Baked Pizza Casserole That Feeds a Crowd Fast

This baked pizza casserole has layers of pasta, sauce, meat, and melted cheese create the ultimate comfort dish. No delivery menu needed when this hits the table hot.

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Total Time50

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Casserole, easy meals, easy recipe, ground beef, pasta recipe

Servings: Servings

Calories: 605kcal

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Kitchen Essentials

Casserole Set

Large pot

Ingredients

16 Ounces Pasta use a sturdy pasta like rotini or penne
48 Ounces Marinara Sauce I used Ragu
1 Medium Bell Pepper chopped
1 Small Onion chopped
8 Ounces Mushrooms chopped
8 Ounces Parmesan Cheese shredded
8 Ounces Mozzarella Cheese shredded
1 Pound Ground Beef or Italian sausage or chopped pepperoni
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Instructions

Cook your pasta until just under al dente. You're looking at about 7 minutes for most shapes. It'll finish cooking in the oven, so if you go full tender now, you'll end up with mush later. Drain it well.
16 Ounces Pasta
Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Break it up as it cooks and let it get some color on the edges. That caramelization is where the flavor lives. Season it with salt and pepper, then drain off any excess fat. If you want to saute your vegetables, toss the chopped bell pepper, onion, and mushrooms into the same pan after the beef is done and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. If not, keep them raw for a little more bite and crunch in the finished dish.
1 Medium Bell Pepper, 1 Small Onion, 1 Pound Ground Beef, Salt to taste, Pepper to taste, 8 Ounces Mushrooms
Grab a 9x13 baking dish and start layering. Spread half the cooked pasta across the bottom. Top it with half the vegetables and half the browned beef. Pour half the marinara sauce over everything, then sprinkle with half the mozzarella and half the parmesan. Repeat the whole thing one more time. You want visible cheese on top because that's what gets golden and crispy.
48 Ounces Marinara Sauce, 8 Ounces Parmesan Cheese, 8 Ounces Mozzarella Cheese
Cover the dish tightly with foil and slide it into a 350°F oven. Bake for 20 minutes covered so the flavors meld and the pasta finishes cooking in all that saucy goodness. Then pull off the foil and bake another 10 minutes until the cheese on top is bubbling and starting to brown in spots.

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Notes

If you're the type who likes everything mixed instead of layered, go ahead and toss the pasta, meat, veggies, and sauce together in a big bowl, dump it in the baking dish, top with cheese, and bake the same way.

How to Know it’s Done

The top layer of cheese should be fully melted with golden-brown spots scattered across the surface. When you press a spoon into the center, the sauce should bubble up around the edges, and the whole thing should feel hot all the way through, not just on top. If you want to be precise, an instant-read thermometer stuck in the middle should read around 165°F. But honestly, your eyes and nose will tell you most of what you need to know.

Tips from the Kitchen

Use pasta shapes with ridges or hollows. Rotini, penne, rigatoni, or shells grab onto sauce and give every bite more texture and flavor. Smooth pasta like spaghetti just doesn't work the same way in a casserole.
Don't skip the undercooking step on the pasta. It sounds fussy, but it's the difference between a casserole that holds together and one that turns into a soggy pile. The pasta absorbs sauce as it bakes, and if it's already fully cooked, it has nowhere to go but mushy.
Mix your cheeses. Mozzarella melts beautifully but doesn't bring much flavor. Parmesan adds sharpness and a little salinity. Together, they're a powerhouse. You can also toss in provolone or fontina if you want even more complexity.

Nutrition