Hey! I'm Des!
Welcome to Life’s Ambrosia where Dinner is served and memories are made. Here you will find over 1000 tried and true recipes for every possible occasion. In the last 10 years, this blog has helped millions of families put dinner on the table and create food memories. Let me help you too.
Pizza Casserole
Pizza Casserole is a must make for pizza lovers! Loaded with cheese, pepperoni, sausage, peppers and onions it’s a real crowd pleaser!
When it comes to weeknight dinners, casseroles are always a great go to. They are easy, they can usually feed a small army and can be made ahead of time. All of these reasons are why I love having a few in my recipe arsenal.
Dinners like Chicken and Rice Casserole, Ham and Potato Casserole, Chili Dog Tater Tot Casserole and now this Pizza Casserole are always crowd pleasers.
We love this pizza casserole because it is all of the things that make casseroles wonderful with the addition of pizza! Just think of it as your favorite Supreme Pizza in casserole form.
Let’s talk about what you’ll need to make it.
Pizza Casserole Ingredients:
Like pizza, you could pick and choose which “toppings” to use. I would steer clear of ingredients like pineapple and fresh tomatoes because they will add extra liquid to the casserole. Those could be added after cooking, if desired.
- PIZZA CASSEROLE INGREDIENTS:
- ROTINI PASTA: I like the corkscrew pasta in this because the sauce works its way into all the crevices. If you don’t have rotini, any other short pasta like penne, elbow or ziti will do.
- ITALIAN SAUSAGE: Use mild or spicy Italian sausage. If it is in links, simply remove the casing.
- GREEN BELL PEPPERS: You can also use red, orange, yellow or a combo.
- RED ONION: I love the color that red onion adds to this dish but you could also use yellow onion for this as well.
- MUSHROOMS: You could use white button or crimini mushrooms.
- PEPPERONI: Instead of sliced pepperoni, I prefer to use the pepperoni you can buy in a stick form and then dice them. This gives the casserole a ton of texture.
- PIZZA SAUCE: You can make your own Homemade Easy Pizza Sauce or buy your favorite brand.
- MOZZARELLA: For the best flavor and texture I recommend buying a block of mozzarella cheese and shredding it yourself.
- PARMESAN CHEESE: Like the mozzarella, shred it yourself for best results.
- PARSLEY: For garnish, totally optional.
Step by Step Photos and Instructions:
Making Pizza Casserole is quick and easy! Follow along with these Step by Step Photos and Instructions to guide you every step of the way.
Cook pasta 6 – 7 minutes or until firm but not too soft. Drain but reserve 1/2 cup pasta water. 
Brown sausage. Drain. 
In the same pan, cook vegetables and pepperoni. 
Return sausage to pan. Add pasta and pizza sauce. Remove from heat. 
Place in a 9×13 casserole dish. Top with 1 1/2 cups of cheese. Bake 15 minutes. Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
STEP #1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to boil, season with salt. Cook pasta for 6 – 7 minutes and strain. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water. Pasta will still be firm at this time, but that is good because it will continue to cook when you bake the casserole.
STEP #2: While the pasta is cooking, brown the Italian sausage in a skillet and cook until cooked through. Strain to remove excess grease.
STEP #3: In the same pan that you cooked the sausage cook the vegetables and Pepperoni. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes or until the vegetables soften.
STEP #4: Add in the pasta and pizza sauce. Mix well and remove from heat.
STEP #5: Spray a 9×13 inch casserole dish with non-stick spray. Place casserole in prepared pan. Top with 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, top with the rest of mozzarella and parmesan. Broil for 1 – 2 minutes. Serve immediately.
Storage and Leftovers:
To reheat the pasta, cover with aluminum foil and bake in a 325 degree oven until warmed through. I like to add a bit more fresh cheese on top before reheating to really get the melty texture back.
You can also freeze this pizza casserole. It’s best to do this in two 8×8 casserole dishes. Line each dish with aluminum foil with enough excess hanging off the edges so you can lift the casserole out. Spoon casserole into dish. Set pan on top of ice water to cool rapidly. Then freeze until firm. Lift frozen casserole from the dish, wrap in foil and place in a plastic freezer bag. Cook within 2 – 3 months.
If you loved this Pizza Casserole and want even more pizza deliciousness, check out these recipes:
Pizza Dip is PERFECT for parties!
If you love pizza and egg rolls, you’ve got to try these Pizza Egg Rolls!
We make pizza here almost weekly and it starts with the Perfect Homemade Pizza Dough.
Note: Originally posted in 2009. Updated with new photos, step by step photos and nutrition information in 2024.
Pizza Casserole
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 1 pound dried rotini pasta
- kosher salt
- 1 pound hot or mild ground Italian sausage
- 1 green bell pepper ribs and seeds removed, diced
- 1/2 cup red onion chopped
- 1 cup crimini mushrooms quartered
- 1/2 cup diced pepperoni
- 1 1/2 cup pizza sauce
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Season liberally with salt, about 1 tablespoon. Cook pasta for 6-7 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and strain the rest. Pasta will be firm.
- In a large skillet brown Italian sausage, about 5 minutes. Strain.
- In the same pan you cooked the sausage stir together bell pepper, red onion, mushrooms and pepperoni. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until vegetables soften. Return sausage to pan. Stir to combine. Add in pasta and pizza sauce. If pasta seems too dry, add in enough pasta water until desired consistency. Mix well. Remove from heat.
- Spoon mixture into a 9x13 casserole dish. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese on top. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove. Top 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes or until cheese starts to brown. Serve immediately.
Notes
- To freeze one casserole. Line a casserole dish with foil, making sure to leave enough hanging off the sides to wrap around the casserole. Spoon casserole mixture into prepared pan. Set pan on top of ice water to cool rapidly. Then freeze for a couple of hours or until firm. Lift the frozen casserole out of the dish, wrap in foil and place in a plastic freezer bag. Cook within 2-3 months.
- When ready to bake, place frozen casserole in casserole dish and thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap the casserole. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese on top and bake for 20-25 minutes or until mozzarella is melted and casserole is heated through. Remove from oven sprinkle 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella and 1/4 shredded Parmesan on top. Place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese starts to brown.
Nutrition
Hey! I'm Des!
Welcome to Life’s Ambrosia where Dinner is served and memories are made. Here you will find over 1000 tried and true recipes for every possible occasion. In the last 10 years, this blog has helped millions of families put dinner on the table and create food memories. Let me help you too.
Deseree
December 16, 2012 at 9:40 amCarmen- I think you can keep the temp at 350 but you might need to increase the time. I’d say 25 minutes or so. Hope you enjoy it!
Carmen
December 15, 2012 at 9:24 pmI don’t want to make a casserole to freeze, but I also don’t have 2 8 X 8 glass pans. If I keep all of the measurements the same, I think I can fit the casserole into 1 9 X 13 pan, but do you think I should change the cook time or temperature if I do that? Thanks!
Amanda
June 28, 2012 at 10:12 amI have made this a few times and the family LOVES it. Followed it to the T and it was sooo flavorful and easy to prepare. A+++!
Deseree
June 29, 2012 at 7:09 pmHappy to hear this Amanda!
Kathryn
June 17, 2012 at 12:00 pmI want to make these like a pig wants to roll in the mud, like a dog wants to chase a cat, and like a cookie wants to be dipped in milk. My life is complete!
Jaiden
June 17, 2012 at 11:55 amThis looks so good!! I want to whip up a batch right now!! I agree with you Angel 100% I’m going to cook it right when I get home also :) Thanks so much for the recipe Deseree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Angel
March 12, 2012 at 12:53 amI’ll cook this when I got home soon :-) It looks yummy. Thanks for the recipe.
Sarah
April 5, 2010 at 8:25 amI am SOOOO trying this! God, I have such a long list of to-try things. It’s driving me nuts. But this, this has gone to the top of the list. It’s probably going on my list for next week! Yum!
Brenna
March 25, 2010 at 8:58 amHey this recipe looks great but I don’t have a glass 8×8 pan. Could I use a metal pan with out it affecting the recipe?
Deseree
March 25, 2010 at 9:03 amHi Breanna, while I prefer a glass pan, I think that you could use a metal pan and it won’t affect the recipe too much. I hope you enjoy it!
Carly Rae
March 14, 2010 at 4:33 pmThis is a WONDERFUL recipe. The only thing that needs alteration is you need more than one cup of sauce, the first time I made it by following directions to a T. and it was a little dry. Add a little more sauce and some red pepper flakes and bon apetite
tara
February 15, 2010 at 10:03 pmI have a very large family ages ranging from 6mo-12yrs, so having that many kids plus 2 adults. So money is tight, if I freeze this with the noodles will the noodles get soggy when I go to fix it for supper? Also do you have any other freezer casseroles never have enough time to much going on chicken nuggets getting old
Deseree
February 17, 2010 at 7:35 amHey Tara- The noodles shouldn’t get too soggy, simply make sure that the noodles are still pretty firm when you strain them. I’ll try working on some more freezer casseroles to see what I can come up with. If you want a change for chicken nuggets you can try my oven baked Sriracha chicken nuggets. They are pretty quick and easy. Hope this helps!
diane
February 15, 2010 at 9:20 amThis is a great dish. I live alone and when the grandkids (all 7 of them), with 2 being teenagers, I whip this up. they love it.
Kristin
December 17, 2009 at 4:14 pmI just made this, and it’s soo delicious! I’m definitely saving this recipe and making it again. Talk about comfort food, yum!!
Deseree
December 17, 2009 at 10:24 pmThank you Kristin! :)
Deseree
November 23, 2009 at 8:37 amHi Jude- No worries if you don’t like it, it is not essential. I added it because I happen to enjoy green peppers on my pizza. You add it at the same time that you cook the onions, mushrooms and pepperoni. Hope this helps!
Jude
November 23, 2009 at 6:14 amLooks really good! At what point does the green pepper get added? I would probably leave it out since we’re not fans, but I wasn’t sure if it was essential to the heart of the dish! :-)
Deseree
October 28, 2009 at 9:53 amThanks Muneeba! Sometimes old-fashinoned is the way to go. Unless maybe you are talking about acid wash jeans and 3 inch high shoulder pads. ;-)
Karly- Thanks Karly! If you do make it I hope you all enjoy it!
Your welcome RedKathy!
Mike- I agree that good casseroles can be so comforting and on these cool autumn days there is nothing better. :)
Mike
October 28, 2009 at 9:41 amThis looks incredibly satisfying; there’s something so comforting about a good casserole. So many good things rolled into one!
redkathy
October 22, 2009 at 5:21 pmItalian American all the way! I prepare casseroles a lot. This is one I must try, thanks for sharing.
Karly
October 22, 2009 at 7:23 amOoh, pizza casserole! My kids generally don’t like casseroles, but I bet they’d love this one!
Muneeba
October 22, 2009 at 5:41 amI love casseroles … even though some ppl think they’re old-fashioned … but yours looks SO good! What’s not to love?!