef and onion; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce, oregano and salt. Mix well. Spoon beef mixture over zucchini crust. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
For more frugal meals see $5 dinners. For more zucchini recipes see Tammy’s Recipes.
I love to cook and bake, and it is a good thing, because my family loves to eat. I live with my husband and three kids on 43 acres in Northeastern Oklahoma. Between homeschooling, helping in my husband’s dental office, working on our property, taking care of three dogs, and raising hogs as a side job/hobby, I am constantly on the go like most of you.
I wonder if Zucchini PIE or TART would get the same type of non-believing comments
O o o! Finally one I know something about that I can leave a comment! *giggle*
I have made zucchini pizza. I recomend making the crust out of Zucchini only. Shred it, drain and dry it, press it into a circle, prepare as regular pizza. Worked fine and we had no questions.
Another idea for zucchini that I love is to shred it, saute it in olive oil with garlic and tomatos and use it as an alternative layer in lasagna. I generally replace the cheese layer with the vegetables. Our entire family loves it!
I served this last week and the family enjoyed this very much. The only thing I did different was add less cheese to the crust and 1/2 cup of lowfat ricotta. We were low on cheddar. But it turned out yummy all the same.
That looks sooo yummy! Great use of the zuke.
Oh, my goodness! I made this for my family tonight and we all LOVED it! Even my one-year-old son gobbled it right up. Thank you for all the great recipes!
@Amanda, I am so glad you liked this. My kids love it too. It is a great way to get kids to eat zucchini.
I was thinking Zucchini Lasagna and then I read Anne’s comment about how she incorporates lasagna noodles, and it’s going to have to be tried here…since I have two huge zucchinis on my counter! Thanks for the idea.
I found you through Premeditated Leftovers today.
@Rebecca in Colorado, I am so glad that you found my site. We love this recipe. I hope that you enjoy it also.
This may be a silly question, but what’s the best way to squeeze the zucchini dry? {We made this a few months ago and LOVED it, but it took me a long time to get all the pieces together, so I’m hoping I can figure out quick ways to get it done faster!}
Thanks!
@SarahKL @ the Ooey Gooey Daily News, I usually just put the zuch. in a colander or strainer and press down on it, this works pretty well. You can also use a kitchen towel and squeeze it out in that, but I find that way messy. I hope that helps!
YUM! This sounds super. I think I’m going to try it sometime
As soon as I saw Zucchini Pizza, on your planner I simply had to link over to see what this was all about. Brilliant! Can’t wait to try it. Winter here so courgettes (what zucchini’s are called in NZ) are a little too expensive right now but will pin it for summer …
It looks like lasagna. Would it be fair to call it such? Gonna try this. It’s hard to find a good GF crust! (Well, a cheap GF crust anyways.)
I would say call it whatever will make your family want to eat it.
I love this recipe because it is so easy and it is gluten free. I really think you could use other toppings for this and have it be really good on the crust. I hope you enjoy it!