Low Carb Pizza Bowl
Every flavour of pizza without the crust: a melted low-moisture mozzarella base under sugar-free marinara, chicken Italian sausage and turkey pepperoni, baked until bubbling. One bowl, 25 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sugar-free marinara sauce look for a brand under 5g carbs per serving
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese low-moisture only — fresh mozzarella makes the bowl watery
- 1/4 cup cooked chicken Italian sausage crumbled; turkey Italian sausage works too
- 1/4 cup turkey pepperoni slices optional; nitrate-free where you can find it
- 1/4 cup black olives sliced, optional
- 1/4 cup bell peppers diced, optional; a mix of colours looks best
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder essential for the pizza-shop aroma
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano double the amount if using fresh
- 1 teaspoon olive oil for greasing the baking bowl
- salt and black pepper to taste
- fresh parsley or basil chopped, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F. While it comes up to temperature, lightly grease a small ceramic or glass baking bowl with the olive oil.
- Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella evenly across the bottom of the bowl. This layer is the “crust”, so cover the whole base and press it down gently with your fingers so it melts evenly.
- Spoon the marinara over the cheese, but do not cover it completely — letting some cheese show through is what gives you the golden edges. Add the meat first (chicken Italian sausage, turkey pepperoni), then the vegetables (bell peppers, olives). Add a little more mozzarella on top if you like.
- Dust everything with the garlic powder and oregano, then season with salt and pepper. These are what turn cheese and sauce into something that actually tastes like pizza, so do not skip them.
- Bake for 10–15 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and bubbling with golden edges and the toppings are sizzling. If the cheese browns too fast, cover loosely with foil.
- Let it sit a minute — it comes out molten — then garnish with chopped parsley or basil and serve.
Notes
This makes one bowl. Multiply the ingredients for more, or build it family-style in one larger dish.
Dry your toppings: pat mushrooms or fresh tomatoes dry before they go in, or the bowl turns watery.
Layer strategically: heartier toppings like meat go closer to the cheese base, delicate herbs on top. Stick to 3–4 toppings — overcrowding stops the cheese melting evenly.
Marinara matters: it is where nearly all the carbs come from. Raòs, Primal Kitchen and Yo Mama's are reliable; aim for under 5g carbs per serving.
Variations: Mediterranean (feta, spinach, kalamata olives, diced tomato); meat lover's (ground beef, turkey bacon crumbles, turkey pepperoni, chicken Italian sausage); veggie (mushroom, peppers, red onion, spinach, artichoke); or diced smoked turkey with a little pineapple.
Storage: keeps sealed in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 5–7 minutes rather than the microwave, which turns the cheese rubbery.