Pizza Casserole

From the realms of cheesy pizza and bubbling baked pasta comes a new family favorite: pizza casserole. Loaded with sausage, veggies, and plenty of cheese, this easy weeknight dinner has all of the cheesy, tomato-filled goodness of our favorite take-out pizza, neatly packaged in a 13"-by-9" pan.

What People Are Saying:
"This was so good last night! Definitely will make again. Thanks!" - lei6920

"This was surprisingly amazing. Definitely give this recipe a shot. My wife absolutely loved it." - NightPwn

How To Make Pizza Casserole

INGREDIENTS

• Pasta: I love using cavatappi pasta (or its cousin, cellentani) in this casserole because its corkscrew shape is great for holding all the sausage and veggies in the sauce. If you can’t find it, try rotini, fusilli, or rigatoni.
• Italian Sausage: I love Italian sausage in this casserole, but you can also sub in chicken sausage or ground beef.
• Cremini Mushrooms: I love mushrooms in my pizza, so I use cremini mushrooms here, but you can leave them out if you prefer.
• Tomato Sauce & Diced Tomatoes: Both of these will help create our marinara-inspired sauce for the casserole.
• Seasonings: Dried oregano, dried basil, and crushed red pepper flakes combine to give our sauce plenty of flavor. Make sure to taste and adjust!
• Bell Pepper: I love peppers on my pizza, so I add a chopped green bell pepper, but if you’re not a fan, you can leave it out.
• Mozzarella: Shredded mozzarella is the perfect way to add that melty cheesy factor to the casserole. I add two layers of cheese for plenty of cheesy goodness.
• Pepperoni: Sliced pepperoni is an absolute must on pizza for me, so I had to add it on top where it would get crispy.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

After preheating your oven and prepping a baking dish with oil, boil a pot of water on the stove. Cook your pasta al dente, then drain and set aside. My top tip? Leave the pasta slightly undercooked when you boil it. The noodles should be al dente enough that you can actually see a white ring of uncooked pasta when you cut into one. Undercooking the pasta will allow it to absorb more of the tomato sauce (and its flavor!) when you bake it and also prevent it from overcooking and becoming a mushy mess.

Next, heat oil in a pan over medium heat, then cook the sausage until browned and cooked through, breaking up into bite-size pieces. Then transfer the sausage to a bowl, but leave the fat in the skillet.

Then, in the same skillet, add mushrooms with a bit more oil, and season with salt. Cook until browned, then transfer the mushrooms to the bowl with the sausage.

Add the onion and garlic to the same skillet with more oil, and season with salt. Once the onion has softened, add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, and more salt. Mix together, then remove 2 cups of the sauce and set aside for later. Then, add in the bell peppers and cooked sausage, mushrooms, and reserved pasta to the skillet with the remaining sauce. Stir everything together until combined and warmed through.

Grab your casserole dish, and pour half of the pasta mixture into the dish. Sprinkle with cheese, then add the rest of the pasta mixture. Then, add the remainder of the sauce on top.

Cover the pan with foil, then bake until hot and bubbling. Then, remove the foil and top with the rest of the mozzarella and pepperoni slices. Bake until the cheese is golden and melted and the pepperoni is browned—this should take around 15-20 more minutes. Once done, top with Parmesan (if you so desire), and get to serving.

Full list of ingredients & instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• Can I change up the filling? Everyone has their favorite pizza toppings. In this recipe, I went for the works, but feel free to customize your casserole fillings to whatever you (or your family!) prefer. Make it your own, just as you would if you were ordering a pizza from your local take-out spot.
• Can I prep this ahead of time? You sure can. You can cook the sausage, mushrooms, and sauce ahead of time, mix them together, and store them in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the casserole. You can also assemble the entire casserole and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake. Assembled and unbaked, this should stay good in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.
• Can I freeze this? Absolutely! I recommend assembling it according to the directions (minus the top layer of mozzarella and pepperoni) and then making sure it’s completely cooled down before wrapping it in plastic wrap and freezing. The frozen casserole should stay good in your freezer for at least a month. When you’re ready to eat, thaw the casserole completely in your refrigerator (overnight is best) and bake as directed.

Storage

If you have any leftovers, store in an airtight container in the fridge for around 4-5 days.