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Spoil yourself with tonight’s dinner by choosing this Easy Pizza Casserole. Made with your favorite hearty ingredients from both pasta and pizza, this dish is an explosion of flavor and savory, cheesy goodness!
The best gluten-free pizza casserole
What has three words, is the best of two worlds, and is loaded with mozzarella cheese? I’ll tell you: easy pizza casserole, that’s what!
This dish takes everything good about pasta (thick hearty noodles, green pepper, and pasta sauce), and everything good about pizza (pepperoni and mozzarella, obviously), and combines them into a dish that is not only flavorful and hearty, but also filled with tons of vegetables.
Seriously, it’s impossible for pizza casserole to disappoint! This dish creates about 6-8 servings and is perfect for gatherings, potlucks, or simply enjoying on a cozy evening at home. Every time I present it, my friends and family go crazy. It’s totally kid-approved, too!
Ingredients in this pizza casserole recipe
This recipe meets at the intersection of two of my all-time favorite foods: pasta and pizza. By using the best ingredients of both, we’re able to achieve a deep-dish style casserole that’s loaded with flavor and delicious ingredients. And yes, that includes cheese!
- Pasta: We’ll start with 16 oz of pasta. I like to use the brown rice fusilli from Trader Joe’s, but anything will work!
- Avocado oil: Next, we will use 2 tbsp of avocado oil for sautรฉing the vegetables.
- Yellow onion: The first veggie on our list is 1/2 of a yellow onion. It will need to be diced.
- Garlic: For flavor, include 3 cloves of minced garlic.
- Green pepper: Next up, a green pepper! I love the flavor and crunch that these add. You’ll just need 1, diced.
- Broccoli: Load up on greens by including 4 cups of chopped broccoli.
- Chicken sausage: For protein and oomph, include 1.5 lbs of chicken sausage. I usually grab the uncooked type that comes in the casings, usually found at the meat counter in the grocery store.
- Oregano: For flavor, sprinkle in 1 tsp of dried oregano.
- Basil: Similarly, add 1 tsp of dried basil.
- Salt: And finally for the seasonings, include a dash of salt in the amount of 1/2 tsp.
- Diced tomatoes: To add liquid and to keep the casserole from being too dry, throw in 1 15oz can of diced tomatoes.
- Pasta sauce: Next we’ll be using 4 cups of pasta sauce to get the classic pasta taste. Your favorite type will be perfect.
- Pepperoni: Pepperoni adds loads of yummy flavor. 3 oz should be plenty.
- Mozzarella: Finally, we will top the casserole with 1-2 cups of shredded mozzarella. The more cheese the better, so I recommend getting it close to 2 cups!
Kitchen tools required for this dish
There are only about 6 main tools needed for this dish, in addition to a few measuring cups. I like to grab everything before I get started to make the prep process as quick as possible!
- Cutting board
- Chopping knife
- 9×13 Baking dish
- Nonstick spray
- Dutch oven or stove pot
- Spatula
For measuring, you will need four sizes: 1/2 tsp, 1 tsp, 1 tbsp, and 1 cup.
How to make easy pizza casserole
Pizza casserole is as simple as boiling your pasta, sautรฉing your veggies, and throwing everything into a casserole dish! The total hands-on prep time should only be about 10 minutes, and the oven and stove will do the rest of the work.
To start, preheat the oven to 350F and grease a 9×13 glass baking dish with nonstick spray.
Cook the pasta according to the package, then drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat a dutch oven or large pot with the avocado oil. Once hot, add the yellow onion, garlic, green pepper, and broccoli.
Let the veggies sautรฉ for 5 minutes until they begin to soften.
Remove the sausage from the casings and add them to the veggies. Then, add the diced tomatoes and pasta sauce.
Stir everything to combine, and then add the pasta noodles, stirring until they’re all mixed together.
Pour everything into the baking dish and then add a layer of pepperoni. Finally, top with the mozzarella cheese.
Bake uncovered for 25 minutes.
Once cooked, remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Tips
Below are some common pizza casserole questions. Don’t see the answer you’re looking for? Leave a comment at the bottom of this post!
Can I use a different dish size?
You definitely can! I like to use a 9×13 for this meal, but you can use any glass casserole dish that you have. Just keep an eye on cooking times to prevent burning.
Can I add extra veggies?
Of course! This dish is certainly veggie-packed as it is (think four cups of broccoli, a green pepper, and an onion), but feel free to add more! Add extra of those three, or throw in any other veggies you’d like. Zucchini could be good.
How should the leftovers be kept?
You can store leftover pizza casserole in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. I recommend keeping it in airtight containers to keep things fresh.
Substitution Tip
Wondering if you can use different veggies? There are a few ways to do so.
I recommend a yellow onion and a green pepper, but any color onion or pepper will work. They may alter the flavor a bit, as each onion and pepper has its own unique benefits! But don’t worry, any will work.
As for the broccoli, you can swap it with cauliflower, or use something different altogether. Again, zucchini could work here, but I don’t recommend using four cups of it. Maybe just one zucchini, finely chopped.
Other easy 1:1 swaps include avocado oil (use any other cooking oil), mozzarella (you can use cheddar, colby jack, or even pepper jack), and the chicken sausage (sub with any sausage or ground meat of your choosing).
If you liked this recipe, you’ll want to try these!
Here are some more of my favorite casserole-style dishes. Enjoy!
- Lemon Chicken Spaghetti Squash Casserole
- Cranberry Chicken Casserole
- Mexican Quinoa Casserole
- Buffalo Chicken Sweet Potato Casserole
Easy Pizza Casserole Recipe
Spoil yourself with tonight’s dinner by choosing this Easy Pizza Casserole. Made with your favorite hearty ingredients from both pasta and pizza, this dish is an explosion of flavor and savory, cheesy goodness!
Ingredients
- 16 oz pasta (I used brown rice fusilli from TJ’s)
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 4 cups broccoli, chopped
- 1.5lb chicken sausage, uncooked and in casing (from the meat counter)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 15oz can diced tomatoes
- 4 cups pasta sauce
- 3oz pepperoni
- 1–2 cup shredded mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9×13 glass baking dish with non-stick spray.
- Cook pasta according to package, drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat dutch oven with avocado oil. Once hot, add in yellow onion, garlic, green pepper, and broccoli.
- Let saute for a 5 minutes until veggies begin to soften.
- Take sausage out of casing and add to veggies. Chop up using wooden spoon and let cook all the way through.
- Once cooked, add in oregano, basil, and salt. Then add in diced tomatoes and pasta sauce.
- Stir to combine, and then add in pasta noodles, stirring until all mixed together.
- Pour into baking dish and then add a layer of pepperoni. Top with mozzarella cheese.
- Bake in oven uncovered for 25 minutes.
- Let rest 10 minutes before serving.
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Molly says
Delicious and love that it is veggie packed!! I used frozen broccoli and pre cooked cheddar chicken sausages from Costco and it turned out amazing!
Erin says
Hi Molly, so happy you loved it! ๐
Faith Simon says
Was a little dry when I made it, I think I need to up the sauce a little. But the flavors were perfect!
Erin says
Hi Faith, so glad you loved it!!
Janie says
So flavorful and easy to put together! Will be adding this into our regular rotation ๐
Erin says
Hi Janie, so glad you enjoyed it!!
Maisie says
This recipe is so easy and convenient for meal prepping! As a nurse, I meal prep everything I am going to eat for everything I am going to eat for my 3 shifts and this recipe definitely kept well and reheated like a champ.
Erin says
Hi Maisie, so glad you loved it!!
Katie says
You really canโt ever go wrong with pizza and pasta in one dish and this one was a great combo. I used Aidells chicken sausage and added mushrooms and it was soo yummy. My husband tends to find most one pan type dishes boring but he ate this so fast. A winner in our book!
Erin says
Hi Katie, I am so glad you both loved it!!
Luci says
This casserole is the BEST EVER! Seriously. I’m a teacher & a big runner so this is perfect to meal prep and freeze for crazy weeks. It’s SO flavorful and I don’t feel guilty when I go back for seconds & thirds. I’ve made it a few times and it just never gets old!!
Erin says
Hi Luci, so glad you loved it so much! Thanks for sharing!! ๐
HD says
I love recipe short-cuts, so I used frozen chopped tri-color bell pepers and frozen chopped broccoli instead of fresh veggies. I used vegetable rotini pasta and chicken sausage too. It came out SO good! Huge hit with the family, and leftovers taste great too!
Erin says
Hi! I am so happy you loved it and made it your own!
Amy says
My boyfriend and I both LOVED this recipe! Heโs like a child when it comes to eating his veggies, but he loves pizza and pasta so it was a great way for him to get some veggies in while enjoying it!
Erin says
Hi Amy, so happy you both enjoyed it!!
Kaitlin says
Made this using ground beef instead of sausage (and left off pepperoni on half) so that my 9 month old could have it too, and it turned out amazing! The whole family loved it, and it reheated well for leftovers. My husband couldn’t believe how much it smelled and tasted like pizza.
Erin says
Hi Kaitlin, I am thrilled your family liked it so much! ๐
Danielle says
I made this for dinners for the week and it was so simple but still so delicious! Definitely going to be making it again!
Erin says
Hi Danielle, so glad you liked it!!
Erin says
Absolutely delicious!!! I love how all of your meals are simple, healthy and flavorful!! I canโt wait to make this again soon. Thanks!!
Erin says
Hi Erin, thanks for your kind words! So happy you loved it!
Maggie says
Everything about this dish is delicious. Gives you all the yummy qualities of pizza without having to make and knead dough! Tastes just like a pizza but itโs pasta? I will definitely be making this again.
Erin says
Hi Maggie, I am thrilled you loved it!!
amanda says
This looks so good! Do you think halving the recipe and doing a smaller pan would work? It is just for myself and I don’t think I need 10 servings haha! Thanks for great recipes!! ๐
Erin says
Hi Amanda, yes that should be great or you could always make the full size and freeze half. Let me know how it comes out!
Corey says
Easy and delicious!
Erin says
Hi Corey, I am glad you liked it!
Kaleigh P. says
We LOVED it! I do not know how all of these awesome recipes come to Erin, but I am SO glad they do! Serious talent here y’all!
** We substituted the chicken sausage for 1lb turkey and 1 roll of mild sausage. We have a large family so we almost doubled the noodles too, so we had enough for the night and leftovers!
Erin says
Hi Kayleigh, so glad you enjoyed it and made it your own!!
Carolyn K says
This was so good! Great recipe for kids too. Everyone loved it.
Erin says
Hi Carolyn, so glad you loved it!
Montana H says
So good! I made it without pepperoni (forgot to buy it) but it was still so good! Next time I’ll add mushrooms and some spinach for more volume. Thanks for the great recipe, Erin!!!
Erin says
Hi Montana, so happy you liked it!!
Madeline says
Loved this recipe! So easy and fun to make!
Erin says
Hi Madeline, so glad you liked it!!
Kelly says
My family and I loved this! It makes a large batch and leaves plenty of leftovers. The only substitute I made was using precooked chicken sausage chopped up. Great flavor and easy to whip together!
Erin says
Hi Kelly, so happy you enjoyed it! ๐
Lauren says
This was a huge hit for my family!! Kids and adults loved it! So flavorful! Will definitely be a meal we make over and over again!
Erin says
Hi Lauren, I am so happy everyone loved it!!