Pizza Casserole Recipe by Jen
This Pizza Casserole Recipe has all the comforting flavors of your favorite pie, combining penne pasta, gooey mozzarella, pepperoni, and savory ground beef with a rich pizza sauce. Feel free to add toppings or swap ingredients to suit what you have. It’s a feel-good feast that everyone will love!
All the Goodness of Pizza in a Bubbling Casserole
I found this recipe thanks to my friend Jen, a sweet and dedicated mother I connected with through Southern Plate. I first started talking to her while writing my book, and we ended up having one of the most fun phone calls! She shared this pizza casserole with me, and my family has been hooked ever since.
You get all the cheesy, saucy goodness of pizza in a hearty, bubbling casserole, with hardly any fuss at all. Jen’s recipe also includes double meat – anytime there’s double meat in a recipe, I’m all over it. Just boil up your pasta, toss everything together in a baking dish, and let that oven do the work for you.
This is also one of those recipes you can truly make your own: swap in your favorite fixin’s, use whatever meat you have on hand, or load it up with veggies. The whole family can dig in, and I promise you, there will be nothing but happy faces around the table!
For another delicious take on pizza casserole, take a peek at my Easy Pizza Pasta Casserole with Pepperoni!
Pizza Casserole Recipe Ingredients
- Penne Pasta
- Pepperoni
- Two jars of pizza sauce (I used a generic brand to keep things budget-friendly)
- Ground Beef (make sure this is already cooked & ready to go!)
- Mozzarella
Switch It Up!
- Go supreme: Add diced bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, and black olives.
- BBQ chicken: Use BBQ sauce instead of pizza sauce, shredded chicken instead of beef, and top with red onion.
- White pizza: Ditch the red sauce for an Alfredo base. It’s great with chicken and spinach.
- Veggie overload: Skip the meat and pile on the mushrooms, spinach, roasted red peppers, and olives.
- Hawaiian style: Swap the beef for ham and toss in some pineapple chunks.
How to Make A Pizza Casserole Recipe Step by Step
1. Cook the Pasta
Start by cooking your pasta according to package directions.
When it is done, drain off the water and just leave it in the pot. We can mix it all up in there without dirtying up another dish.
2. Add the Pepperoni & Pizza Sauce
Next, add in your pepperoni and pizza sauce.
Note: In this step, you can also add in the seasonings Jen uses at this point (see recipe below), but I was pressed for time and left them out. But it was still wonderful!
3. Add the Ground Beef
Now add in your ground beef. Give that a big old stir until it’s all good and mixed up, and spray a 9×13-inch pan with cooking spray.
Note: If you’re like me, at this point you are thinking “There is no way all of this is going to fit into a 9×13 pan….“ But it does. That’ll teach us to have faith in Sister Jen!
4. Top with Cheese & Bake
Finally, top that with your cheese, then bake at 350°F for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly.
Dig in!
Thanks again, Jen!
Top Tips for This Pizza Casserole Recipe
- Don’t overcook your pasta! Since it’s going back in the oven, it will continue to cook, and you don’t want it to get mushy. Just cook it to al dente.
- Salt your pasta water really well for extra flavor.
- Let it sit for about 5 minutes after you pull it out of the oven. This helps it set up and makes it easier to serve.
Storage Directions
You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you want to keep it longer, pop it in the freezer, where it will last for up to 3 months.
You May Also Like These Pizza Recipes:
- Quick Homemade Pizza Sauce
- Taco Pizza Fast, Fresh, Delicious!
- Pizza Rolls! Who wants the weekend off from cooking??
- Deep Dish Pizza
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef browned and drained
- 1 Box of Penne pasta
- 2 Jars of pizza sauce
- ½ Onion or more if you like onion
- 1 tsp. garlic powder*
- 2 tsp. season salt* more or less to taste
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese or more if you love cheese
- 1 Pack of sliced pepperoni
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Prepare pasta according to directions, drain water and set aside.
- Mix pasta, sauces, hamburger and 1 cup of the pepperoni together and put into a lightly greased 9 x 13 baking pan.
- Put more pepperoni on top if you want to do it like Jen does, or overlook this step like I did and just stir it all up in there.
- Cover with cheese (as much as you like) and bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling.
Notes
Nutrition
This reminds me of my cavatini recipe. Will try soon! I cut the pepperonies into halves or quarters for easier eating. Love the Andy Rooney quote too.
We have made this for years and years. We sub. the colored rotini noodles, I never put pepperoni in it (I am not a huge pepperoni fan and it leaves a funny taste to me). We layer rotini, meat, cheese, twice, then pour 1/4 c of milk over the top, which leaves a smoother, richer finish and the noodles don’t dry out. The difference with and without the milk is astounding for something that doesn’t add flavor to it. We also use the cheapest pizza sauce we enjoy eating (it’s often the canned instead of jarred!)
This is very easy to customize. I have two 8″ square pans I split the casserole into both pans. Then add Bacon pieces, greenpeppers mushrooms and black olives to one of them. That way the kids have theirs and the adults get a yummy supreme pizza one. The whole family loves them and its quick and easy for potlucks. Always a crowd pleaser
A long time ago, Pizza Hut served a similar dish, with sliced mushrooms, black olives, & diced green peppers. It was called Cavatini. I love making this for a crowd.
This sounds super easy and super yummy, I happen to live with/date a super picky eater and minus the onions (I like them he doesn’t haha) it’s perfect. I think I’m gonna try to sneak in some turkey pepperoni and other sneaky healthier versions to see if he notices 🙂 gotta keep my fireman fed but healthy! Thanks for sharing.
It freezes great! Just leave off the cheese when freezing and at it when ready to bake (cheese on toP that is).
Southern 101
Christy — I made this over the weekend for a slumber party my nearly 8-year old daughter was having. Since palates in Germany are different from American, and especially Southern palates, I decided to treat the little German girls to some Southern cuisine. Well, what can I say? It was a huge hit, and everyone unanimously yelled “Lecker!” which is the German word for yummy! I served the casserole along with homemade garlic bread and had some very happy kids…might have to host more “Southern sleep-overs” in the future!
Thank you,
Birthe
Oh WOW! Thank you so much for sharing this with me Birthe, it just made my day. I am so glad to hear it was such a hit and now I know a new word!! “Lecker!”