Easy Pizza Bowls

Try making these Easy Pizza Bowls for a crustless pizza in a bowl made with all of your favorite toppings. It bakes up in less than five minutes and is the perfect recipe for the whole family to enjoy!

If you're craving more pizza-inspired recipes, then be sure to try making some Pepperoni Pizza Dip or a batch of Cheesy Supreme Pizza Rolls or Supreme Stuffed Pizza Shells.

This recipe was in need of a serious update. It was originally shared in 2017 and has been popular with so many of you. So popular in fact that I was afraid to make any changes to it.

This is why there is a cat story included that has nothing to do with the recipe. Remember the old blogging days when we used to do that? Anyway, I decided to leave the story, but if you're just here for the recipe, then feel free to use the 'jump to recipe' link to skip it 🙂

Now, about the recipe, it is simple to make and has everything that you love about pizza minus the crust.

Let's get started!

Jump to:

• Quick Cat Story
• Ingredients You'll Need
• How to Make a Pizza Bowl
• Recipe Tips & Tricks
• Storage
• More Recipes You'll Love
• 📖 Recipe

Quick Cat Story

Friday I shared with you that my week had been eventful.

So…

The phone rang, and I walked away from the stove cooking food, to learn that my dad was rushed to the hospital. At some point during the commotion of my family rushing in from outside to find out what was the matter. The back door was accidentally left open.

While my dog Shakespeare was on my heels trying to figure out what was going on. My cat Gabby saw this as the perfect opportunity for her to sneak out the back door, across the yard, and into the woods behind my house.

Once I realized she was gone, I paused for a moment to consider looking for her. Then reality hit that I had no time and so I left. She'd escaped before and managed to make her way back in time for dinner. Knowing this I figured she would be waiting for me by the door that evening to let her in and feed her.

Then, Sunday evening I returned home to no sign of Gabby. Monday morning before heading to the hospital, I spent time looking for her and nothing. Monday night, still no cat. There was no sign of her Tuesday or Wednesday.

On Wednesday night I completed my nightly search which turned up nothing. At this point, I was somewhere between worry and fear that she may not ever return. Thursday morning I left my back door cracked just in case she decided to wander in, but still no sign of Gabby. At this point, I was sure that my cat was not returning home and I would have to be okay with that.

Then Thursday night came and I was heading home from the hospital when I received a text that she was back home waiting at the front door. I didn’t bother responding because I figured it was a joke. My son had played that cruel joke on me before and I was determined that he was not going to fool me a second time.

However, I arrived home to Gabby in her favorite spot underneath the dining room table.

Ingredients You'll Need

1. Italian Sausage - You may use original, mild or hot ground Italian sausage. The packaged ground Italian sausage will work as well as removing the casing from the links. Try not to use the sweet flavor if possible.
2. Mushrooms - Use any fresh sliced mushrooms that you prefer or you may use canned mushroom stems and pieces in water instead. If using canned mushrooms, then there is no need to cook them ahead of time.
3. Mozzarella Cheese - Try grabbing a block of mozzarella cheese and shredding it yourself using a box grater, as it melts so much better than the shredded cheese that comes in the package which usually contains added ingredients.
4. Marinara Sauce - An marinara or pizza sauce that you prefer will work in this pizza bowl recipe. I love to use Mutti Napoli Pizza Sauce or a thicker sauce to prevent there from being too much liquid in the pizza bowl.
5. Pepperoni - You may use regular pepperoni, mini, or turkey pepperoni. Any brand of pepperoni that you prefer is perfectly fine.
6. Parmesan Cheese - Grates Parmesan cheese adds another cheese and gives the pizza bowls that classic pizza flavor.
7. Crushed Red Pepper - Add a bit of spice to the bowls. You may omit it if you prefer.

See the recipe card below for exact ingredient quantities and instructions.

How to Make a Pizza Bowl

Begin the recipe by grabbing a large skillet and placing it on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add in the ground Italian sausage and cook, stirring often until no longer pink, about 5 to 6 minutes. Carefully remove the cooked sausage from the skillet and place it into a small bowl. Set aside.

Using the leftover grease/oil in the skillet from cooking the sausage, add the fresh mushroom (if using), and cook until they begin to soften. About 2 to 3 minutes.

Place four ramekins on a baking sheet and add half of the marinara sauce to the bottom of each ramekin. Smooth it out into an even layer. Top with an even layer of half of the shredded mozzarella cheese.

Divide the Italian sausage, pepperoni, and mushrooms evenly among the four ramekins and place them over the layer of mozzarella cheese.

Top with another layer of marinara sauce, followed by the remaining half of the mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, and crushed red pepper.

Place the baking sheet with the pizza bowls under the broiler on medium-high, until the cheese has lightly browned and the sauce is hot and bubbly. Serve warm and enjoy!

Recipe Tips & Tricks

• Try to use a marinara sauce or pizza sauce that is thick in texture to prevent excess liquid from gathering in the pizza bowls.
• Try not to tightly pack the toppings into the ramekin.
• Chop the pepperoni and mushrooms into smaller pieces if needed.
• Use standard-size ramekins that are about 6 ounces and 3.5 inches in diameter. You can use the shorter ramekins or the taller ones. If you prefer, you can use larger-size ramekins and make two pizza bowls instead of four.
• Adjust the toppings and omit or swap out any ingredients that you prefer. This recipe is very forgiving and if you're not a fan of mushrooms, then use green bell peppers and thinly sliced onion instead.
• This is a great low-carb alternative to having crust pizza. However, if you're not watching your carbs, then feel free to pair it with some crusty bread.

Storage

If you have any leftover pizza bowls, then cover the ramekin with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to serve again, reheat in the microwave until warm or underneath the broiler on medium-low until heated thoroughly.

I would not recommend freezing these pizza bowls, but you may make them ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator until ready to cook.

More Recipes You'll Love

• Homemade Supreme Pizza
• Pepperoni Pizza Dip
• Supreme Pizza Stuffed Shells
• Meatball Casserole
• Pepperoni Bread Recipe
• Homemade Pizza Crust

Have any comments, questions, or other delicious ways to enjoy this Crustless Pizza Bowl Recipe? Please share them in the comments below!

📖 Recipe

Original post date 11/13/2017. Updated 03/06/2023.