This flavorful pizza casserole with beef, macaroni, pasta and simple but fresh ingredients, is the perfect comfort food for after a busy day. With only 15 minutes of prep time this meal can be baked in 20-30 minutes making it perfect for a family friendly dinner on a busy day. This easy pizza casserole is kid and budget friendly as well which makes it a weeknight win for everyone. See below the recipe for photos and notes. If you would like to do this pizza casserole in the crockpot, click on the highlighted crockpot pizza casserole.
As an Amazon Associate I may earn from qualifying purchases. Follow along for Amish recipes (and more) and feel free to leave a rating and comment in the comment section below!
Delicious pizza casserole
Ingredients
- 8 oz. dry macaroni or 1 3/4-2 cups
- 1 pound ground beef
- 3/4 cup diced onion white or yellow
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups marinara or pizza sauce *see note
- 4 oz. canned mushroom pieces, drained optional
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning *see note
- 3 oz. sliced pepperoni
- shredded mozzarella for topping
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees:
- Cook pasta and brown ground beef in a large skillet with a little olive oil. Add minced garlic and diced onion and keep stirring and cooking until the onions are translucent. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Once beef is browned, add marinara or pizza sauce, mushroom pieces, parmesan cheese and seasonings, then stir well. Allow to simmer on low heat for about 5-10 minutes, then remove from heat.
- Drain pasta, then dump into the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Separate pepperoni and toss over cooked macaroni, then pour beef and sauce mixture over top.
- Top with shredded mozzarella cheese then place on the center rack of your oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes until cheese is melted and edges are starting to brown. Cool slightly before serving. Enjoy! Storage notes and more below.
Notes
Try this Yummy pizza sauce with homemade applesauce or cheddar bacon green beans. Try serving Chunky M&M cookies or Amish chocolate chip cookies for dessert!
Subscribe today and get free meal inspirations delivered to your doorstep!
Ingredients needed: pizza or marinara sauce, dry macaroni, shredded mozzarella cheese, diced onion, garlic cloves, salt, Italian seasoning, garlic salt, parmesan cheese, pepperoni, and ground beef.
Note*1 The homemade marinara sauce used to test this recipe may be sweeter than most store bought sauces. Feel free to adjust the salt and garlic salt to taste.
Note 2* You can also add one cup sliced, fresh mushrooms. Just stir them into beef and onion mixture (about 5 minutes before you add the pasta sauce) to allow them to cook and soften. If using the crockpot there is no need to sautee the vegetables first, unless you simply prefer to do so.
Step 1-2: Brown beef in 2-3 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then drain the grease if needed. Add onions, minced garlic, mushrooms (optional) sauce, seasonings, pepperoni and parmesan cheese. Simmer for around 10 minutes to develop the flavor (optional).
Note on sauce:
My family prefers this pizza casserole saucy, so I usually go for a quart (roughly 4 cups) of sauce. You can add more or less if you wish.
Step 3: Drain pasta, then dump into the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Separate pepperoni and toss over cooked macaroni, then pour beef and sauce mixture over top.
Can I add fresh herbs to this pizza casserole?
Absolutely! In the summer months I like to chop fresh herbs such as parsley, oregano, and thyme, then add a tablespoon or so into the beef mixture instead of Italian seasoning. You can adjust the herbs according to your preference.
Step 4: Top with shredded mozzarella cheese, then bake for 20-30 minutes until cheese is melted and edges are starting to brown. Cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!
Can I turn this pizza casserole into a freezer meal?
Yes, you can. In fact, it is one of my favorite freezer meals. Simply prep the meat sauce, cook and drain the pasta, combine pasta and sauce then place into a baking dish or several depending on your needs. Top each dish with shredded mozzarella (and additional pepperoni if you wish), then allow the dishes to cool completely before covering and freezing. Note* Be sure to wrap/cover the dishes well and allow them to cool completely before freezing to avoid freezer burn/condensation.
Feel free to pin this recipe for later and show off your creations by tagging me on Instagram at thismom.cooks. Thank you for your support!!
This is a definite win.
Thank you!