Description
Mama’s Pizza Casserole is a comforting and flavorful dish that combines all the delicious elements of a classic pizza in a convenient casserole form. With layers of pasta, savory meat sauce, gooey cheese, and zesty pepperoni, this easy-to-make recipe is sure to become a family favorite.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Meat Sauce:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (24 oz) jar pizza sauce
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Optional: ½ cup chopped green bell pepper or mushrooms
Other Ingredients:
- 8 ounces uncooked rotini or penne pasta
- 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup sliced pepperoni
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Cook the pasta: Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Prepare the meat sauce: In a skillet, sauté onion and garlic. Add ground beef, cook until browned. Drain excess fat. Stir in pizza sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and optional vegetables. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Combine pasta and sauce: In a bowl, mix cooked pasta with meat sauce and 1 cup of mozzarella.
- Assemble and bake: Transfer mixture to a greased baking dish. Top with remaining mozzarella, pepperoni, and Parmesan. Bake for 20–25 minutes.
- Serve: Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- You can swap ground beef for Italian sausage or turkey.
- Add your favorite pizza toppings like olives or jalapeños.
- This casserole is great for meal prep and freezes well.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1½ cups
- Calories: 490
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 780mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 75mg
