Description
Hearty meat lovers pizza casserole delivers classic Italian-American comfort with layers of pepperoni, sausage, and melted cheese. Quick weeknight dinners get an exciting upgrade with this crowd-pleasing, protein-packed culinary creation perfect for hungry families.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat:
- 1 pound (1 lb) lean ground beef
- 1 pound (1 lb) pork sausage
- 1/4 cup chopped pepperoni
Cheese:
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
Other Ingredients:
- 1 (26-ounce) jar tomato basil pasta sauce
- 1 (13.8-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Warm the oven to a sizzling 425ºF and generously coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick spray.
- In a large skillet, thoroughly brown the ground beef and sausage over medium-high heat, ensuring no pink remains. Carefully drain excess fat and return the meat to the pan.
- Introduce chopped pepperoni to the meat mixture, then dust with flour and sprinkle in most of the Italian seasoning. Gently blend until ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Pour pasta sauce into the skillet, stirring to combine with the meat. Allow the mixture to reach a gentle boil, then immediately transfer to the prepared baking dish.
- Create an even layer of mozzarella cheese across the meat mixture, covering the entire surface.
- Delicately unroll the pizza crust and drape it over the cheese layer, ensuring complete coverage.
- Brush the crust with a light coating of olive oil, then sprinkle the remaining Italian seasoning, additional mozzarella, and parmesan cheese across the top.
- Slide the casserole into the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, watching for a golden-brown crust and bubbling edges.
Notes
- Customize meat choices by swapping ground beef and sausage with turkey or plant-based alternatives for healthier options.
- Add extra vegetables like bell peppers, mushrooms, or spinach to boost nutritional value and create more complex flavor profiles.
- Experiment with different cheese blends to create unique taste combinations, such as adding provolone or sharp cheddar alongside mozzarella.
- Use gluten-free pizza crust and replace regular flour with cornstarch for a celiac-friendly version of this comfort food casserole.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 460
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 950 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg