Meat Lovers Pizza Casserole – Easy Baked Recipe
Ingredients
For this meaty marvel, you will need the following ingredients:
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 lb beef sausage
- 1 cup chopped pepperoni
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons Italian seasoning (divided)
- 1 (26-oz) jar tomato basil pasta sauce
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 (13.8-oz) can refrigerated pizza crust dough
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Crafting Your Casserole
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 6–8
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat and prepare: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.
- Sauté and simmer: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and sausage, breaking them up with a spoon as they cook. Once fully browned, drain the excess fat from the skillet.
- Stir in the chopped pepperoni, flour, and most of the Italian seasoning (reserving about ½ teaspoon for the topping). Cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add the tomato basil pasta sauce and bring the mixture to a brief boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2–3 minutes, then remove from the heat.
- Layer and cheese: Pour the meat sauce into the prepared baking pan, spreading it evenly. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese over the top.
- Unroll the pizza crust dough and carefully place it over the cheese layer, pressing gently to cover the filling completely.
- Bake to perfection: Brush the top of the crust with olive oil. Sprinkle with the reserved Italian seasoning and the grated Parmesan cheese.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the casserole is bubbling around the edges.
- Allow the casserole to cool for 5–10 minutes before slicing and serving.
