A fun twist on pizza night, this Pizza Casserole is a super easy and flavorful dish that will please a crowd! Use your family’s favorite toppings to make this your own.
Pizza Casserole Recipe
Most families look forward to pizza night, right? I know mine does. This easy Pizza Casserole lets you switch things up but still have great pizza flavor.
Only a handful of ingredients make this casserole a breeze and then you add your favorite toppings – pepperoni, ham, olives, spinach, tomatoes – to make the whole family happy.
How to Make Pizza Casserole
Making this pizza casserole is really easy – you’ll be done in less than an hour!
- First, cook the noodles until they’re al dente, then drain and set aside. Cook the noodles about a minute or two less than the package instructs. They will cook more in the oven.
- While the noodles are cooking, in a large skillet, add the chopped onion and ground sirloin. Cook until the meat is no longer pink, drain off any excess grease and season with salt and pepper or other favorite seasonings.
- Once the meat is fully cooked and seasoned, pour in the marinara sauce and cooked pasta, then stir it up so everything is evenly distributed.
- Pour the mixture into a greased casserole dish, top with lots of mozzarella cheese, then add your favorite toppings. I used pepperoni this time.
- Finally, bake the pizza casserole for 20 minutes at 350 until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Top Tips and Variations
- Can I double this recipe? You can very easily double this recipe. I made this batch for our family of four and it makes about six servings. If you double the ingredients, use a 9 x 13 casserole dish so it will fit.
- Freezing Pizza Casserole: Pizza casserole makes a great freezer meal. Follow all the steps in the recipe up until the point of baking it. Instead, cover and freeze up to 3 months. Once you’re ready to bake it, move the casserole from the freezer to the fridge overnight to partially thaw. When ready, remove the casserole from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350° and bake as directed, increasing the cook time to 35-40 minutes or until heated through.
- If you don’t have Mozzarella on hand, a combination of jack and cheddar cheeses is a good substitute.
Serving Suggestions
- I like to serve this casserole with Garlic Knots or Garlic Bread, a garden salad or this Olive Garden Copycat Salad, and a simple veggie like Sauteed Asparagus.
- I use jarred sauce, but you can also make Homemade Marinara Sauce to step it up a notch.
- Use your favorite noodle shape, I like cavatappi because it really grabs the sauce.
- Top your pizza casserole with anything you like on a regular pizza – sliced olives, jalapenos, parmesan cheese, even pineapple!
- You can’t forget dessert! I like to follow pizza casserole night up with Oatmeal Raisin or Cowboy Cookies for dessert.
Pizza Casserole
A fun twist on pizza night, this Pizza Casserole is a super easy and flavorful dish that will please a crowd. Use your family's favorite toppings to make this your own.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cavatappi noodles or other small cut pasta
- 1 pound ground sirloin
- 1/2 onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Montreal Steak seasoning
- 24 ounces marinara sauce (3 cups)
- 6 ounces mozzarella shredded
- 15 pepperoni slices
- salt & pepper to taste
- Optional toppings, like sliced olives, bell peppers, mushrooms, Parmesan cheese, etc.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° and spray an 9x12 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. I
- In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook your pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain off any excess grease. Stir in marinara sauce and pasta.
- While the pasta is cooking, to a large skillet over medium heat, add the ground sirloin and chopped onion and season with Italian seasoning, Montreal steak seasoning, and salt and pepper. Cook until no longer pink.
- Stir in the spaghetti sauce to the cooked beef. Pour in the cooked and drained pasta and stir to evenly distribute.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, sprinkle with cheese, and arrange pepperoni (& any other toppings) on top.
- Bake, uncovered, 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted. Optional: Garnish with parsley, basil or Italian seasoning if desired.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Prepare as directed but do not bake. Cover and freeze up to 3 months. Once you're ready to make it, move the casserole from the freezer to the fridge overnight to partially thaw. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350° and bake as directed, increasing the cook time to 35-40 minutes or until heated through.
- If you don't have enough Mozzarella, you can combine with jack or cheddar cheeses.
- Instead of marinara sauce, spaghetti sauce or pizza sauce can be used.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 445kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 28gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 79mgSodium: 913mgPotassium: 732mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 691IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 187mgIron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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