This easy Pizza Casserole recipe is a mash-up of a supreme pizza and a cozy baked pasta. It's so simple to make and a delicious meal the whole family will enjoy.
Want more pasta recipes? Try Manicotti, Chicken Marsala Pasta, Pastalaya, Truffle Mac and Cheese, or Baked Ziti!
Our favorite pizza toppings turned into a cozy Pizza Casserole.
Our favorite pizza toppings turned into a cozy Pizza Casserole.This pizza pasta recipe is a treasured one from my mother-in-law; all of her kids grew up loving it, and mine feel the exact same way! I like that I can sneak in a bunch of veggies and I can prep the entire thing in the morning and bake it when we are ready for dinner.
How to make Pizza Casserole:
Prep Ingredients: Cook pasta, drain and set aside. Cook ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking into small pieces with a meat chopper or wooden spoon. Drain grease.
Combine: Add meat, pepperoni, onion, bell pepper, parmesan cheese, oregano, mushrooms, garlic, and olives to a large mixing bowl. Add cooked pasta and sauce and mix to combine.
Bake: Add mixture to a greased a 9×13″ casserole dish (or similar size pan). Sprinkle 1-2 cups of mozzarella cheese on top, depending on your preference. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly.
Make Ahead And Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: Assemble the casserole, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours. Remove plastic wrap and bake as directed.
To Freeze: Assemble casserole in a freezer-safe baking dish.Cover with a double layer of aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely in the fridge overnight then bake as directed. (Tip: I like to add extra sauce to the pasta if freezing it, since the noodles naturally soak some of it up as it freezes).
More Kid-Friendly Recipes:
- Pizza Sliders
- Chow Mein
- American Goulash
- Baked Chicken Meatballs
- Ham and Cheese Sliders
- Spaghetti Pie
- Hamburger Gravy
- Fettuccine Alfredo
- Air Fryer Grilled Cheese
Follow me for more great recipes
Recipe
Pizza Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups penne pasta
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 pound pork sausage (I prefer Jimmy Deans)
- 4 ounces pepperoni
- 1/2 green bell pepper , chopped
- 1 small onion , chopped
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 can sliced mushrooms (optional)
- 1 small can sliced black olives
- 24 ounce jar marinara pasta sauce (or homemade pizza sauce*)
- 1 to 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Cook penne pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Brown ground beef and sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove grease.
- Combine: Add cooked meat to a large mixing bowl. Add pepperoni, bell pepper, onion, parmesan cheese, oregano, garlic, mushroom and olives. Add noodles and pasta sauce then toss to combine.
- Bake: Pour mixture into a greased 9×13'' pan. Sprinkle 1-2 cups of mozzarella cheese on top, (depending on how much cheese you like). Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-35 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbling.
Notes
Nutrition
Follow Me
*I originally shared this recipe August 2015. Updated April 2020 and October 2024.
This post contains affiliate links.
Family favorite
Family loved it.I substituted italian sausage. I doubled the mushrooms,black olives and marinara sauce.It was not dry.Had plenty left over and it was great the next day.(I added a little margarine to leftover to prevent dryness).Will make again
Made it tonight, family loved it! Layered it like lasagna thank you for posting this recipe
This recipe is sooooo good. I didn’t have any mushrooms but I will use them next time. I used Italian sausage for the sausage. I wouldn’t change anything. My kids and I enjoyed thank you.
Delicious! Easy and great family meal. Added garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning to the meat. Used tomato and basil sauce instead of marinara. So great, thank you for sharing!
Has anyone used Italian sausage?
I plan to this weekend. I’ll let everyone know how it turned out.
I used italian sausage and it gave the food good flavor.
When a recipe doesn’t come out as expected it’s an automatic mood killer. Highly disappointed in this recipe. Came out super dry.
I’m sorry it didn’t work for you. I find when trying a new dish, I always either make too much sauce… or too little. Try egg noodles next time because I think the penne will soak up too much of the recommended amount of sauce. Good Eating!
This is so good, and easy to make. I love it!
Everyone loved it. Flavor was really good but I thought it could have used a bit more sauce and the peppers & onions could have used a bit of sauteing to soften them up. Fortunately I had time to make my own sauce and I definitely recommend doing so if you can. I will be making this again!
It was good… fast and simple.. subbed turkey sausage and turkey pepperoni