Slow Cooker Pizza Casserole Recipe
This 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 slow cooker, this is an easy dinner that works perfectly for weeknights. Of course, it is kid-friendly, so that makes it even better for us busy moms.
This 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 for freezer meal planning.
Can I use a homemade sauce for this easy pizza casserole?
While I am using a store-bought sauce in my recipe if you prefer to make your own sauce that is a great substitution. 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.
You may also want to use your homemade sauce in my pizza baked ziti casserole, traditional pizza pasta bake, or this pepperoni pizza dip recipe.
What is the best pasta to use for slow cooker 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, 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 this pizza pasta bake recipe?
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!
Ingredients for Pizza Casserole
Ingredients for Pizza Casserole- large tubed pasta
- olive oil
- ground Italian sausage
- salt
- black pepper
- onions
- pizza sauce
- can of cream of mushroom soup
- shredded mozzarella cheese
- Colby jack cheese
- Parmesan cheese
How to Make 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.
Top with the remaining cheese and cook with the lid for 1 1/2 hours on high or 3 to 4 hours on low.
Slow Cooker Pizza Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 oz large tubed pasta
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup onions about 1 small onion
- 2 pizza sauce 14-15oz
- 1 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.
Nutrition
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20 comments on “Slow Cooker Pizza Casserole Recipe”
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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