okay so… I need to tell you about this pizza bowl thing I made last Tuesday when I was supposed to meal prep but ended up watching TikToks instead.
listen, I was just thinking about how much I miss pizza on keto and then I remembered my sister texting me at like 11pm being like “just throw everything in a bowl” and honestly? game changer.
Contents
Why This Actually Works
No crust means you can eat like three servings and not feel gross after
You get all the pizza taste without the carb crash that makes you want to nap at 2pm
It’s done in maybe 20 minutes if you don’t get distracted
My kids actually ate it without complaining which is basically a miracle
Cleanup is just one bowl per person so whatever to the dishes
What You’ll Need
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ground beef or Italian sausage | about 1 lb | I use whatever’s on sale |
| Pepperoni slices | a lot | like maybe 20? I don’t count lol |
| Mozzarella cheese | 2 cups-ish | shredded, the bag kind |
| Pizza sauce | 1/2 cup maybe | low carb if you care |
| Bell peppers | 1 pepper | any color works |
| Mushrooms | handful | I always forget these |
| Italian seasoning | some | few shakes |
| Garlic powder | sprinkle | trust me |
| Olive oil | tiny bit | for cooking |
How to Make It (My Messy Way)
So first you’re gonna brown the meat in a big skillet. Medium heat. I literally always forget to drain it properly and it gets kinda greasy but honestly tastes better that way.
While that’s happening you should probably chop your veggies. I make mine really small because my youngest picks out anything bigger than a pea. Gets annoying.
Throw the peppers and mushrooms right into the meat pan. Let them get soft for like 5 minutes or whatever. Season with the Italian stuff and garlic powder. I never measure this part.
Here’s where it gets easy. Dump in the pizza sauce and stir everything together. Let it bubble for a minute.
Get your bowls ready – I use these random ceramic ones from Target. Spoon the meat mixture into each bowl. Not gonna lie, mine aren’t perfect portions.
Add the cheese on top. Like a lot of cheese. Then stick the pepperoni slices on there however you want. I let my kids do this part and it always looks chaotic.
Pop them in the oven at 375 degrees for maybe 10 minutes until the cheese melts and gets bubbly. Sometimes I broil it at the end for 2 minutes to get it crispy but I’ve definitely burned it doing this so watch it.
Done.
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Tips That Actually Help
- Add jalapeños if you want it spicy – my husband does this and then complains his mouth hurts
- You can prep the meat mixture ahead and just assemble when you’re ready to eat
- Try different meats like ground turkey or chicken sausage (I haven’t but people say it works)
- If you’re not low carb just serve it over pasta and call it a day
Storage Situation
Keep it in the fridge for like 3-4 days in containers.
Funny story – I made a huge batch last month and forgot to label anything so my husband ate my lunch thinking it was leftover chili. We had a whole thing about it lol. Now I use masking tape and a sharpie.
You can freeze it but the texture gets kinda weird when you reheat it. The cheese separates or something. Still edible though.
Nutrition Stuff
| Per Serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | around 420 |
| Protein | 28g maybe |
| Fat | 32g |
| Net Carbs | 6g-ish |
| Fiber | 2g |
these are estimates because I honestly just guess at portions
Questions People Ask Me
Can I use ground turkey instead?
Yeah definitely. It’ll be less greasy which some people like. I think it’s kinda boring but do you.
Does this actually taste like pizza?
I mean… it tastes like pizza toppings in a bowl so yeah pretty much. My brain fills in the crust part honestly.
How do I make it vegetarian?
Just skip the meat and add more veggies I guess. Maybe some olives. Black beans if you don’t care about carbs. I’ve never tried this version.
Can I meal prep this?
Yep I do it all the time. Make the meat part on Sunday and then just assemble and bake throughout the week. The cheese gets better after sitting in the fridge for a day anyway.
