Pizza casserole is a deliciously easy alternative to a pizza or calzone with pasta instead of dough.

Family meal? Potluck? Game night? Birthday party? Anything a pizza can do, this casserole can do too. It’s the perfect combination of a supreme pizza and a cheese-loaded casserole layered with pasta.

Supreme Pizza Casserole

• A pizza casserole recipe is a crowd-pleaser for any occasion and can be made ahead of time!
• This dish is budget friendly and a great way to stretch your ingredients.
• The ingredients in this recipe add supreme flavor to a pizza pasta bake but use any combination of toppings you’d like.
• Make it low carb by switching out pasta for cauliflower florets or strips of zucchini.

Ingredients

• PASTA: Use any medium pasta including penne, rotini, or shells. You can even make this into a pizza flavored baked spaghetti.
• SAUCE: Marinara sauce, pizza sauce, and a handful of seasonings are the base for this rich and hearty casserole. But feel free to add more or less of the oregano or Italian seasoning.
• MEAT: Start with a base of ground beef or Italian sausage and add in your favorites like pepperoni or even bacon.
• MIX-INS: Add layers of favorite veggies like sliced mushrooms, bell peppers, chopped spinach, or tomatoes.

How to Make Pizza Casserole

Make this cheesy & filling pizza casserole!

1. Cook pasta (as per the recipe below).
2. Brown meat with onion & garlic. Simmer with remaining sauce ingredients.

3. Combine sauce and pasta in a baking dish and top with cheese and additional toppings.
4. Bake until browned and bubbly.

Serve with a tossed salad or caesar salad and some garlic breadsticks to round out the meal.

In a Crock-Pot: Place cooked pasta on the bottom of an oiled crockpot. Layer sauce, vegetable toppings, cooked and seasoned ground beef until the sauce is the top layer. Cover with blended cheese and cook on low for 2 hours or on high for 1 hour.

Tips for Pizza Casserole

• Cook the pasta al dente, it will cook more in the oven.
• If your toppings are moist, be sure to cook them (like mushrooms or pineapple).
• If you don’t like chunks of tomato in your casserole, swap the diced tomato with crushed tomato and simmer to thicken an extra 5 minutes.
• To make ahead, prep this casserole ahead, cover in plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator until ready to bake.

Leftovers

Leftovers taste better the next day! Keep leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheat portions in the microwave or on the stovetop. Freeze cooled portions in aluminum foil and plastic wrap with the date labeled on the outside for up to 4 weeks.

More Cheesy Casseroles

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