Pizza Casserole with egg noodles is an easy main dish that everyone will love. It’s loaded with ground beef and Italian sausage, and it’s easy to reheat the leftovers, too!
Pizza Casserole is the ultimate comfort food. It’s an easy-to-make casserole made with seven ingredients: egg noodles, pasta sauce, Italian sausage, ground beef, shredded mozzarella, oregano, and garlic salt.
The ingredients come together to create a flavor-packed dish that tastes like a cross between pizza and spaghetti. And best of all, it makes a large dish that feeds a crowd (just like these 25 recipes for baked ziti!).
If you have a lot of hungry mouths to feed, this is the perfect casserole! If you have a smaller group, it reheats beautifully in the microwave or oven to enjoy for several days.
Pizza Casserole can also be made ahead, refrigerated, and then baked when you’re ready to serve it.
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Why egg noodles?
Egg noodles are a traditional pasta shape for casseroles, like tuna noodle casserole. They’re just the right size and they are thin enough to slice through easily when cutting a casserole.
I used wide (broad) egg noodles for this recipe. You can use any type of egg noodle (wide, extra wide, whole wheat, etc.).
Or if you want to use another shape, ziti or penne would work, too.
Ingredients
- Egg noodles make up the bulk of this casserole. I used broad (wide) egg noodles.
- A mixture of ground Italian sausage and ground beef make it filling and hearty.
- Oregano and garlic salt season the dish.
- A jar of pasta sauce coats the noodles and meat.
- Shredded mozzarella goes both inside the casserole and on top.
How to make pizza casserole
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook the egg noodles according to package instructions, then drain.
While you are waiting for the water to boil, place the ground beef and the ground Italian sausage in a large skillet. Put the pan over medium heat, and cook, stirring to break up the meat, until the meat is cooked through. Stir in the garlic salt and half of the oregano.
Grease a 13×9 inch dish with cooking spray. You do not want to use a smaller dish here—the pizza casserole needs ALL of the room that’s in a 13×9 inch dish!
Layer half of the cooked noodles in the bottom, followed by half of the meat, half of the sauce, and half of the cheese.
Repeat the process by layering in the remaining noodles, meat, sauce, and topping with the remaining cheese. Sprinkle with the remaining oregano.
Bake the casserole for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the casserole is completely warmed through. Serve immediately.
Make it ahead
To make pizza casserole ahead, follow the recipe but do not bake the casserole. Instead, place it in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake it.
It can sit in the refrigerator unbaked for up to one day before baking.
This is a great recipe to prepare on a Sunday and then bake on a busy Monday evening for dinner!
Frequently Asked Questions
To make dairy-free pizza casserole, use a dairy-free shredded cheese in place of the shredded mozzarella. Most pasta sauces are dairy-free, but check the label just to make sure.
To make gluten-free pizza casserole, substitute gluten-free noodles in place of the egg noodles.
Instead of egg noodles, you can substitute penne, ziti, or another short or medium sized pasta.
Yes! Omit the sausage and replace it with 6 ounces of sliced pepperoni. Layer half of the pepperoni in the middle, and place the other half on top of the casserole (on top of the cheese). Bake as directed.
Freezing instructions
To freeze Pizza Casserole, make the recipe as directed, but do not bake it.
Instead, wrap the casserole in plastic wrap and then in foil, then place it in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Defrost it in the refrigerator for 24 hours, then remove the plastic wrap and replace the foil. Bake for 45–55 minutes, or until warmed through.
Serving suggestions
A big leafy green salad is the perfect side dish for pizza casserole. Winter Fruit Salad (also known as Church Lady Salad is one of my favorites—it has a sweet poppyseed dressing and is loaded with apples, cranberries, and pecans. Italian Chopped Salad is another good one, too!
For other Italian favorites, Simple Baked Ziti is freezer-friendly and Italian Stuffed Peppers are on repeat at our house!
Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and/or comment below!
📖 Recipe
Pizza Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 (16 oz) bag wide egg noodles
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground Italian sausage
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- 1 (24 oz) jar pasta sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook egg noodles according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, place the ground beef and Italian sausage in a large skillet. Cook, breaking the meat up, until the meat is browned and cooked through. Stir in half of the oregano and garlic salt.
- Spray a 13×9 inch pan with cooking spray. Place half of the cooked noodles in the bottom, followed by half of the meat and half of the sauce. Repeat with the remaining noodles, meat, and sauce. Top with the cheese and sprinkle with the remaining oregano.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until the casserole is warm throughout and the cheese has melted.
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