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Recipe Index Ā» Recipes Ā» Meat Lover’s Pizza Casserole

Meat Lover’s Pizza Casserole

Published by Meaghan on February 16, 2022 | last updated on May 5, 2022.

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Meat lovers pizza casserole turns everyone’s favorite pizza into a delicious, hearty baked pasta dish. Full of sausage, beef, pepperoni, and ham, this cheesy pasta will be a hit each time you serve it!

a wooden spoon digging into a meat lovers pizza casserole in a white dish

This post may contain affiliate links. As an amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full Disclosure Policy for details.

I think it’s safe to say that we all look forward to pizza night.

One of my guys favorite pizza flavor combos will forever be meat lovers.

And what’s not to love? Especially for a meaty, hearty kind of appetite.

This is my answer to pizza night any night!

Instead of a traditional pizza crust, I opted to mix there favorite flavors with some pasta.

And man, oh, man is it good! All their promised favorite flavors, mixed with some fun pasta shapes.

This recipe also makes for a very deep, very hearty casserole.

If I think that will be too much for one meal, especially when served with a salad and/or sides- I divide it between two smaller casserole dishes instead- one for now and one to freeze.

pepperoni topped meat lovers pizza casserole in a white baking dish

Ingredients

To make this pizza pasta bake, you’ll need:

  • Pasta– We use bowties but use any fun shapes you want.
  • Meat– Mild pork sausage, cooked ham cubed, and sliced pepperoni.
  • Onion– Dice a big one.
  • Spaghetti sauce– No need for homemade here. Jarred sauce works really well in this.
  • Cheese– Shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan.
  • Seasonings– Minced garlic and dried oregano.

pepperoni topped meat lovers pizza casserole in a white baking dish

How to Make

This is so easy to make!

To do it, cook the pasta according to the package directions, or until al dente.

As soon as it’s done, run it under cold water to stop the cooking process, drain and set it aside.

Add the sausage, onions, garlic, and oregano to a large skillet over medium heat and cook until the sausage has cooked through and the onions are translucent.

Remove them from heat, drain if necessary, and set aside.

Then, lightly spray a deep 9×13 inch baking dish with nonstick spray.

Spread some sauce in the bottom of the dish, just enough to lightly coat the bottom.

To create the first layer, spread 1/3 of the cooked pasta evenly in the dish.

Cover the pasta with 1/3 of the remaining sauce.

Then, sprinkle one bag of cheese out evenly over top and top that with 1/3 of Parmesan.

Now, add the cooked sausage mixture and spread it out evenly.

For the second layer, spread half of the remaining pasta into the dish and cover it with half of the remaining sauce.

Sprinkle another bag of mozzarella and half of the remaining Parmesan evenly over top.

Sprinkle the diced ham out evenly to finish the layers.

To prepare the final layer, add all the remaining pasta, the rest of the pasta sauce, the last bag of mozzarella and the rest of Parmesan, and finally top with all the sliced pepperoni.

Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.

Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

a wooden spoon digging into a meat lovers pizza casserole in a white dish

Customize it!

This meat lovers pizza casserole is customizable.

To make it your own, use whatever pasta is your family’s favorite shape.

And while I didn’t include it in the recipe, but add in some ground beef, or swap it for something else.

Lastly, feel free to sprinkle some crispy, crumbled bacon over top the pepperoni and cheeses.

Storing Leftovers

Wrap leftovers tightly in foil and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Reheat individual portions in the microwave or reheat the whole thing in the oven.

meat lovers pizza casserole served on a small brown plate

How to Freeze

To freeze this, assemble it as described above in a freezer safe lidded tray.

Do not bake it.

Then put the lid on the tray, making sure it’s on correctly to ensure a tight seal.

Freeze for up to 3 months.

Defrost in the fridge the night before and bake it at 375 until warmed through and the cheese is hot and bubbly.

Alternatively, you can use an aluminum tray with lid. If using this type of tray for the freezer, place the accompanying lid on (as directed), and wrap the tray tightly in foil before freezing.

This extra step will help prevent freezer burn during storage.

Tips and Tricks

  • Feel free to change the meat up to suit your tastes. You can sub ground beef for the sausage, or use a mixture of the two.
  • Great recipe for using up leftover ham. You can also swap the ham out for cooked bacon.
  • There’s no need to use homemade sauce– the jarred kind works just fine, although you can if that’s to your preference.
  • This makes a huge amount of pasta and it’s very hearty so I often divide this in half and freeze the second tray as described above.
  • You may have to bake thawed pizza pasta longer than if you bake it right after you make it since the casserole would be cold before baking it. Adjust your cook time accordingly.

a silver fork stuck in a small plate full of meat lovers pizza pasta bake

Other Pizza Inspired Recipes You’ll Love

This meat lovers pizza casserole is a family favorite. Make it today and see why the sons beg for this constantly.

Looking for other pizza inspired recipes? Try these:

  • Cafeteria Style Pizza Burgers
  • Pizza Pinwheels
  • Tastes Just Like Pizza Soup
  • Pizza Pasta Salad
  • Pizza Pot Pies

If you’ve tried this MEATLOVER’S PIZZA CASSEROLE, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!

a wooden spoon digging into a meat lovers pizza casserole in a white dish

Meatlover’s Pizza Casserole

Meat lovers pizza casserole turns everyone's favorite pizza into a delicious, hearty baked pasta dish. Full of sausage, beef, pepperoni, and ham, this cheesy pasta will be a hit each time you serve it!
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Casserole, Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 10
Calories: 311kcal
Author: Meaghan @ 4 Sons R Us
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb bow tie pasta
  • 1 lb mild pork sausage
  • 2 26 oz jars spaghetti sauce
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 1 lb cooked ham cubed
  • sliced pepperoni
  • 3 8 oz bags of shredded mozzarella
  • 6 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Cook pasta according to the package directions, or until al dente. Run under cold water to stop the cooking process, drain and set aside.
  • Add the sausage, onions, garlic, and oregano until the sausage has cooked through and the onions are translucent. Remove them from heat, drain if necessary, and set aside.
  • Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. Add some sauce to the dish, just enough to lightly coat the bottom when spread out.
  • To create the first layer, add 1/3 of the cooked pasta and spread it out evenly into the dish. Cover the pasta with 1/3 of the remaining sauce. Sprinkle one bag of cheese out evenly over top. Sprinkle two tbsp of Parmesan out evenly over the mozzarella. Add the cooked sausage mixture and spread it out evenly.
  • For the second layer, spread half of the remaining pasta into the dish. spread half of the remaining sauce out over the pasta. Sprinkle another bag of mozzarella and two tbsp of Parmesan evenly over top. Sprinkle the diced ham out evenly to finish the layers.
  • To prepare the final layer, add all the remaining pasta, the rest of the pasta sauce, the last bag of mozzarella and the rest of Parmesan, and finally top with all the sliced pepperoni.
  • Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • Feel free to change the meat up to suit your tastes. You can sub ground beef for the sausage, or use a mixture of the two.
  • Great recipe for using up leftover ham. You can also swap the ham out for cooked bacon.
  • There's no need to use homemade sauce- the jarred kind works just fine, although you can if that's to your preference.
  • This makes a huge amount of pasta and it's very hearty so I often divide this in half and freeze the second tray as described above.
  • You may have to bake thawed pizza pasta longer than if you bake it right after you make it since the casserole would be cold before baking it. Adjust your cook time accordingly.

Nutrition

Calories: 311kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 863mg | Potassium: 317mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Share it on Instagram @4sonsrus or tag #4sonsrus!

recipe originally published May 13, 2015

This post may contain affiliate links. As an amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full Disclosure Policy for details. As always, all opinions are my own.

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Hi! I’m Meaghan

Welcome to my kitchen. Pull up a chair and get ready to dig into family friendly, easy recipes and meal ideas. I’m a self proclaimed, proud pickle snob and cheese lover. Aside from that, I’m also the mom to 4 busy boys, elementary school through college aged. My boys keep my husband and I busy, and boy, do they like to eat. A lot. Read more...

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Comments

  1. Fontana's Italian Restaurant says

    May 14, 2015 at 3:32 am

    There is something magical to be said about Pizza. I love making pizza at my Italian restaurant in San Jose. Looks absolutely wonderful!

    Reply
    • 4 Sons 'R' Us says

      May 15, 2015 at 8:49 pm

      Thanks! We completely agree. A good pizza is at the epicenter of some of our most treasured memories šŸ™‚

      Reply
  2. Jhuls says

    May 16, 2015 at 3:11 am

    Pizza! I love pizza, too! Who doesn’t? But this casserole looks so fantastic! Thanks for bringing another amazing dish at FF. Have a lovely weekend! šŸ™‚

    Reply
  3. eclecticoddsnsods says

    May 16, 2015 at 6:26 am

    my sons would go mad for this yuor right in fact the whole family would a meat lovers feast as you say. Thank you so much for joining in FF #68, love it, i hope your having some bubbly too! xx

    Reply

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Welcome to 4 Sons ‘R’ Us

Hi! I’m Meaghan. Welcome to my kitchen. Pull up a chair and get ready to dig into family friendly, easy recipes and meal ideas.

I’m a self proclaimed, proud pickle snob and cheese lover. Aside from that, I’m also the mom to 4 busy boys, elementary school through college aged. My boys keep my husband and I busy, and boy, do they like to eat. A lot.

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