Pepperoni Casserole

Submitted by Marg (CaymanDesigns)

"While I was recovering from surgery, a friend brought this over for dinner for us. We all enjoyed it but the kids really loved it. They bugged me until I got the recipe!"

 

• Ready In: 50mins
• Ingredients: 7
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1⁄2 small onion, diced
• 1 (28 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
• 1 (4 ounce) can tomato sauce (don’t have to add but sometimes the noodles need more sauce)
• 8 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked
• 1 (3 1/2 ounce) package pepperoni slices
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

directions

1. Brown the ground beef and onion together in frying pan.
2. Drain fat.
3. Mix the spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce and beef together and then pour onto cooked noodles.
4. Stir well and layer in a greased casserole dish alternating with pepperoni slices and cheese.
5. Ending with a cheese layer.
6. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Reviews

[toni.n.anthony]

My family loved this recipe. Based on what I already had in the cupboard, I made a couple basic tweeks that I knew would not alter the flavor of the recipe. 1.) I did not have spaghetti sauce, so I just used the equivalent of tomato sauce and added Italian seasoning while cooking the hamburger. 2.) I switched the elbow macaroni out for a different tube pasta that I had on hand. 3.) I used mostly cheddar cheese, as I was short on Mozzarella. 4.) I followed another reviewer's advice and covered the pan with foil while in the oven, so the cheese would not dry out. It turned out great! My husband looked a little skeptical when I told him dinner had pepperoni in it, as that is an ingredient I never cook with. Although we prefer to fix healthy meals, and this doesn't fit into that category, it is still easy to prepare and a definite crowd pleaser. My whole family said it was delicious. Lots of flavor and a fun go-to recipe to "spice it up" for your family once in a while. Tip: Pepperoni freezes well, and often you can save money to buy it in bulk. Just repackage small portions in freezer bags, for a great addition to your future Italian dishes. Thanks so much for the yummy recipe!

 

[ybulla]

My dh said put this on the list...he loves it.Had to substitute with what I had on hand,such as 8 oz. of shells, and 14 oz. jar of pizza sauce instead of tomato sauce and added a 4 oz. can of mushrom pieces. It had plenty of sauce for the noodles. Thanks Marg

 

[Ariane T.]

The Italian in me

 

[Nancy C.]

Great recipe. I also used what I had on hand. Bow tie pasta, had to make up a quick spagetti sause, shredded cheddar cheese and a little jack cheese instead of mozzarella. Then I found that what I remembered as being pepperoni was really sliced italian salami. Used it anyway. It was a big hit and made a lot for my big eaters. Next time I'll use pepperoni and mozzaraella, it must be heavenly.

 

[1baytown]

I used 2 1/2 lbs of ground beef (next time I will use what recipe calls for). Also maybe next time I will add the mushrooms and bell peppers on 1/2 a side for the adults. Thanks!