Name: Meatlover’s Pizza Casserole
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
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

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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!

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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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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:

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