Crock Pot Pizza Casserole will become your new favorite easy dinner recipe. This dish combines two of the best things, pizza and pasta, into one simple and foolproof dinner that everyone is guaranteed to love. With just 10 ingredients and 30 minutes of prep time, it's truly a dinner made for success.
We love a slow cooker around here, it's the best way to cook during a busy week and is always delicious, every single time. My family loves pasta as well as pizza, so I was determined to find a foolproof pasta bake for the crockpot that is just as delicious as making it on the stovetop or in the oven.
After numerous rounds of testing, we came up with this irresistible Crock pot pizza casserole, that now has been requested in our house dozens of times. This is the easiest dinner, all you need is 30 minutes of prep time and just 10 ingredients - many of which are probably already at home!
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The other best thing about this recipe is that you can easily customize is to everyone's liking. We added pepperoni and green bell pepper to our version of the recipe, but feel free to add your favorite pizza veggie and meat toppings.
Crock pot recipes are something we keep in our easy dinner recipe book for any time of the year. Try some of our other favorites! We also are huge fans of Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing Casserole, Slow Cooker Beef and Sausage Meatballs, and this Costa Vida Sweet Pork Recipe.
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Let the slow cooker do the work for you! Add the ingredients to the crockpot and sit back and relax, dinner is so easy with this recipe.
- Customize for the whole family with your favorite pizza toppings. Add whatever you like on pizza, cooked mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, olives, the options are endless!
- Freeze any leftovers. This meal makes a lot of food and is great for meal prep or saving for later in the freezer.
Ingredients
Scroll Down for Ingredient Amounts Listed in the Full Recipe Card Below
- Pasta: Our noodle of choice for the slow cooker is penne, ziti, or rigatoni.
- Lean ground beef: We love beef for this recipe like a lasagna. You could also use ground chicken or turkey.
- Breakfast or Italian sausage: You can use any spice variety: mild, medium or hot. This adds an extra bit of decadence to this pasta recipe.
- Garlic powder: Gives that punch of garlic infusion in the sauce.
- Pepperoni: Adds that classic, savory pizza flavor.
- Onion: Adds a nice veggie sweetness in the sauce.
- Diced green bell pepper: One of our favorite pizza toppings, adds sweet vegetable flavor in each bite.
- Italian seasoning: Provides that warmth of Italian flavors.
- Pizza sauce: A jarred light tomato sauce is perfect to lightly coat this pasta and the other ingredients. Marinara can also be used.
- Mozzarella cheese: Can't skip on the cheese of course! Mozzarella is perfect for the cheesy goodness in each bite. We recommend buying high-quality pre-shredded or a block and shredding it yourself.
Laura Ashley's Tip: Be sure to use a short pasta noodle like penne, ziti, or rigatoni for this slow cooker pasta recipe. They cook best in the casserole, just as you would make it in the oven.
TOOLS YOU’LL NEED
- Large Skillet or Cast Iron Skillet
- Meat Chopper
- 6 Quart or Larger Crockpot
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Liquid Measuring Cups
- Cutting Board
- Chef's Knife
- Microplane Zester Grater
How to Make Crock Pot Pizza Casserole
- Cook pasta in boiling salted water 2-3 minutes less than the package calls for al dente (tender) pasta. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook and crumble ground beef and sausage until browned and cooked through. This should take about 8-10 minutes.
- Add onion, bell pepper, and pepperoni to the skillet. Sauté 2 minutes. Season the meat mixture with salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of the garlic powder. Drain off any excess grease.
- In a large bowl, mix together the cooked and drained pasta, cooked meat mixture, pizza sauce, Italian seasoning, and remaining garlic powder.
- Coat the inside of a crockpot with oil or non-stick spray. Spreading in even layers, add half of the meat mixture, followed by half of the mozzarella cheese. Add the remaining meat mixture, followed by the remaining cheese. Cover and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours. If cooked longer than 4 hours or on HIGH it may burn.
- Serve warm garnished as desired.
How to Make Oven Pizza Casserole
Preheat the oven to 375°. Grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray. Pour the meat pasta mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella evenly on top. Add pepperoni slices to the top, if desired. Tightly cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove the foil and turn the oven to broil on high for 2 to 3 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and lightly browned.
Expert Tips for Success
- Pre-cook the sausage and beef. You will want to cook both of these fully on the stovetop before placing into the slow cooker. This ensures they are fully cooked through and just infuse the sauce with their flavor over time.
- Par-cook the pasta. You will want to cook your pasta noodles 2 to 3 minutes less than the package instructions for al dente. The noodles will continue cooking in the slow cooker until they are perfect.
- Mozzarella Varieties. Most pre-shredded bags of mozzarella have a coating on it that prevents the cheese from melting as nicely. Ideally, shred a fresh block of mozzarella. Alternatively, use a high-quality pre-shredded bag of cheese.
- Sauce Options: Pizza sauce is part of what gives this dish its classic pizza flavor. However, you can also use marinara sauce, if desired.
Storage and Freezing
For the fridge: You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
For the freezer: Again place in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat according to the instructions below.
Reheating instructions: Place in the microwave for a few minutes or until warmed through. Alternatively, you can place in a baking dish in the oven at 350ºF for 8 to 10 minutes until bubbling and warm.
Flavor Variations and Mix-ins
The options of things to add to this pizza casserole recipe are endless! Think of anything veggies or meats you would put on a pizza, they're probably great in this slow cooker recipe too! Some of our other suggestions include:
- Sauteed mushrooms
- Spinach
- Cherry tomatoes
- Red onion
- Artichoke hearts
- Olives
FAQs
Cook it on the LOW setting for 3 to 4 hours. This will cook the pasta and fillings just like a pasta bake!
Yes, we recommend you cook any raw meats. You can also saute any chopped veggies like peppers and onions too.
Make sure the pasta noodles are cooked through and the cheese is melted. You are good to go!
Of course! Think of any meats and veggies that would be delicious on a pizza and layer them into the casserole. You won't be disappointed.
More Easy Slow Cooker Recipes:
- Slow Cooker Pepper Steak
- Slow Cooker Green Chicken Chili
- Crock Pot Beef and Noodles
- Slow Cooker Cube Steak
Crock Pot Pizza Casserole
Ingredients
- 12 ounces pasta penne, ziti, or rigatoni
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 pound breakfast or Italian sausage mild, medium or hot
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder divided
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3.5 ounces pepperoni chopped
- 1 cup diced onion about 1 small onion
- 1 cup diced green bell pepper about 1 pepper
- 1-2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 42 ounces pizza sauce
- 16 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
- Garnish options: parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper flakes, chopped parsley, sliced fresh basil
Instructions
- Cook pasta in boiling salted water 2-3 minutes less than the package calls for al dente (tender) pasta. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook and crumble ground beef and sausage until browned and cooked through. This should take about 8-10 minutes.
- Add onion, bell pepper, and pepperoni to the skillet. Sauté 2 minutes. Season the meat mixture with salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of the garlic powder. Drain off any excess grease.
- In a large bowl mix together the cooked and drained pasta, cooked meat mixture, pizza sauce, Italian seasoning, and remaining garlic powder.
- Coat the inside of a crockpot with oil or non-stick spray. Spreading in even layers, add half of the meat mixture, followed by half of the mozzarella cheese. Add the remaining meat mixture, followed by the remaining cheese. Cover and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours. If cooked longer than 4 hours or on HIGH it may burn.
- Serve warm garnished as desired.
Video
Notes
Expert Tips for Success
- Pre-cook the sausage and beef. You will want to cook both of these fully on the stovetop before placing into the slow cooker. This ensures they are fully cooked through and just infuse the sauce with their flavor over time.
- Par-cook the pasta. You will want to cook your pasta noodles 2 to 3 minutes less than the package instructions for al dente. The noodles will continue cooking in the slow cooker until they are perfect.
- Mozzarella Varieties. Most pre-shredded bags of mozzarella have a coating on it that prevents the cheese from melting as nicely. Ideally, shred a fresh block of mozzarella. Alternatively, use a high-quality pre-shredded bag of cheese.
- Sauce Options: Pizza sauce is part of what gives this dish its classic pizza flavor. However, you can also use marinara sauce, if desired.
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