Pizza Spaghetti Casserole - pizza and pasta combined to make one amazing dinner the whole family will enjoy! Spaghetti, sausage, spaghetti sauce, pepperoni, and cheese. Can use any of your favorite pizza topping on top of the casserole. Get creative! You can make the casserole in advance and refrigerate or freeze for later. Serve with garlic bread and a salad for a super easy meal that is better than a restaurant! #casserole #spaghetti #sausage #pepperoni #pizza
1(8-oz)package shredded Italian three-cheese blend
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Cook spaghetti with 1/2 tsp. salt according to package directions. Drain well, and place in prepared baking dish.
Brown sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain fat and set aside. Wipe skillet clean. Add pepperoni, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally for 3 or 4 minutes or until slightly crisp.
Top spaghetti in the baking dish with sausage; pour pasta sauce over sausage. Arrange half of the pepperoni slices evenly over pasta sauce. Sprinkle evenly with cheeses. Arrange remaining half of pepperoni slices evenly over cheese.
Cover with nonstick or lightly greased aluminum foil.
Bake for 30 minutes; remove foil, and bake 10 more minutes or until cheese is melted and just begins to brown.
Notes:
I used a roll of Jimmy Dean sausage. I also use Johnsonville Italian sausage.
You can substitute turkey sausage or ground beef for pork sausage.
Feel free to use whole wheat pasta in this casserole.
Can use regular or turkey pepperoni in this dish.
I used a package of Italian cheese blend. Feel free to use any cheese you prefer.
This is a great dish to add all of your favorite pizza toppings - onions, bell peppers, olives, mushrooms. Anything goes! Throw them on top with the pepperoni or instead of pepperoni.
My favorite store-bought spaghetti sauces are Trader Joe's Roasted Garlic Marinara (green label), Rao's, and La Famiglia DelGrosso.
You can assemble the casserole ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to serve.
You can assemble the casserole ahead of time and freeze for later. To bake after freezing, thaw completely and bake as directed below.
You can freeze the baked casserole. To reheat, thaw and reheat in the microwave or in the oven. To reheat in the oven, thaw, and cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake at 350ºF for 30 to 45 minutes, until warm throughout.
This makes a lot of pasta. Feel free to split the casserole between two pans. Bake one and freeze one for later.