Crock Pot Pizza Casserole is a favorite with kids and adults with only a 15-minute prep time. Everyone will be asking for seconds of this flavor-packed pasta dish!
Pizza Casserole In The Crock Pot
This slow cooker casserole is a great combination of the flavors of pizza inside a pasta casserole that is topped with melted cheese. Because this is made in the crock pot, this is an easy dinner that works perfectly for weeknights to feed the entire family. Of course, it is kid-friendly, so that makes it even better for us busy moms.
This pasta recipe also works well as a freezer meal. Make a large batch and put half of it in a freezer bag once it has cooled. Store it in the freezer until you are ready to use it. Since pasta dishes frozen like this are good up to three months in the freezer, it is a perfect meal to make ahead of time.
Don’t want to use a crockpot? No problem, try our Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Bake recipe that’s baked in the oven.
Ingredients for Crockpot Pizza Casserole Recipe
- Pasta: we use Rotini pasta, but we also give you some other options below.
- Olive oil: this will be used to brown the meat.
- Meat: ground Italian sausage is used, but feel free to use ground beef, ground chicken or ground turkey or add pepperoni slices.
- Onions: this is optional. Other options are to add in diced bell pepper or any other veggies you prefer.
- Tomato Sauce: try our homemade pizza sauce, it’s super easy and delicious! Marinara sauce will also work.
- Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Cheeses: shredded mozzarella cheese, colby jack cheese and parmesan cheese. Of course any of these can be subbed for cheddar or other cheeses you prefer.
How to Make This Pizza Casserole Recipe
- For this recipe, you will begin with cooking down the ground sausage, draining it, and setting it aside. Then, you will partially cook the pasta. You do not want it to be fully cooked, just starting to soften.
- Spray or line your slow cooker before mixing ingredients together as directed. You will save part of the cheese to put on top before placing the lid to cook.
- In a large bowl, stir all ingredients together except for half of each cheese.
- Top with the remaining cheese (or any of your favorite pizza toppings) and cook with the lid for 1 1/2 hours on high or 3 to 4 hours on low.
Can I Use Homemade Sauce?
Yes! We highly recommend making our homemade pizza sauce. If you are trying to save time, you can make your sauce ahead of time. Then you can freeze it or can it. This way you have it to use for recipes like this.
What’s The Best Pasta For Homemade Pizza Casserole?
When I make this slow cooker pizza casserole, I like to use noodles that hold the sauce and cheese well. I wrote the recipe using tube noodles because the ingredients can get inside the tubes. I also like to use spiral noodles because the spirals hold the sauce well too. Penne, rigatoni, ziti, fusilli, lumache, gemelli, and cavatappi are some of my favorite kinds of pasta that hold sauces well and are hearty enough to cook well in the slow cooker.
What Should I Serve With Pizza Casserole:
When you make this easy pizza pasta bake recipe, you can serve it with a salad and garlic bread. If you prefer, you can add extra vegetables to this recipe and serve it as a one-pot dish. My family enjoys it with a big side salad loaded with vegetables. The main thing is picking something your family enjoys!
Other Easy Casserole Recipes You’ll Love:
Crock Pot Pizza Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 ounce Rotini pasta
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup onions about 1 small onion
- 3 cups pizza sauce or 2 (14 ounce) jars
- 1 10.5 ounce can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese divided
- 1 ½ cups Colby jack cheese divided
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese divided
Instructions
- Cook pasta until just under al dente.
- In a medium pan over medium heat, warm oil and add ground sausage. Cook for 5-7 minutes, breaking the sausage as you go until it has been browned on all sides and cooked through. Drain excess grease.
- In a large bowl, add all ingredients together except for half of each cheese.
- Grease slow cooker, pour in the mixed ingredients.
- Top with remaining cheeses.
- Cover with lid and cook on high for 1 1/2-2 hours or low for 3-4 hours.
- Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil (optional).
Last Step:
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23 comments on “Crock Pot Pizza Casserole”
Can I substitute the sausage?
Hi Sandra. You can absolutely substitute the sausage for another protein like ground beef, turkey or chicken or leave it out altogether.
I made his for the wife and I. I will say it was easy to make and tasted very good. The only thing I may change is a little less cheese. Its definitely a preference to me. I just felt the cheese was a little to much and overpower the recipe a little. I add. Garlic toast with it worked as a great pairing. We have plenty left over.
1st time making just and i loved it
Slow cooker pizza casserole. WOW that recipe was totally awesome!! Made it last night for the two of us and our son. Both of them raved about it. Son took all the left overs home with him for lunch at work. I know it serves 4 but we are seniors and eat less than a normal family, so there was 3 meals our son took home! Will for sure make this several times over. Thank you for sharing!!
Any good substitute for the cream of mushrooms?
Any cream soup would work as a substitution.
Can you bake this in regular oven?
Diane, yes you can bake in the oven as you would any baked Ziti, etc.
Looks delish. I will be making it this weekend. Looks like the picture shows Rotini Pasta was used and not what was written in the recipe. Advise please so I will know what to purchase. TIA.
Hey Tricia, really any pasta would work. Rotini and tubular being the first choice.
Do I have to cook sausage 1st in another Pan or can I throw it in the crock pot with everything in the morning
Yes, you could could the sausage in the slow cooker but will need to cook for longer.
What can be used in place of cream of mushroom soup??
Any cream soup that you like could be used as a substitution.
Sounds yummy
What could be used in place of cream of mushroom soup?
Any cream soup would work as a substitute.
Is it possible to use a different soup? My family doesn’t like mushroom
Absolutely! Any cream soup would work as a substitution.
Do you think it would turn out ok if I used ground beef instead of the Italian Sausage?
Absolutely!
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