Easy Pizza Casserole Recipe

​This easy pizza casserole recipe might take over your next pizza night—or make you start a new tradition entirely!

Jump to Recipe

Best Pizza Casserole Recipe

We don't need a new blog post to sing the praises of pizza. It's great for busy weeknights, loved by the whole family, leftovers are good the next day... I hardly need to get into it. One of the great things about pizza is that it passes most picky eater tests with flying colors, but is still a starting point for even the most adventurous of eaters. 

Given the accepted wisdom about not messing with good things (if it ain't broke...), why not just recommend a pizza? Of course I love a good pizza and have my favorite spots. When it comes to making my own, however, I feel like the crust situation is best left to the pros. I know folks who know how to make a killer pizza dough and even enjoy a good pre-made dough option when I really feel like building a pie. 

When it comes to simplicity, efficiency, and an all-around smooth process, however, there are few things that can beat a trusty casserole dish. Using crescent rolls as the base, this pizza casserole recipe eliminates many of the variables that can make pizzas a hit-or-miss dish. I don't have to worry about whether I've rolled out the dough to an exact size or let things rise for long enough. I can simply rely on the crescent dough to form a wonderful crust-like base for the dish that will cook in a consistent way most every time I try it. 

From a logistical standpoint, having a recipe you can execute without much effort or thought can be really handy. Even if you're not terribly busy, everyone can make use of extra time to spend outside of the kitchen and on things that really matter to them. 

What goes in a pizza casserole recipe?

Here are the ingredients for this pizza casserole recipe:

• 8 oz crescent rolls
• 1 cup pizza sauce
• 2 oz turkey pepperoni
• ½ cup mozzarella cheese
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 tbsp italian seasoning
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• toppings: parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, basil

Substitutions

One great thing about this pizza casserole is that it's just like a pizza. Because of this, you can use your favorite pizza toppings to make it suit your preferences. Here are some ideas:

• Meat: Instead of slices of pepperoni, use canadian bacon or another sliced meet. As a replacement for the ground beef, use ground turkey or italian sausage.
• Veggies: Add black olives, green peppers, onions—any of your favorite toppings will work here (though I won't weigh in on the pineapple debate). 
• Cheese: You can use a dairy-free cheese substitute, though I don't recommend foregoing cheese entirely. this is pizza we're talking about after all!
• Sauce: You can use marinara sauce, pasta sauce, or even regular tomato sauce instead of pizza sauce. Depending on the consistency of the sauce you get, you may get slightly different results. For example, pizza sauce is thicker than tomato sauce. 

How to make pizza casserole

Here's what you need to know to make this pizza casserole recipe:

• Gather all ingredients.
• Add all of the seasonings (italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, & pepper) to a small bowl. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add the ground beef. Cook until no pink, about 7 minutes.
• Add seasoning mixture to the meat. Mix to coat. Take off heat.
• Grease a large casserole dish with cooking spray or another method.
• Open the can of crescent rolls, unroll, and lay evenly on bottom of baking dish, covering completely.
• Evenly spread the pizza sauce on the crescent rolls.
• Add the ground beef, evenly distributing on the pizza sauce.
• Layer with mozzarella cheese and pepperoni slices.
• Bake for about 25-30 mins, until crescent roll is lightly brown on the bottom.
• Top with red pepper flakes and fresh parmesan.
• Enjoy! (The best part). 

How to store pizza casserole

After making the pizza casserole, let the dish approach room temperature before cutting into individual servings and storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Alternatively, you can cover the whole baking dish in aluminum foil or plastic wrap and pop that in the fridge as well. The next time you're craving your casserole, take out the portion you'll eat and pop it in the microwave. If you've saved the whole casserole dish, you can reheat in the oven. 

As written, I find this recipe is good in my refrigerator for up to 5 days after it's cooked and stored properly. If you use different ingredients, use your judgement and follow instructions for food handling and safety.

How to meal prep this recipe

When thinking about storage for leftovers, you might be wondering if this recipe is good for meal prep. The answer is a resounding YES! I count this among great recipes to meal prep, as making a casserole-style dish and portioning it out into individual servings is a great way to save yourself time during the week with a little bit of extra forethought from the beginning. You may need to increase the load and make two batches at once if you're dealing with a larger family, but it can be an excellent candidate for giving you something to look forward to throughout the week. 

​

If you don't have a meal prep routine, all it takes is starting with one recipe to get things going—and even that can be enough to make a difference. You can check out some of my meal prep resources for tips, guidance, and even full meal prep plans. 

Pizza casserole recipe without pasta

Because they can be very similar, some people think of casseroles and pasta bakes as occupying a similar category. It's definitely possible to use cooked pasta and make a pizza recipe the entire family will love (check out my pizza pasta casserole as an example). There are no hard-and-fast rules about what constitutes a pizza casserole vs a pizza bake or anything else. Ultimately, calling this a pizza casserole makes sense to me.

Want more recipes?

If you enjoyed this pizza casserole recipe, consider trying out some of these other Jordo's World favorites. If you really like them, please consider rating the recipe and sharing with your friends and family. It really helps!

• Chorizo Breakfast Casserole
• Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole
• Chicken Ramen Stir Fry