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Jazz up pizza night with this easy pizza casserole recipe. This freezer friendly pizza pasta casserole is one recipe that the kids will be begging for more.
This easy pizza casserole recipe is a kid pleaser. My entire family devoured it and raved about how great it was. This pizza pasta casserole also freezes great so you can easily make two batches and toss one in the freezer for an easy freezer meal.
That way with very little work, you can make one for your family today and then the second goes in the freezer making another night even easier for you. You know I love an easy freezer meal. There is nothing better than having dinner already in the freezer. Don’t you agree?
Are you looking for more easy fall recipes to freeze, check out these freezer recipes?
Plus, your kids will love it because it is like pizza, but you will love it because it is a TAD fancier than pizza. This easy pizza recipe is packed with flavor. I think you will be surprised by how good it really is. Don’t let the simple ingredients fool you. It will be your new favorite casserole dish.
There is just something about pizza recipes. Don’t you agree? Pizza is a staple at our house from ordering out to our flatbread pizza, our crock pot pizza chicken, or our Bubble up pizza our family has to enjoy some kind of pizza every single week. It is a kid pleaser and Mom loves how easy it is to throw together.
If you like this pizza casserole, make sure you check out this Easy lasagna recipe. It’s quick and easy!
Ingredients you need for pizza pasta casserole:
- 1 lb of ground beef (or Italian Sausage)
- 6 oz pepperoni
- 3 cups of Mozzarella cheese
- 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes (or Homemade Pizza Sauce Recipe)
- 1 teaspoon of garlic salt
- 1 Tablespoon of Italian Seasoning
- 16 oz of penne pasta
- ¼ up of Parmesan cheese
How to make Easy Pizza Casserole Recipe:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown the ground beef and drain any sausage.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and the garlic salt. Stir to combine.
- Meanwhile boil pasta according to directions but cook to al dente, meaning you want the pasta to be firm and undercooked.
- Drain pasta and pour half of the pasta in a 9×13 baking dish.
- Spoon half the meat mixture over the pasta.
- Top with half the Mozzarella cheese.
- Lay half the pepperonis on top.
- Then later the remaining pasta, meat sauce, cheese and pepperoni.
- Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.
- Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes until bubbly and brown.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then serve.
Easy Pizza Pasta Casserole Side dish ideas
- Easy Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe
- Creamy Broccoli Salad Recipe
- How to Steam Broccoli in the Microwave
- Easy Parmesan Roasted Zucchini Recipe
- Oven Roasted Parmesan Asparagus
With an easy casserole dish and an easy side dish you can have dinner ready in no time.
How to Freeze Easy Pizza Casserole Recipe:
- Make the easy pizza pasta casserole recipe in a tin toil pan according to direction above.
- However, instead of baking, cover with foil and allow to cool.
- Once cooled, freeze.
- To bake, remove from freezer the day before you want to eat it and allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour covered, and 15 minutes uncovered.
Substitutions and Additions:
- Meat – We used ground beef in this recipe, but you can easily use Italian Sausage. Also substitute with ground turkey or do half turkey and half ground beef.
- Sauce – We made our sauce out of crushed tomatoes, but you can also use a jar pizza sauce or marinara sauce if you prefer. Spaghetti sauce would also work with this pasta recipe.
- Pasta – Use your favorite pasta. Bowtie pasta or rigatoni pasta would be a good substitute to use.
- Cheese – Mozzarella is our favorite cheese to use but you can also mix in some parmesan cheese or use an Italian blend cheese.
- Vegetables – You can easily sneak in some veggies such as slice mushrooms, bell peppers and onions.
Pizza Pasta Bake Tips:
- Pasta – When preparing the pasta make sure to not overcook it. It will finish cooking in the oven. I like to cook the pasta al dente or according to the package.
- Ground Beef – We recommend draining any grease from the beef before mixing it with the other ingredients.
- Prepare baking dish – Spray the baking dish with cooking spray for an easy cleanup.
- Cover Casserole – Cover the casserole with foil before placing in the flavor. This locks in the flavor and prevents the casserole from burning. We like to remove the foil for the last 15 minutes so the cheese gets brown and bubbly.
How to store and reheat:
We recommend storing this pasta recipe in an air tight container. Place in the refrigerator for about 3 to 4 days.
This makes a delicious lunch the next day as the ingredients really marinate together.
When you are ready to reheat, place the casserole in a microwave safe dish and reheat. You can also reheat in the oven at 325 degrees for about 10 minutes.
Print your recipe below:
Easy Pizza Casserole Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef (or Italian Sausage)
- 6 oz pepperoni
- 3 cups Mozzarella cheese
- 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes (or 2 15 oz cans of crushed tomatoes)
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- 16 oz penne pasta
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown the ground beef and drain any sausage.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and the garlic salt. Stir to combine.
- Meanwhile boil pasta according to directions but cook to al dente, meaning you want the pasta to be firm and undercooked.
- Drain pasta and pour half of the pasta in a 9×13 baking dish.
- Spoon half the meat mixture over the pasta.
- Top with half the Mozzarella cheese.
- Lay half the pepperonis on top.
- Then later the remaining pasta, meat sauce, cheese and pepperoni.
- Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.
- Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes until bubbly and brown.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then serve.
Good one! We enjoyed this recipe very much.
Jamie – I recommend using approximately the same amount, so 28 ounces of pizza sauce would work great!
Hi Carrie,
If I use pizza sauce instead of crushed tomatoes, how much do you think Iโd need?
This looks delicious! What do you think about adding some Ricotta between the layers?
Good and easy recipe. It was a hit with the whole family. I added green peppers, onions, and mushrooms too. Will definitely make this again.
I tried this recipe for a birthday dinner for my granddaughter. My grandkids and their parents loved it! Will make it again.
My husband and I are planning on having leftovers for dinner. What temperature and for how long should I warm it in the oven?