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    Home » Recipes

    Published: Jan 25, 2018 ·Updated: Feb 11, 2022 by Sabra · 66 Comments

    Upside Down Pizza Casserole | Keto, Gluten Free

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Rate this Recipe

    This upside down pizza casserole is the perfect family friendly keto dish! It's so easy to make and can even be prepped ahead of time for a quick weeknight supper!

    a slice of low carb pizza casserole with the crust on top on a white plate

    This Mom's Menu is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. This post may be sponsored or contain affiliate links but all opinions are my own. I may earn money from purchases made through the links shared here (at no additional cost to you)

    I love a recipe that makes my family ask "I thought you weren't eating carbs?" because they could never guess that what they are eating is actually low carb. This Upside Down Pizza Casserole does just that!

    It has all the flavors that you crave in a good pizza with a fraction of the carbs. It comes together easily and can even be made ahead of time for a quick weeknight supper! Add in your favorite pizza toppings to customize it to your taste for the PERFECT low carb craving killer!

    a slice of pizza casserole with a keto crust on a plate

    In my family, we take our pizza seriously. I am well known among my kids' friends, for my AMAZING homemade pizza and breadsticks. I make everything from scratch, and it's delicious if I do say so myself! Unfortunately, it is FAR from low carb, so it's now something I only make on special occasions.

    When transitioning to keto, and especially when trying to get your family on board, I think it's much easier to stick to foods that your family is familiar with. And since everyone is familiar with pizza, this recipe will do just that!

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients and substitutions:
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews

    Ingredients and substitutions:

    • Ground Beef - Ground turkey or Italian sausage would work great in place of the ground beef.
    • Low Carb Marinara - Really any marinara sauce will work, but if you are counting carbs I recommend my recipe for easy low carb marinara or Rao's Marinara sauce.
    • Pizza Toppings - For this recipe, I just went with the classic pepperoni, but the sky is the limit here! If you like it on your pizza feel free to use it in this casserole!
    • Mozzarella cheese
    • Cream cheese
    • Almond Flour - I always get asked about substitutions for the almond flour. The crust recipe is essentially a fathead dough with some extra baking powder mixed in. You can substitute the crust recipe with any fathead dough that you like (including coconut versions).
    • Baking Powder
    • Garlic powder - use any italian seasonings that you like, or leave it out if you prefer.
    • Egg
    • Butter - you can also use butter flavored coconut oil, olive oil, or you can omit the topping entirely.
    • Onion Powder
    • Parsley
    low carb pizza made with the crust on top
    Can I make keto pizza casserole in advance?

    Yes, this recipe makes a great freezer meal! To do this, simply prepare it as directed up until the foil is removed at the end of baking.

    Then, remove the casserole from the oven (after 30 minutes of baking) allow it to cool, and then tightly wrap it with foil and/or plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge or freezer.

    Ideally, you would want to thaw it at least halfway before baking it from this point. But if you don't have time just reduce the baking temp a bit and cook covered with foil for 45-60 minutes or until it is heated through.

    What pizza toppings can I have on Keto?

    Most common pizza toppings are perfectly fine to enjoy while you are on a keto diet. Meats (like pepperoni, sausage, Canadian bacon, ham, etc.) vegetables (like onions, peppers, olives, mushrooms, etc.) can be enjoyed without much concern for going over on carbs.

    Be sure to check out these other great recipes:

    • Homemade Meatballs | Keto
    • Easy Homemade Marinara Sauce | Low Carb
    • Pizza Dip with Garlic Breadsticks | Keto
    • Homemade Frozen Pizzas | Keto
    • Low Carb Chicken Parmesan Casserole

    📖 Recipe

    one slice of keto upside down pizza casserole on a white, square plate

    Upside Down Pizza Casserole | Keto, Gluten Free

    Sabra - This Mom's Menu
    This upside down keto pizza casserole is the perfect family friendly keto dish! It's so easy to make and can even be prepped ahead of time for a quick weeknight meal!
    4.41 from 64 reviewers
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Servings 6 servings
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 40 mins

    Ingredients
      

    Filling:

    • 1 lb 80/20 ground beef
    • 1 ¼ Cup Low Carb Marinara Sauce
    • 1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese shredded
    • Pizza Toppings of Your Choice

    Crust:

    • 1 ¾ cup Mozzarella Cheese shredded
    • 1 oz Cream Cheese
    • 1 ¼ cups Almond Flour
    • 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
    • 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
    • 1 Egg

    Topping:

    • 1 tablespoon Butter melted
    • ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
    • ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
    • 1 teaspoon Dried Parsley

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. 
    • Cook the ground beef and drain the excess grease. Combine the cooked beef with the marinara sauce and spread it into the bottom of a greased 7x11 casserole dish. 
    • Top the meat with about 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese, and your favorite pizza toppings.
    • For the top "crust" layer, combine the mozzarella cheese with the cream cheese in a medium microwave safe bowl. Heat it in the microwave for 30 second intervals until the 2 cheeses are melted and combine easily. Then, add in the almond meal, baking powder, garlic powder, and egg.
    • Spread this mixture on top of the cheese and toppings in your dish.  I find it easiest to place the dough in even clumps on the top of the dish and then smoosh them together using my hands until the entire casserole is covered.
    • Cover the pan with foil and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until the top is browned.
    • For the butter topping: Combine the melted butter with the garlic powder, onion powder, and parsley and brush on top of the "crust." 

    Be sure to read the entire post for tips, tricks, and help troubleshooting.

    The nutrition information listed here is only an estimate and is simply provided as a courtesy. It nor any other information within this post should constitute medical or nutritional advice. Be sure to read all packaging and ingredient labels for potential allergens. Optional ingredients are not included unless otherwise specified.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 509kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 32gFat: 38gSaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 129mgSodium: 684mgPotassium: 622mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 730IUVitamin C: 3.5mgCalcium: 407mgIron: 3.5mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @thismomsmenu or tag #thismomsmenu
    Low Carb pizza casserole with text overlay
    « Thai Peanut Curry with Chicken | Keto, Dairy Free
    This Weeks Menu - January 29, 2018 »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Barb says

      February 01, 2018 at 5:48 pm

      Hi just curious would coconut flour work in this vs almond flour? I have a child allergic to almonds. Thank you

      Reply
      • Sabra says

        February 01, 2018 at 8:15 pm

        You can, but the ratios would be a little different since coconut flour is much more absorbent then almond flour. To ensure a good result, I would check out the coconut flour bagel recipe on lowcarbyum.com, and simply sub the crust in this recipe with that bagel recipe - the result should be pretty similar 🙂

        Reply
    2. Rebecca says

      February 02, 2018 at 6:41 pm

      DELICIOUS! I’ve lost 25 lbs. on keto. You never feel deprived eating Upside Down Pizza Casserole. A winner!
      Rebecca

      Reply
      • Sabra says

        February 03, 2018 at 8:52 am

        Thank you so much, I am so glad that you enjoyed it!! You are totally right, there is a keto friendly substitute for just about anything that you could want. Congrats on your weight loss!!! 25 pounds is AMAZING!!

        Reply
      • GranGran A says

        April 30, 2018 at 10:33 pm

        I have lost 25 lbs. on Keto! Upside-Down pizza casserole is a delicious addition to my recipes!!!

        Reply
    3. Andrea says

      February 26, 2018 at 6:18 pm

      Delicious!! I don’t tolerate almond flour so I subbed it out for a couple tbsp of coconut flour, added and extra egg and total of 2 oz of cream cheese plus increased the mozz to 2 cups. I used hamburger, mini pepperoni, bacon, and Canadian bacon. I would have added more veggies if it wasn’t for my picky teen. Picky teen approved!! Thanks it’s a keeper!!

      Reply
      • Sabra says

        February 26, 2018 at 10:28 pm

        I’m so glad you all liked it 🙂 and what is it with teenagers? Mine is super picky too all of a sudden, drives me crazy!

        Reply
    4. JPH says

      March 17, 2018 at 2:14 pm

      I don't have a 7 x 11 casserole dish. I've only got a 9 x 13 or am 8 x 8. Which do you think would be better to use?

      Reply
      • Sabra says

        March 18, 2018 at 3:10 pm

        Either one should work fine. With an 8x8 you will might need to cook it a tad longer since the dough will be slightly thicker.

        Reply
    5. Ash says

      March 28, 2018 at 6:53 pm

      Any tips for removing the egg? How about non nut based flours? This looks amazing but our food allergies are lengthy

      Reply
      • Sabra says

        March 29, 2018 at 8:46 am

        This is a tough one. I *think* that most flours would work in place of the nut flours, but you would have to play around with the proportions a little. The egg gives the dough a little rise, bust mostly acts as a binder so you could probably just add a little extra cheese in it's place. Good luck!!

        Reply
    6. Shelly says

      April 13, 2018 at 9:15 am

      Can you freeze this recipe and bake later?

      Reply
      • Sabra says

        April 13, 2018 at 5:47 pm

        Yep! I usually bake it just until the top dough layer begins to brown before freezing, otherwise the texture changes a little.

        To cook, I thaw it in the fridge and bake until it’s heated through and the top is fully browned.

        Reply
    7. Chris says

      May 09, 2018 at 7:59 pm

      Made this tonight and it was amazing. Thank you for a good Keto recipe.

      Reply
      • Sabra says

        May 09, 2018 at 11:58 pm

        So glad that you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    8. Brooke Kingston says

      May 25, 2018 at 10:52 pm

      This recipe is absolutely incredible. Everyone in my household gave it a “10.” I have been searching for YEARS for a family friendly alternative to pizza. This casserole is perfec in every way!! A million thanks for developing this “keeper” recipe. It’s phenomenal!

      Reply
      • Sabra says

        May 26, 2018 at 9:00 am

        This comment just made my day! Thank you so much! I am so happy that you and your family enjoyed it 🙂

        Reply
    9. Natalie says

      June 12, 2018 at 11:49 am

      This was delicious! I made it exactly as the recipe states and it turned out great. I used pepperoni and bacon crumbles for the pizza "topping". Thank you for a yummy recipe!

      Reply
      • Sabra says

        June 12, 2018 at 7:50 pm

        I am definitely going to toss in bacon pieces the next time I make it! Thanks for the review!

        Reply
    10. Joellen says

      June 24, 2018 at 4:03 pm

      Fabulous Keto recipe! Outstanding hit in this house!!

      Reply
    11. Janet says

      July 21, 2018 at 9:19 pm

      Could you roll the crust between parchment then lay it on top or is the dough too sticky?

      Reply
      • Sabra says

        July 22, 2018 at 2:41 pm

        I think you could do that! maybe spray the parchment with nonstick spray just in case. Let me know how it goes!

        Reply
    12. Lucy says

      July 22, 2018 at 7:14 pm

      I made this for dinner, it was excellent. I used a 9x13 pan and it was the same amount of time. I also put the crust in between two sheets of wax paper and pressed it out. Worked great. Thank you for the delicious recipe. I will be making this again soon.

      Reply
    13. Penny says

      July 22, 2018 at 8:59 pm

      Could you please confirm that the amount of marinara sauce is 1and 1/4 cup. Also the amount of almond flour is 1 and 1/4 cup. Want to make this tomorrow.

      Reply
      • Sabra says

        July 22, 2018 at 10:20 pm

        Yep - the amounts on the recipe card are correct. Hope you like it!

        Reply
        • Penny says

          July 26, 2018 at 7:24 am

          I made this on Tuesday, I used 1 lb of bulk Italian sausage instead of ground beef. This is the best recipe for pizza for keto people! My husband liked it too. Glad to have been surfing and found this. I will definitely make this again. Oh ,I forgot to mention, I let it set up in the fridge and we had it the next day for dinner.

          Reply
          • Sabra says

            July 28, 2018 at 3:47 pm

            Thanks so much for the kind review! So glad that you guys enjoyed it!

            Reply
    14. Stephanie, One Caring Mom says

      July 25, 2018 at 6:35 pm

      I can not wait to make this for my family!!! I'm eating low carb so regular pizza just doesn't cut it these days. This will be the perfect substitute!

      Reply
    15. Lisa Rakouskas says

      August 13, 2018 at 8:09 pm

      Yum!! I have been missing pizza a lot lately. This even made my two teens happy! They said “ it”’s too bad you can’t eat this mom.” When I told them I could they were stunned! It tastes like calzone

      Reply
    16. Cheri says

      September 07, 2018 at 8:25 pm

      Holy Yum! I started keto three days ago, and was thrilled to find this recipe but also skeptical because pizza is my favorite food! I made it tonight for dinner for my family, and my husband (who is not on keto) went back for seconds! My college-age girls loved it as well. I could eat this every day and would make it even if I wasn't on keto. THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!

      Reply
      • Sabra says

        September 08, 2018 at 9:35 am

        You're welcome Cheri! Glad you all enjoyed it and welcome to keto! xo

        Reply
    17. Kate Thomas says

      September 10, 2018 at 4:27 pm

      I made this and it’s delish!

      Reply
    18. Deb Marshall says

      September 18, 2018 at 8:33 pm

      Hello Sabra, I made this for supper tonight and both myself and my husband loved it. The only problem I had was smooshing the crust over top with my hands, it kept sticking. Now I'm wondering if the problem was that I used almond flour (as listed in the recipe ingredients), not the almond meal stated in the directions. I think the almond meal would make the crust a little more crispier than mine turned out, although we did enjoy it. Next time I will try the almond meal. Thanks for this recipe, I've been craving pizza for weeks now and this one fit the bill.

      Reply
      • Sabra says

        September 20, 2018 at 9:21 am

        Glad that you all liked it! Although almond meal or flour should work just fine, that is a typo in the recipe. Other reviewers have suggested rolling out the top layer between 2 sheets of greased parchment, then laying it on top, so if you are having trouble, this sounds like the best solution to me.

        Thanks for the review! xo

        Reply
    19. Phyllis says

      September 19, 2018 at 6:22 pm

      The recipe states to put one cup of mozzarella cheese on top and then Marinera and beef. Then it states to add mozzarella to cream cheese, would that be the 3/4cup that is left over? Or is it still another 1 3/4 cup ?

      Reply
      • Phyllis says

        September 19, 2018 at 6:23 pm

        On top of the marinara and beef is what that should have said.

        Reply
    20. Freda Davies says

      September 19, 2018 at 11:59 pm

      Love it! Love it! Love it! I ‘m not a great cook and had my doubts but all turned out perfectM no problem with the crust, just flatten it into two pieces and used my lifter to slide it onto pizza. Topping was mushroom and green pepper.
      PS Is there a way I can follow you for recipes?

      Reply
      • Sabra says

        September 20, 2018 at 9:25 am

        Hi Freda! So glad that you enjoyed this recipe! You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest @thismomsmenu You can also sign up for my email list by entering your email in the box at the top of the page. xo

        Reply
    21. Judy Knapp says

      September 23, 2018 at 8:32 pm

      Do you taste the almond in the dough?

      Reply
      • Sabra says

        September 23, 2018 at 8:57 pm

        Hi Judy, I have never noticed the dough tasting like almond at all. Hope that helps!

        Reply
    22. Chris says

      October 03, 2018 at 10:01 pm

      This. Was. Amazing. I, too, added bacon and it was fantastic! Definitely going in my playbook! Thank you!

      Reply
    23. Michelle says

      October 04, 2018 at 11:09 am

      Trying this tonight as after a month on Keto, my husband would practically kill somebody for a piece of pizza. He really wouldn't, but it has been his biggest crazing. Fingers-crossed!

      Reply
    24. Kristi says

      October 11, 2018 at 7:38 pm

      I think I did something wrong, the almond flour didn't really incorporate into the cheese mixture. Suggestions? Still delicious though. I actually made with meatballs.

      Reply
      • Sabra says

        October 12, 2018 at 3:34 pm

        Make sure that your cheese is REALLY melted before you add in the almond flour and that should help!

        Reply
    25. Kristi Jones says

      October 13, 2018 at 7:43 am

      Thanks. Perhaps it was just barely melted. I will remember that for next time.

      Reply
    26. txgrandma says

      October 17, 2018 at 8:45 pm

      This was great. My husband commented that he would like to see it in the rotation. (He rarely says that, lol!) I am planning to make this for my gluten free daughter and family very soon. I expect it will be a hit!

      I am also thinking that it would be great with an Alfredo and chicken sauce instead of the marinara, for a change. Great idea. Thanks for the great recipe!

      Reply
      • Sabra says

        October 22, 2018 at 6:28 pm

        That's so great to hear! I definitely think you are on to something with that Alfredo idea 🤔

        Reply
    27. Sarah says

      October 19, 2018 at 6:07 pm

      How does this reheat? Thinking of making it for my lunches next week....

      Reply
      • Sabra says

        October 22, 2018 at 6:31 pm

        Hi Sarah! We have been on vacation for the past few days and I am slowly making my way through comments, so I hope I am not answering this too late! This casserole reheats really well! The texture of the bread layer does tend to get a little dry when reheating, so I like to add a tad more marinara, or just pour some extra on it before heating it up. Hope that helps!

        Reply
    28. Ana says

      October 25, 2018 at 7:43 am

      Looks Amazing will be trying with ground turkey instead of hamburger...should be lil lower on carbs n fat maybe?

      Reply
      • Sabra says

        October 25, 2018 at 12:30 pm

        Hope you enjoy it! Ground turkey will reduce the calories and fat, if you select a lean ground turkey but the carbs will be the same 🙂

        Reply
    29. B says

      November 30, 2018 at 9:22 am

      Made last night and the fiancé said it was the best keto recipe we've tried so far.

      Reply
    30. Jackie says

      November 30, 2018 at 10:00 pm

      Excellent recipe! Take out pizza was the most difficult thing for me to give up-- recipes like this help me to stay on track. Thank you!

      Reply
    31. Marda says

      December 08, 2018 at 12:20 pm

      I do not need a gluten free recipe. Can I use regular flour instead of the almond flour?

      Reply
      • Sabra says

        December 09, 2018 at 11:48 am

        I'm not sure that regular flour would work. You could just substitute a traditional pizza crust recipe for the topping in this though! Hope that helps if you try it let me know how it turns out!

        Reply
    32. Beverly says

      January 02, 2019 at 4:12 pm

      Can this be made without the egg

      Reply
      • Sabra says

        January 02, 2019 at 5:11 pm

        You can leave the egg out, although the texture will not be quite as bread like.

        Reply
    33. Michelle says

      February 02, 2019 at 5:58 pm

      Hi Sabra, I Did read the comments about a typo. Which would be better the almond flour or Meal? Thank you

      Reply
      • Sabra says

        February 02, 2019 at 6:02 pm

        Almond flour would be best. If you only have meal, you can pulse it in a blender for a few minutes to make it a bit finer. Hope that helps!

        Reply
    34. Corrinne says

      February 02, 2019 at 11:33 pm

      Wonderfull recipe that feels like I'm cheating but NOT!! Even my teenagers love it. It took me three tries before I really mastered the crust but It was well worth it, I love the recipe!!!

      Reply
    35. Bonnie says

      February 19, 2019 at 11:12 am

      It has been hard satisfying my family of 4 while doimg low carb, until I found this recipe. I don’t even feel like I'm on a diet with this recipe. My pizza loving toddler loves it. So easy to throw together. I made this recipe in advance and stored in the fridge for a few days before putting it in the oven and ut was still yummy. Perfect for a busy working mom that has little time to prep for dinner during the week.

      Reply
      • Sabra says

        February 19, 2019 at 4:49 pm

        YAY! So happy to hear it's been a hit 🙂

        Reply
    36. Marianne says

      March 10, 2019 at 9:21 pm

      It was very good. The whole family liked it very much.

      Reply
    37. Michelle says

      April 20, 2021 at 12:24 pm

      This is so yummy! I added shredded parmesan to the mozzarella topping, Italian seasoning to the dough and grated parmesan on top....IT WAS FANTASTIC!

      Reply
    38. Melissa says

      July 13, 2022 at 7:15 pm

      Hi, when do you add the top butter layer? After you take the cover off?

      Reply

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    Hi! I am Sabra and I'm the face behind This Mom's Menu. I live just outside of Louisville Kentucky with my husband and four kids. Here at This Mom's Menu, you can expect to find family-friendly, healthy recipes plus articles about what is helping me get through my daily to-do list with a little sanity to spare! My favorite things right now are fresh flowers, eggs, and re-runs of The Office ...

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