Description
A comforting and delicious pizza bowl recipe featuring Italian turkey sausage, sautéed vegetables, rich marinara sauce, and melted cheese, all baked to bubbly perfection. Perfect for an individual-serving meal that captures the classic flavors of pizza in a convenient, portable dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed (hot or sweet)
- ½ onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- Pinch each garlic powder and crushed red pepper
- 2 cups shredded cheese, preferably Italian or Pizza blend
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 12 slices turkey pepperoni or regular pepperoni
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Lightly coat four individual-sized (2 cup) oven-proof baking dishes with cooking spray to prevent sticking and facilitate easy cleanup.
- Cook Sausage and Vegetables: Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and coat it with cooking spray. Crumble the turkey sausage into the skillet, then add the diced onion and green bell pepper. Cook, stirring and breaking up the sausage, until it’s fully cooked and the vegetables have softened, about 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the dried oregano, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper, then remove the skillet from heat.
- Assemble Pizza Bowls – Layer One: Divide half of the marinara sauce evenly among the four prepared baking dishes, spreading it out to create the bottom layer.
- Assemble Pizza Bowls – Layer Two: Evenly distribute the cooked sausage and vegetable mixture over the marinara sauce layer in each dish.
- Assemble Pizza Bowls – Final Layers: Spoon the remaining marinara sauce evenly atop the sausage mixture. Sprinkle each bowl with shredded cheese, then arrange the pepperoni slices on the cheese to your liking.
- Bake and Serve: Place the baking dishes in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly, and the mixture is hot throughout, about 12 to 18 minutes depending on the size of your dishes. Once baked, let the pizza bowls stand for 5 minutes before serving to allow them to set and cool slightly.
Notes
- You can use either hot or sweet Italian turkey sausage based on your heat preference.
- Feel free to substitute turkey pepperoni with regular pepperoni or omit for a milder flavor.
- For a vegetarian version, replace sausage with a plant-based sausage alternative and omit pepperoni.
- Use oven-proof ceramic or glass bowls to ensure safe baking in the oven.
- Customize the cheese blend with mozzarella, provolone, or your favorite pizza cheeses for varied flavor.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Keywords: pizza bowl, turkey sausage, Italian sausage, pepperoni, individual pizza, baked pizza bowl, easy dinner, Italian-American recipe
