Easy Pizza Casserole Recipe - Satisfy that pizza craving with a fresh take on pizza night the entire family will love. This pizza pasta is made with ground beef, Italian sausage, tangy pizza sauce, melted Mozzarella cheese and all your favorite pizza toppings.
This is one of our favorite crowd pleasing recipes and was inspired by the one my Mom used to make us when I was a kid. It's a delicious family friendly recipe that your kids are sure to love. And the perfect recipe to take to pot-lucks, game day tailgates, and team dinners before the game.
Looking for more cheesy, easy weeknight dinners? Don't miss our other great recipes like our Copycat Olive Garden Asiago Tortelloni Alfredo or our Fettuccine Alfredo.
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How to Make Pizza Casserole
This cheesy pizza casserole is easy to make. All you need are a few simple ingredients and to follow these step by step instructions.
- yellow onion, diced
- garlic, crushed
- olive oil
- ground beef - may substitute ground turkey or ground bison.
- Italian sausage ground
- Italian seasonings - use store bought spices or make your own with our simple homemade Italian Seasoning Recipe. May substitute a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- oregano dried
- salt & pepper
- pizza sauce - may use jarred or homemade pizza sauce.
- tomato sauce - may substitute spaghetti sauce or marinara sauce.
- rotini noodles - may substitute any small pasta shape like elbow macaroni, penne, gemelli, or mostaccioli.
- milk
- mozzarella cheese, shredded
- pepperoni slices - may substitute turkey pepperoni.
Step by Step Instructions
Sauté. In a large skillet or sauté pan, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat.
Brown Meat. Add ground beef, Italian sausage, and seasonings. Cook over medium-high heat until browned, breaking the beef up with a wooden spoon as you go along.
Tasty Tip: Taste the cooked meat and adjust the seasoning. It should be tasty at this point. If it's bland, add another pinch or two of salt.
Optional: Drain the grease from the cooked beef on a plate lined with paper towel.
Add Sauce and Simmer. Add pizza sauce and tomato sauce to the cooked meat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Boil the Pasta. In the meantime, Cook 1 lb of pasta, in a large pot of boiling water, until it is just al dente, according to the package instructions. Drain and put back into pasta pot.
Add Milk to Pasta. Stir milk into cooked pasta.
Layer. Put the pizza casserole together by layering the pasta sauce, pasta, and mozzarella cheese in a casserole dish or baking dish that has been prepared with cooking spray.
Create layers of sauce first, then pasta, then mozzarella. Top layer should end with sauce and a layer of cheese. So that the all the pasta is covered with sauce and keeps moist.
Add Toppings. Now for the best part. It's time to add your favorite pizza toppings like pepperoni slices, green bell pepper, red bell peppers, red pepper flakes, mushrooms, or black olives.
Bake. Bake uncovered at 350°F for 30 minutes until hot and bubbly.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Classic Pizza Toppings
- extra cheese (Mozzerella)
- parmesan cheese
- pepperoni
- Italian sausage
- ham
- mushrooms
- red pepper flakes
- black olives
- green or red bell peppers
- onions
FAQ
Pizza casserole is a family friendly recipe that you can have on the table fast for that easy weeknight dinner win. A cross between pizza and pasta, it is made with ground beef, Italian sausage, tangy pizza sauce, melted Mozzarella cheese and all your favorite pizza toppings.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this cheesy pizza casserole with a fresh salad, garlic breadsticks or some homemade focaccia.
Make Ahead and Freeze
This Pizza Pasta Casserole Recipe can be made ahead of time and frozen until you're ready to eat it.
Make ahead in a freezer safe casserole dish, or a disposable roasting pan that has been covered in aluminum foil and plastic wrap. Store it in the freezer.
Freeze leftover pizza casserole in an airtight container. Bring up to room temperature before reheating the next day.
How To Reheat A Casserole
Bring the casserole up to room temperature and reheat the oven at 350°F until it is warmed through. See our post on how to reheat a casserole for more detailed instructions.
There you have it. Making our Easy Pizza Casserole Recipe is as easy as that! We hope you and your whole family enjoy this super simple, super tasty, easy weeknight dinner. Try it and let us know how you like it. We'd love to hear from you!
xo ~ Seanna
More Tasty Casserole Recipes
- Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole - aka funeral potatoes, are a family favorite and the perfect side dish for everyday family dinners or for holiday meals. Make this easy crowd pleaser and you'll have them coming back for more!
- Instant Pot Mexican Casserole - made with ground beef, pantry staples and Homemade Taco Seasoning, is an easy weeknight dinner the whole family will love. So satisfying and delicious!
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📖 Recipe
Easy Pizza Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup yellow onion diced
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb Italian sausage ground
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasonings
- 1 teaspoon oregano dried
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 24 oz pizza sauce
- 8 oz tomato sauce
- 1 lb rotini pasta
- ½ cup milk
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
- 24 pepperoni slices
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Make the Sauce.
- Saute. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil.½ cup yellow onion, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 clove garlic
- Brown Meat. Add ground beef, Italian sausage, and seasonings. Cook over medium-high heat until browned, breaking the beef up with a wooden spoon as you go along.Tasty Tip: Taste the cooked meat and correct the seasoning. It should be tasty at this point. If it's bland, add another pinch or two of salt.Optional: Drain the grease from the cooked beef on a plate lined with paper towel.1 lb ground beef, 1 lb Italian sausage, 1 teaspoon Italian seasonings, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Add Sauce and Simmer. Add sauce to the cooked beef and simmer for 15 minutes.24 oz pizza sauce, 8 oz tomato sauce
Cook the Pasta.
- Boil the Pasta. In the meantime, cook 1 lb of pasta according to the package instructions until it is just al dente. Drain and put back into pasta pot.1 lb rotini pasta
- Add Milk to Pasta. Stir milk into cooked pasta and set aside.½ cup milk
Put the Casserole Together.
- Layer. Put the casserole together by layering the sauce, pasta, and mozzarella cheese in a casserole dish. Create layers of sauce first, then pasta, then mozzarella. End with a topping of sauce and cheese.3 cups mozzarella cheese
Add Favorite Pizza Toppings
- Add Toppings. Add favorite pizza toppings like pepperoni slices, green bell pepper, red bell peppers, red pepper flakes, mushrooms, or black olives.24 pepperoni slices
Bake.
- Bake. Bake uncovered at 350°F for 30 minutes.
Notes
Substitutions
- Ground Beef - may substitute ground turkey or ground bison.
- Tomato Sauce - may substitute spaghetti sauce or marinara sauce.
- Pasta Substitution - may substitute any small pasta shape like elbow macaroni, penne, gemelli, or mostaccioli.
- Italian Seasonings - use store bought spices or make your own with our simple homemade Italian Seasoning Recipe. May substitute a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Classic Pizza Toppings
- extra cheese (Mozzerella)
- parmesan cheese
- pepperoni
- Italian sausage
- ham
- mushrooms
- red pepper flakes
- black olives
- green or red bell peppers
- onions
Serving Suggestions
Serve this cheesy pizza casserole with a fresh salad, garlic breadsticks or some homemade focaccia.Make Ahead And Freeze
This Easy Pizza Casserole Recipe can be made ahead of time and frozen until you're ready to eat it. Make ahead in a freezer safe casserole dish, or a disposable roasting pan that has been covered in aluminum foil and plastic wrap. Store it in the freezer. Freeze leftover pizza casserole in an airtight container. Bring up to room temperature before reheating.Reheating Instructions
Bring the casserole up to room temperature and reheat the oven at 350°F until it is warmed through. See our post on how to reheat a casserole for detailed instructions.Nutrition
Did you love this recipe? If you make this recipe and love it, stop back and give it a 5-star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a comment. THANK YOU!! Follow Seanna's Kitchen and share this recipe with your friends on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest and subscribe my Newsletter for ALL the latest recipes! We'd love to hear from you!
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Russ B
Great family meal!
Seanna Borrows
This recipe was inspired by the one my mom made me when I was a kid. It's so delish.