Easy Pizza Pasta Casserole (OAMC)

Kaarin's Note:

This is a kid pleaser-very cheesy and topped with pepperoni. It makes 2 large (9x13) casseroles or 4 small ones; I often divide it in fourths and freeze 3. This originally came from TOH's Quick Cooking.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 5 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 20

• 2 lbs ground beef or 2 lbs ground venison
• 1 large onion , chopped
• 1 clove garlic , minced
• 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
• 16 ounces rotini pasta , cooked and drained
• 5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (20 oz)
• 8 ounces sliced pepperoni

Directions:

1. Brown ground beef, onion, garlic and seasoning in oil.
2. Drain.
3. Stir in pasta, spaghetti sauce and 3 cups cheese.
4. Place mixture in 2 greased 9x13x2 inch baking pans or 4 square pans.
5. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.
6. Top with pepperoni.
7. Cover and freeze up to 3 months.
8. To cook now: Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until heated through.
9. To bake frozen casserole: Thaw in refrigerator overnight and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes, till hot.

Reviews

[Peppermint Wind]

Yummy waaaay better than hamburger helper but just as easy. Our 2 year old loved it, too, and he is going though a picky phase. It was nice that it made 2 pans - we had one for supper and I'm bringing one to a church potluck tomorrow. I went basically with the recipe (but I added a bit more pizza seasoning and 2 more garlic cloves) because I wanted to keep it basic for the potluck, but I look forward to trying it again for home. I'll triple the pizza seasoning, put in 5 or 6 cloves of garlic, add some spinach, and use sausage instead of hamburger (or half and half)...maybe some mushrooms and black olives. Just like pizza, there are endless options. Thank you for the recipe! I need some simple standards (my husband is the main cook around here).

[lovelylaura1480]

This is an extremely easy dish to make. The pepperoni on top was crispy and delicious. My only issue with this dish, and it's a slight one at that, is that the pasta underneath could use a little more pizazz for my taste. Maybe quartering up the pepperoni slices and throwing them into the pasta mixture maybe? Something that would give it a zing! There was plenty left over and my husband was able to have left overs for both a lunch a work and a snack at home over the next two days.

[Amy Loo]

Made the full recipe in a large aluminum lasagna pan for a pot-luck, everyone loved it with very little left-over!! Used whole wheat pasta and mild Italian sausage instead of the hamburger as someone else had suggested. Also added mini-pepperonis to the noodles and mixed in and then used the turkey pepperonis over the top. Definitely a keeper and will make again for more gatherings!!