Cottage Cheese Pizza Bowls - Spend With Pennies

These pizza bowls layer creamy cottage cheese with pizza sauce, sausage, and veggies under a melty mix of mozzarella, parmesan, and pepperoni.

Flavor: Served hot or cold, this dish has cheesy pizza-perfect flavors in a recipe that tastes just as good as traditional pizza.
Skill Level: This crustless pizza bowl has no dough, so the recipe is as fun as it is easy to make.
Swaps: Versatile and customizable, it can be topped with your favorite pizza toppings so that everyone can create a custom bowl they love!

mushrooms , pepper , onion , italian sausage , cottage cheese, pizza sauce , mozzarella , italian seasoning , oregano , parmesan , pepperoni , egg with labels to make Cottage Cheese Pizza Bowls

Favorite Flavors and Add-Ins

Cottage Cheese: Look for small curd cottage cheese, and if it’s too wet, strain it before using. Using regular or low-fat cottage cheese won’t affect the outcome of the recipe (just the calories)!
Meat: Italian sausage and pepperoni add an extra pop of protein and loads of savory flavor. Use any meat you like; ground beef, ground chicken, steak, and even ground turkey can be used.
Veggies: I chose to use all the classic pizza toppings for this recipe. Save time by using a bag of pre-cooked mushrooms, onions, and peppers, or choose your faves!
Pizza Sauce: Buy it or make your own and adjust the seasonings any way you like.
Cheese: Mozzarella and parmesan are the standard on pizza, but you can use any variety or combination of cheese you like. Try crumbled feta, cotija, or even slices of fresh mozzarella.

Variations

Anything that goes in a pizza goes in this cottage cheese pizza bowl recipe.

Fresh basil, sliced black olives, sliced pepperoncini, and jalapenos are great options.
Turn it into a Hawaiian pizza and top with ham and pineapple.
You can also blend the cottage cheese with the egg and oregano in Step 4 for a smooth ‘crust.’
Sprinkle on some garlic powder, red pepper flakes, or other Italian spices for extra flavor.

adding vegetables to cooked italian sausage to make Cottage Cheese Pizza Bowls

adding sauce and toppings to cottage cheese to make Cottage Cheese Pizza Bowls

How to Make Cottage Cheese Pizza Bowls

Prep your meat and veggie mixtures (full recipe below).
Combine cottage cheese mixture ingredients and spread into prepared bowls
Top with pizza sauce, sausage mixture, cheeses, and pepperoni.
Bake until cheese is browned and bubbly.

Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

In the Air Fryer: Assemble the bowls up to Step 6 and cook in the air fryer (check out my favorite here) for 10-15 minutes at 350°F.

In the Microwave: Assemble the bowls up to Step 5 and cook for 1 minute on high power. Stir and add remaining toppings and cook another minute or until the cheese is melted. Cooking in stages ensures everything is heated evenly.

Storing Pizza Bowls

Cottage cheese bowls will last about 3 days in the refrigerator in airtight containers. Enjoy them cold as a workday lunch or reheat them in the microwave or air fryer.
They can also be frozen in freezer-safe containers for up to 2 months.

Pizza With a Twist

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Cottage Cheese Pizza Bowl

Cottage cheese pizza bowls are a cheesy, crustless twist on classic pizza.

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Grease four small oven-safe bowls or a 9-inch pie plate.
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned. Drain any fat.
Add the onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, and Italian seasoning. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
In a small bowl, combine cottage cheese, egg, and oregano.
Spread the cottage cheese mixture into the prepared bowls. Top with pizza sauce and the cooked sausage mixture.
Evenly divide the mozzarella cheese, Parmesan, and pepperoni over the top of each bowl.
Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until cheese is browned and bubbly. Cool 5 minutes before serving.

Use any pizza toppings you’d like. Meat should be cooked and vegetables that contain a lot of water, such as mushrooms should be cooked to remove moisture.

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Dinner, Entree, Lunch, Main Course, Pizza

Cuisine American

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