This pizza casserole, which uses bottled spaghetti sauce and pre-shredded mozzarella cheese, is a snap to pull together. It’s perfect for weeknight suppers, casual dinner parties or office luncheons. You can assemble the casserole and bake at the party location, or bake it ahead of time in a microwave-safe dish and reheat on-site. The leftovers reheat well in the microwave. Adapted from a recipe at thatsmyhome.com.
Pepperoni pizza casserole
Preparation time: 20 minutes
More Top Picks Best Folding Beds
Cooking time: 50 minutes
Yield: 12 servings
8 ounces (about 3 cups) uncooked rotini (corkscrew) pasta
1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed, ground beef or ground turkey
4 cups spaghetti sauce
1 can (4 ounces) mushrooms, drained
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 package (6 ounces) sliced pepperoni
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat a stockpot of water to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta according to package directions; drain. Return the pasta to the pot.
2. Meanwhile, cook the sausage, stirring occasionally, in a large skillet over medium heat until brown, about 5-8 minutes; drain. Add the sausage, spaghetti sauce and mushrooms to the pasta. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and half of the pepperoni slices.
3. Spread the pasta mixture into a lightly greased 13-by-9-inch pan. Top with the mozzarella. Arrange remaining pepperoni slices over top. Bake until cheese is bubbly, about 20 minutes.
Nutrition information per serving:
333 calories, 51% of calories from fat, 19 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 44 mg cholesterol, 23 g carbohydrates, 18 g protein, 1,072 mg sodium, 2.4 g fiber