DIY Copycat Olive Garden Meatball Pizza Bowl Recipe
Love Olive Garden’s meatball pizza bowl? Today, we’re recreating the restaurant’s ultimate saucy meatball and pizza mashup with this fun and easy DIY Copycat Olive Garden Meatball Pizza Bowl Recipe! Make this dish for your family at home and enjoy this decadent restaurant-quality entrée without leaving your house!
The first thing you’ll need to do is make a batch of this incredibly easy dough from this 2-Ingredient Bagels recipe (included below).
Simply mix one cup of self-rising flour with one cup of nonfat Greek yogurt (you can also make your own favorite pizza dough recipe or pick up some pre-made dough at the store).
These pizza bowls are pretty easy to make using upside-down bowls as forms. I used four 1-cup-sized Pyrex bowls, but you could use the bottom of a large muffin tin, too. Just make sure to grease the top/underneath well so the bread won’t stick! I learned this part the hard way.
You’ll need to make roughly 12 meatballs (use the simple recipe below), or you can use store-bought meatballs. I sometimes make homemade meatballs ahead of time and store them in the freezer for recipes like this.
DIY Copycat Olive Garden Meatball Pizza Bowl Recipe
yield: 4 SERVINGS
prep time: 20 MINUTES
cook time: 50 MINUTES
total time: 1 HOUR 10 MINUTES
This family-friendly meal idea tastes like saucy meatballs and cheesy pizza had a baby!
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 pound ground beef or ground sausage
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/4 cup finely diced onion
- 2 tablespoons seasoned bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- salt & pepper to taste
For the bread bowls:
- 1 cup self-rising flour
- 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
For the meatball pizza bowls:
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 20 pepperoni slices
Directions
1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mix all the meatball ingredients together, roll into medium sized meatballs, and place on a baking sheet about 1/2 an inch from each other.
2
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes until lightly brown and cooked.
3
To make the bowls, mix self rising flour and nonfat Greek yogurt until it forms a dough.
4
Place dough on a floured surface. Cut into four equal portions.
5
Flatten each dough ball, and place over the top of a flipped over bowl. (Make sure to first grease the bowl.)
6
Place all four bowls on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes until lightly browned.
7
Remove from oven and remove bread from the molds.
8
To assemble the bowls, add some of the cheese to the bottom of bowls, then spoon in sauce, followed by three meatballs and five pepperonis into each bowl. (Really you can adjust ingredient amounts based on preference.)
9
Place bowls on a baking sheet and bake for another 10 minutes or so until cheese is melted, and serve.
What a cheesy-melty-saucy bowl of heaven!
My family loved this unique and yummy dinner idea! It’s kind of a fun twist on making spaghetti and meatballs, and it’s especially easy with the two-ingredient dough.
We enjoyed these bowls with a delicious salad topped with some Olive Garden salad dressing. SO GOOD!!
Make these 3-Ingredient Pizza Crescent Rolls for a fun appetizer or snack!
Now, that looks yummy. Making this weekend. Thanks for the recipe Lina
Oh thanks Tolu! Enjoy ❤️
Looks delicious and the kids might eat it cuz it’s neat!
Yes – it is fun 🤗
Wow that looks delicious Yum!!
Thanks so much ❤️
Lina, your talent amazes me! You should publish a cookbook as every recipe you create looks delicious.
That’s super kind – thanks ❤️
These look great! I’ll definitely have to try these! Some people have nothing nice to say, and obviously haven’t been taught the “when you have nothing nice to say” rule. My grandma was 100% Italian and loved the Olive Garden, so it couldn’t be too fake. 😉 Thanks for the recipe, Lina! Can’t wait to make it!
What does it matter where the inspiration comes from? It’s clearly all homemade and Italian American food is a major comfort food for so many people in the US! This looks great Lina!
Ah thanks Stephanie!
Yum!
I did the chicken gnocchi soup OMG everyone ate it up and ask for it as dinner now!!! It has become a household staple
This looks yummy & easy Lina! I noticed that you have us preheating the oven to 350 in step one, but baking it at 400 in step two then back to 350 in step 6. I think its just a typo in step 2. Thanks so much for all your hard work!
THANKS –I fixed. 🙂
Thanks! I’ll definitely be trying this simply and quick recipe with the vegan meatballs that I make.
Oh awesome! Great idea ❤️
Looks so yummy 😋
Thanks for all you do Lina, I love your posts!
Also, your lasagna soup has become the most requested supper in our house, thanks so much for that too!
That is so fun to hear – thanks for your sweet comment Amanda 😃
Now we need their breadsticks 🥖 recipe 😋
Wow… looks so good! Love the easy dough recipe. Thanks so much. You rock Lina!
Oh thanks for the sweet comment!
I made this tonight, the meatballs were sooo good. Thanks so much for posting this, Lina!
Oh yay! You’re so welcome 🙂
Does anyone know how to make the bread bowls keto friendly?
I tried to make them with fathead dough plus baking powder – it didn’t really work for me. Maybe just make fathead dough as breadsticks and serve with it!
Yum! Very imaginative recipe–I am wondering if the bread could be used to make individual pizzas??
What adjustments should I make if using regular, unbleached flour?
I just tried this tonight!! I can tell everyone do not use regular yogurt. (Oops!) The Greek must make a difference, as my bowls are sliding down the tins into puddles. My family is still game, though, LOL!! Thanks, Lina! 🤣