Looking for a fun and tasty weeknight meal? Make this family-friendly pizza casserole. With ingredients like Italian sausage, pepperoni and bell peppers, this dish features the best of a classic "meat lover's pizza." It's also ideal for satisfying that pizza craving when you don't have a crust—or simply don't feel like making one! Read on to make it yourself.
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Things You'll Need
1 pound Italian sausage or ground meat of choice
1 medium bell pepper, deseeded and diced
1 medium onion, deseeded and diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
5 cups pasta or pizza sauce
2.25-ounce can sliced olives (optional)
1/2 cup chopped ham, plus more for topping
3 ounces pepperoni
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
16 ounces pasta of choice
Olive oil
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 3-quart casserole dish.
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In a large skillet, heat about 2 tablespoons of oil. Cook the bell peppers and onions for 5 to 7 minutes, or until tender. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Step 2
Remove the sausage from their casings and add to the skillet. Cook for 10 minutes or until no longer pink, using a spatula to break up the meat.
Step 3
Set aside about 20 pieces of pepperoni for the topping. Chop the rest of the pepperoni.
Step 4
To the skillet, add the sauce, chopped pepperoni, diced ham and olives. Mix well. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce is thick.
Step 5
While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta according to the package's directions. Drain well.
Step 6
Carefully add the pasta to the sauce and stir. If your skillet isn't big enough, you can add the sauce to the pot of pasta instead.
Step 7
To the greased casserole dish, add half of the pasta. Top with half of the shredded cheese.
Step 8
Add the remaining pasta, then top with the remaining cheese. Top with chopped ham and pepperoni.
Step 9
Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and pepperoni is slightly crispy.
Serve with a side salad or garlic bread. Enjoy!