By Becky Hardin
Published Feb 28, 2022
Homemade Pizza Casserole features everything we love about pizza in pasta form! Loaded with pizza sauce, pepperoni, veggies, and more, this effortless and delicious baked pasta recipe is always a hit.
Pepperoni Pizza Casserole Recipe
If you love pizza and you love pasta, this pepperoni pizza casserole is for you! Hearty and flavorful, pepperoni pizza casserole tastes just like a slice of your favorite pepperoni pizza. Made with beef, Italian sausage, fresh veggies, cheese, and pizza sauce, this recipe is a keeper.
A true family favorite dinner, pizza casserole leaves you full and satisfied!
Be sure to try my Pierogy Pizza Casserole and Garlic Bread Pizza Casserole , too.
Why you’ll love this Pizza Pasta Casserole recipe:
- SIMPLE: Made with pantry basics and ready in less than 45 minutes, this is a quick and easy dinner recipe to make any night of the week.
- MAKE AHEAD: Whenever I make casseroles, we always have leftovers to enjoy for another meal later in the week. Cook once, eat twice!
- KID FRIENDLY : Even picky eaters will devour this pizza casserole.
With the same great flavors of pizza in pasta form, what’s not to love?
How to Make Pizza Casserole
You can jump to the recipe card for full ingredients & instructions!
- Cook and drain the pasta noodles.
- Brown the meats, season, and set aside.
- Sauté the veggies.
- Mix the meats and veggies together.
- Add the pasta and pizza sauce and toss to combine.
- Spread the mixture in a baking dish, sprinkle with cheese, and top with pepperoni.
- Bake until the cheese bubbles.
Store leftover pizza casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
For best taste and texture, reheat leftover casserole in a preheated oven at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. You can also warm it back up in the microwave for a couple minutes.
To make this casserole gluten free, replace the rotini noodles with your favorite gluten free pasta noodles and ensure all of the other ingredients you use are also gluten free. Continue with the recipe as written.
Definitely! Replace the beef and pork with ground turkey or chicken, or use a combination of your favorite meats.
Serving Suggestions
This pepperoni pizza casserole is delicious by itself or with your favorite salad or veggies sides like:
- Caprese Salad
- Cucumber Tomato Salad
- Oven Roasted Asparagus
- Cheesy Baked Green Beans
I love that it makes a big casserole, enough to enjoy for leftovers later in the week!
Tips!
- Cook the noodles for one minute less than al dente. The pasta will continue to cook in the oven so this will prevent the noodles from becoming mushy.
- Add slices of fresh mozzarella on top for even more cheesy goodness.
- For super bubbly and crispy cheese, broil the casserole for 1-2 minutes before serving.
Super simple and easy to make, this baked pasta will quickly become a weeknight dinnertime go-to!
What kind of pizza sauce should I use?
Use your favorite store bought or homemade pizza sauce. Whatever you use for classic pizza will be delicious in this casserole.
Can I use any other type of noodle?
Yes! Instead of rotini, use any short pasta like penne, fusilli, or rigatoni.
More Casserole Recipes We Love
- Doritos Casserole
- Enchilada Stuffed Pepper Casserole
- Taco Casserole
- Sloppy Joe Casserole
- Cheeseburger Macaroni Casserole
Once you make this pizza casserole, you’ll taste why my family loves this pasta recipe!
More Easy Pizza Recipes to Try:
- Crockpot Pizza Dip
- English Muffin Breakfast Pizza
- Skillet Deep Dish Pizza
- Veggie Pizza
- P izza Sticks with Pepperoni
- S’Mores Dessert Pizza
- More Pizza-inspired Recipes
If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy!
Ingredients1x2x3x
- ▢ 3 ½ cups rotini pasta
- ▢ ½ pound ground beef
- ▢ ½ pound Italian sausage hot or mild
- ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ▢ ½ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- ▢ ½ teaspoon ground black pepper plus more to taste
- ▢ ½ onion chopped
- ▢ ¼ cup shredded carrots
- ▢ ½ cup chopped green bell pepper
- ▢ 4 ounces sliced mushrooms optional, 1 can
- ▢ 28 ounces pizza sauce 2 jars
- ▢ 1 cup shredded Colby jack cheese
- ▢ ½ cup pepperoni slices
Video
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Cook the pasta noodles for one less minute than the time listed on the package. Drain and set aside. 3 ½ cups rotini pasta
- While the pasta cooks, brown the ground beef and sausage in a large frying pan. Cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes. ½ pound ground beef, ½ pound Italian sausage
- Stir in the salt, pepper, and garlic powder and cook for 1 minute. Transfer the meat to a bowl and set aside. 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Drain any excessive fat and save the drippings in the pan. In the same pan, sauté the onions, carrots, and green peppers until softened, about 5 minutes. ½ onion, ¼ cup shredded carrots, ½ cup chopped green bell pepper
- Add the meat back to the pan, stir in the mushrooms (if using), and mix together. 4 ounces sliced mushrooms
- Add the cooked pasta and pizza sauce and toss to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. 28 ounces pizza sauce
- Flatten the mixture into an even layer, sprinkle with shredded cheese, and add the pepperoni slices. 1 cup shredded Colby jack cheese, ½ cup pepperoni slices
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until bubbling and the cheese has melted.
Becky’s Tips
- Storage: Store casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Pizza Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups rotini pasta
- ½ pound ground beef
- ½ pound Italian sausage hot or mild
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper plus more to taste
- ½ onion chopped
- ¼ cup shredded carrots
- ½ cup chopped green bell pepper
- 4 ounces sliced mushrooms optional, 1 can
- 28 ounces pizza sauce 2 jars
- 1 cup shredded Colby jack cheese
- ½ cup pepperoni slices
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Cook the pasta noodles for one less minute than the time listed on the package. Drain and set aside. 3 ½ cups rotini pasta
- While the pasta cooks, brown the ground beef and sausage in a large frying pan. Cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes. ½ pound ground beef, ½ pound Italian sausage
- Stir in the salt, pepper, and garlic powder and cook for 1 minute. Transfer the meat to a bowl and set aside. 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Drain any excessive fat and save the drippings in the pan. In the same pan, sauté the onions, carrots, and green peppers until softened, about 5 minutes. ½ onion, ¼ cup shredded carrots, ½ cup chopped green bell pepper
- Add the meat back to the pan, stir in the mushrooms (if using), and mix together. 4 ounces sliced mushrooms
- Add the cooked pasta and pizza sauce and toss to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. 28 ounces pizza sauce
- Flatten the mixture into an even layer, sprinkle with shredded cheese, and add the pepperoni slices. 1 cup shredded Colby jack cheese, ½ cup pepperoni slices
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until bubbling and the cheese has melted.
Video
Notes
- Storage: Store casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
