Puffy Pizza Casserole

Name: Puffy Pizza Casserole
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef; ½ pound ground Italian sausage; 1 onion, finely diced; 1 green bell pepper, finely diced; salt and pepper, to taste; 24 ounce jar marinara sauce; 1 cup milk; 1/4 cup (½ stick) salted butter, melted and slightly cooled; 2 large eggs, beaten; 1 teaspoon vegetable oil; 1 cup all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; ½ teaspoon salt; 8 ounce bag shredded Mozzarella cheese; 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese; pepperoni slices ((as many as you'd like)); dried parsley flakes, (for garnishing (optional))

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Puffy Pizza Casserole is like a meat lovers pizza all tossed in a casserole dish – flavorful with melty cheese, sauce and the fun part – no pizza dough needed!

YUMMY PIZZA CASSEROLE IN AN HOUR

Everything you love about pizza all thrown together in an ooey gooey, cheesy casserole. I have a feeling once you make this, it will end up on your regular meal rotation! The best part is how easy it is to make and it’s ready in an hour. No long cook times, no hours prepping over the stove, just a simple to follow recipe that is sure to make your family’s tastebuds happy and their bellies full. And the fun part? No pizza dough – the ‘puffy’ part starts off as a liquid base which makes for a fun transformation at the end!

A bite of Puffy Pizza Casserole on a fork.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Why is it called Puffy pizza casserole?

When you put it in the baking dish, it’s in a liquid form. But when it bakes up, it gets all nice and fluffy and puffy, so we call it the puffy pizza casserole.

What kind of Italian sausage should I use?

I used hot Italian sausage, but you can use whatever kind of ground sausage your family enjoys on pizzas. Sweet Italian or mild sausage would also work nicely. Or you can use all ground beef instead of sausage.

What other toppings can I add?

You can add whatever pizza toppings you typically like to enjoy on your pie. Some easy ideas are mushrooms, diced pepperoni, ham, pineapple, other diced veggies, etc.

Can I make this with less sauce?

Sure. We like it with a good amount of sauce, but if you prefer it with a little less, try to use a 15 ounce jar of pizza sauce along with ½ cup water. This will give you a firmer, less saucy casserole if that is what you are going for.

Can I swap the casserole layers?

Yup. If you want the biscuit layer at the top- first add the sauce, then the batter and followed by the cheese, then bake just the same as the directions state.

What sauce should I use?

I like the roasted garlic marinara from Rao. But, you can use any pizza sauce or marinara sauce that you prefer.

What should I serve with this?

I like to serve this casserole with a nice big Caesar salad and some garlic bread.

How to store leftovers?

Leftover pizza casserole should be stored in an airtight container and should be kept in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Freeze it for longer. It should keep up to 3 months.

A baking dish with some Puffy Pizza Casserole with a serving taken out.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)

ground beef – I use a mix of ground beef and Italian sausage but you could certainly use all ground beef or all sausage.
ground Italian sausage – we prefer a hot Italian sausage that I think ends up not really being too hot once it’s all mixed in with everything else but you could certainly use mild.
onion and green bell pepper – use what you enjoy here. If you don’t like onions and bell peppers then leave them out.
marinara sauce – I love Rao’s roasted garlic but use your favorite sauce here – you could also use pizza sauce but you’d probably want to grab two jars to have enough sauce
all-purpose flour – this is for the pizza base – you could use self-rising flour here but you’ll just want to leave out the baking powder and salt since that is already included in self-rising flour.
baking powder – make sure your baking powder is fresh and not expired – most things end up not rising because the baking powder has gone bad.
shredded Mozzarella cheese – you can use store bought shredded cheese or shred your own.
shredded Parmesan cheese – I like the contrast in cheese flavors but you could leave this out and just use mozzarella.
sliced pepperoni – use as much of this as you like!
dried parsley flakes – this is optional but I always love that bit of green on the top because it looks pretty – you could also use a tad bit of dried oregano.

Mozzarella cheese, vegetale oil, marinara sauce, ground beef, ground sausage, onion, bell pepper, salt and pepper, milk, butter, eggs, flour, baking powder, parmesan cheese and pepperoni.

HOW TO MAKE PUFFY PIZZA CASSEROLE

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook and crumble the ground beef and Italian sausage along with the onion and green pepper. Season with a little salt and pepper to taste (about ½ teaspoon each.) Cook until meat is cooked thoroughly. Turn off heat. Drain any excess grease.

A skillet with ground beef and Italian sausage along with the onion and green pepper.

Place mixture back into the skillet. Stir the marinara sauce in with the meat.

Cooked ground beef, onion, pepper, and marinara sauce.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 F degrees. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a medium bowl (I used a large measuring cup), combine the milk, butter, oil and eggs and mix with a whisk until combined well. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and continue to whisk until fully combined.

A measuring cup used as a bowl with milk, butter, oil, eggs, flour, baking soda, and salt.

Evenly pour this batter into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.

Then distribute the meat mixture evenly on top of the batter (as best as possible – it will start to sink into the batter as you do this – that’s ok!)

Marinara meat sauce on top of a batter in a baking dish.

Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the top, followed by the shredded Parmesan.

Shredded cheese on top of meat and sauce.

Top cheese with pepperoni.

Cover the pan with nonstick aluminum foil.

Bake, on the middle rack, for 20 minutes then remove the foil and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes (or until the casserole is puffed around the edges, light golden brown and cheese is completely melted.) Take care not to burn the cheese on top.

Looking down on a pizza casserole with pepperonis on top.

Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. Giving it time to cool also helps it to continue to set up and make it easier to scoop and serve. Sprinkle the top with a bit of dried parsley (optional) then serve with a fresh salad and garlic bread!

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