Easy, family-friendly meals don’t get much better than this Easy Pepperoni Pizza Casserole recipe. When I’m super busy and need a quick, easy meal that I know the whole family will love – this is a go-to dish! It’s really easy to make comfort food and you only need a few simple ingredients.

Originally posted August 2016, updated July 2025

Pepperoni Pizza Casserole

Pizza is a family favorite at our house, but so is pasta. This delicious casserole is a great way to combine those two favorite foods into one delicious meal: a pizza pasta recipe. The best part is that the whole family loves it!

No pizza dough is needed for this crustless pizza casserole. If you’re still craving the carbs, serve it up with garlic bread. Add a green salad or green beans for a well-rounded meal.

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Pizza Casserole Recipe

The reason this recipe is so popular is it has all the flavors of pizza (spicy pepperoni and melty mozzarella), mixed up in a hearty pasta casserole that is filling and delicious

Bonus: you don’t have to spend money on takeout so it’s also budget friendly. I’ve kept this recipe pretty straightforward, but you could also bulk it up with your favorite pizza toppings.

So instead of pizza on pizza night, grab a casserole dish and have Pizza Pasta Casserole instead! This casserole is perfect for back-to-school busy weeknights or movie nights on the weekend!

Any time you’re having a pizza craving but don’t want to order take-out – this recipe will give you your pizza fix and the entire family will be happy! It’s a kid friendly casserole that adults love just as much as the kids.

Tools Needed

Large Pot
Large Skillet
Large Bowl
Casserole Dish

Ingredients

All of these ingredients are common and possibly pantry staples (they are at our house). If not, you can grab them at your local grocery store!

Pasta
Cooked Ground Beef
Pizza Sauce
Garlic Powder
Italian Seasoning
Whipped Cream Cheese
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Pepperoni Slices

Find the complete recipe with ingredient measurements in the recipe card below.

Substitutions

This Pepperoni Casserole is so easy to make your own! Here are a few substitutions:

Pasta – We prefer rotini pasta but you could use penne, cavatappi pasta, elbow macaroni, etc. They’re all good options and the pasta shape doesn’t really matter.

Ground Beef – You could use ground turkey or ground pork instead. You could also use Italian sausage for some additional flavor or use all the meats for a meat lovers pizza casserole.

Pizza Sauce – Seasoned tomato sauce, pasta sauce, marinara sauce or spaghetti sauce work great in this recipe!

Mozzarella Cheese – my youngest son much prefers cheddar cheese on pizza over mozzarella cheese, so we often use half/half. But you could use all cheddar if you want. We also love to top the casserole with Parmesan when we have it on hand.

Optional Mixins

Make this easy pizza casserole recipe your own by mixing in all of your favorite pizza toppings. Here are some popular choices:

Cooked Italian Sausage or Pork Sausage
Black Olives
Sliced Mushrooms
Fresh Onions
Diced Green Bell Peppers
Canadian Bacon

Optional Toppings

Parmesan Cheese
Red Pepper Flakes

How to Make Pepperoni Pizza Casserole

This recipe for pizza casserole could not be easier. Here are the step-by-step instructions for you:

Start by grabbing a large pot to cook pasta according to package directions until it’s al dente, then drain and pour into a large bowl.
While the pasta is cooking, brown your ground beef in a large skillet over medium high heat and drain.
In the bottom of your casserole dish, add one cup of pizza sauce.
Add the cooked ground beef on top of the sauce and spread the pasta mixture out evenly.
Sprinkle it with garlic powder and Italian seasoning.

Spread the whipped cream cheese on top.
Add 1¾ cups of pizza sauce (1 jar) to your box of cooked pasta and mix well.
Add the sauced pasta to your casserole dish and spread out evenly.
Add the remaining pizza sauce over top of the pasta.

pasta with pizza sauce over ground beef and cream cheese

Sprinkle the top of the casserole with cheese and top with pepperonis.
Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes until you have golden brown melty cheese.
Serve and enjoy!

Storage Directions

Store any leftover Pasta Pizza Bake in an airtight container or cover your baking dish tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. It’ll keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave!

a bowl of pepperoni pizza casserole with a fork

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