Pizza Casserole

Submitted by CarrolJ

"This is similar to many Baked Pasta dishes but with the distinct flavors of pizza. I created this recipe yesterday and took it to a dinner party as the main dish. It was a big hit and every woman there asked for the recipe. I decided that anything that popular should be posted here. You do not have to use the same kind of pasta I did...but should use a pasta which will remain slightly firm after boiling and baking so that it is not mushy. NOTE** I've had several people ask about when to add the spices...you can either add them to the sauce or to the sausage when you cook it. Either way works great! Since this recipe is an original creation of mine, it tickles me so very much that lots of people are enjoying it! Thanks everyone!"

Download

Ready In:: 1hr 10mins
Ingredients:: 10
Serves:: 8-10

ingredients

1 lb bow tie pasta
1 lb Jimmy Dean sausage, 'country mild' (or other flavor if desired)
1 large onion, medium size chopped (cooked with sausage)
2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce (I used Bertolli's Tomato & Basil)
¹⁄₂ lb cubed cooked ham
¹⁄₂ - 1 lb of sliced pepperoni
3 (8 ounce) bags of shredded mozzarella cheese
6 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano

directions

Cook pasta in boiling water until al denté.
Cook sausage, garlic powder and oregano with onions until the juices run clear.
In a lightly greased 9x13x3 inch pan, pour a small amount of sauce to lightly coat bottom.
Layer ingredients in the order listed below.
1st layer-1/3 of the pasta, 1/3 remaining sauce, 1 bag of mozzarella cheese, 2 Tablespoons parmesan cheese, sausage and onions.
2nd layer-1/2 of the remaining pasta, 1/2 remaining sauce, 1 bag of mozzarella cheese, 2 Tablespoons parmesan cheese, ham.
3rd layer-all remaining pasta, all remaining sauce, 1 bag of mozzarella cheese, 2 Tablespoons parmesan cheese,all the pepperoni(completely covering the entire top with pepperoni).
Bake at 375°F for 40 minutes.
Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Questions & Replies

Got a question? Share it with the community!

Reviews

I thought this had a great flavor (like a baked ziti with meat). However, the abundance of meat was a bit too much for my family, so next time I think I'll cut out the ham. Oh, and be sure to cover the top with foil or it will burn! Thanks for sharing this fun recipe!

Suzie Boozie
Ideas just looking that I may try- If too big, halve it, serve with a chopped salad or fresh veggies, or add sliced or diced carrots, onions, tomatoes, zucchini, to toppings and eliminate a meat, etc. Sub turkey versions of sausage ham and pepperoni or bacon for other. Try using veggie pasta or ancient grains pasta. I changed up my pantry for less carbs. I would purchase lg bag cheese on sale and buy sauce on sale, and meats too. It looks wonderful! The large one healthified would make a great youth group or potluck meal or put half in freezer for a frantic weeknight. Blessings!

Cathy W.
Oh my heavens, I made this for dinner last evening, I used my home made spagetti sauce, did not have ham, just used the sausage mixture, added minced garlic plus garlic powder (love love garlic) Carol this was magnificent & on the next day lunch even better. I will have this at my next card party. I love the crispness of the pepperoni on top. I also used fresh mozzoerella. The simplicity of preparation was awesome as well.

pmrealty
Sorry about the three stars, but... the taste was good but as I was shopping for the ingredients and started making this, I realized that this one single dish of casserole cost me $25. IMHO, that is a boat load of $ for a comfort meal at home. The taste was pretty good, but we all felt that it could have been a bit better. Thanks for posting. Please see my rating system on my AM page.

Axe1678
It was a very good meal...but it is huge we had leftovers for along time, it is a very fattening heavy dish...It is greasy and all I could think about is my arteries clogging a lil more with every bite...If I am to try this again I am going to use low fat everything and make as many healthy changes to it as possible.

Sammy_gunn

see 128 more reviews

Tweaks

Used mild Italian instead of jimmy dean, and used bacon instead of ham. Worked out perfectly. Everyone loved it. Will do this one again!
Glenn G.
Try my tweak for a lighter and healthier version of this dish. You won't even notice the difference! -Use turkey pepperoni and turkey sausage instead of the regular pork kinds. -Use one jar of tomato sauce. I toss the sauce together with the cooked pasta to evenly distribute. -Add sauteed mushrooms to the sausage layer (optional) -Use only 1 1/2 bags of shredded part skim/low fat mozzarella cheese. Save most of it for the top, since that's the best part of any casserole! You don't really need the extra cheese in between each layer. This tweak will bring each serving down to approximately 500 calories per serving. Not bad for cheesy, meaty baked pasta dish!

FoodE-MattyD
Used peameal, or Canadian bacon instead of ham and shared the meat between the first and second layers.

Wayne C.
My entire family really enjoyed this casserole. It's definitely a kid pleaser, as my 3 sons gobbled it up. Instead of using the entire amount of sausage, I substituted 1/2 of it with ground beef. I also only used 1 bag of mozzarella cheese. To simplify things, I mixed the sauce, meat, and pasta together and dumped it in the casserole dish. Then I put a layer of mozzarella cheese on top. It was sooo good. I will definitely make this again and again!

michelles3boys
I made this for my son and his friends when they were all here for a birthday sleepover. I bought a block of mozzarella cheese and grated it myself and didn't use nearly what the recipe said. I also cut out the sausage and only used pepperoni. I can get little bags of over 100 rounds of pepperoni for 2.49 where my husband works. It wasn't nearly as expensive that way. And, the kids loved it. Even my picky eater who hates everything, loved it. I used pizza sauce instead of the spaghetti sauce too. Also, added sliced black olives. The kids said it tastes just like a pepperoni pizza. Good basic recipe and easy to play with on the ingredients. Thanks for posting it!!!

OceanLuvinGranny