Pizza Casserole - The Best Pizza Casserole Recipe! (2024)

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Shelly 27 Comments

★★2 from 1 review

Meet your new favorite weeknight recipe! This cheesy, saucy pizza casserole is quick to make and easy to customize with your favorite pizza toppings. Assemble this casserole the night before and have dinner on the table in 20 minutes!

Love getting creative with casseroles? Because, same. Try my easy Frito pie casserole and this flavor-bomb of a Doritos casserole, next!

Pizza Casserole - The Best Pizza Casserole Recipe! (1)

Table of Contents

  • Why You’ll Love This Pizza Casserole Recipe
  • Casserole Ingredients
  • How to Make Pizza Casserole
  • Tips for Success
  • More Pizza Topping Ideas
  • What to Serve With a Pizza Bake
  • Can I Prepare This Casserole In Advance?
  • Storing and Reheating Leftover Casserole
  • More Easy Pizza Recipes
  • Get the Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Pizza Casserole Recipe

This pizza casserole has all the flavors of an oven-fresh pepperoni pizza, packed into a cheesy, weeknight-friendly casserole. Here’s why you’ll love it:

  • Layers of flavor. This recipe combines fluffy biscuit dough with savory tomato sauce, your favorite pizza toppings, and plenty of cheese. It’s melty, gooey pizza bliss in a baking dish!
  • Easy. I have a few recipes on the blog that start with Bisquick mix, from 7UP biscuits to chocolate chip cookies. Bisquick is the secret to the quick and easy “pizza dough” in this pizza casserole. Just add water!
  • One pan. Layer up your ingredients in a casserole dish and let your oven do the rest. It’s an easier alternative to making a traditional pizza from scratch that bakes up in 20 minutes.
  • Make it your own. Just like ordering from your favorite pizza takeout menu, you can customize this pizza casserole with any toppings you’d like. I make mine with pepperoni, but you can easily go all-dressed, Hawaiian, you name it. See below for ideas.
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Casserole Ingredients

I’ll start you off with some notes on what you’ll need. Scroll down to the recipe card for a printable ingredients list.

  • Bisquick –Bisquick is an easy shortcut to biscuit dough in this recipe. Of course, you can always use refrigerated biscuit dough from the store, or your favorite homemade biscuit dough.
  • Seasonings –Seasoning the Bisquick dough with garlic powder and Italian seasoning boosts the flavors.
  • Pizza Sauce –Choose your preferred jarred pizza sauce from the store.
  • Toppings –I make a classic pepperoni pizza casserole. Feel free to change things up with any pizza toppings you’d like!
  • Mozzarella Cheese – Shred the cheese straight from the block for the meltiest results. You can also use another mild, melty cheese, like Monterey Jack or Cheddar.

How to Make Pizza Casserole

Follow this short step-by-step to assemble and bake the ultimate pizza casserole. It’s on the table in under an hour! Scroll to the recipe card for printable instructions.

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  • Prepare the dough. First, whisk together Bisquick with Italian seasoning and garlic powder, and combine it with water to form the dough. The dough should be soft and not too sticky.
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  • Assemble the casserole. Drop half of the dough, one spoonful at a time, into the bottom of a greased 9×13” baking dish. Top this with a drizzle of pizza sauce.
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  • Layer on the toppings. Next, layer on the pepperoni and mozzarella. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, ending with a last layer of cheese.
  • Bake. Bake the casserole at 375ºF for 20-25 minutes, then serve!
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Tips for Success

It doesn’t take much for a melty pizza bake to turn out a success. Here are some last-minute tips:

  • Fix sticky dough. If your Bisquick dough is too sticky, add a few more spoonfuls of Bisquick. If it’s too dry, sprinkle in more water.
  • Grease the spoon. Spray the tablespoon you use to scoop the dough to make it easier to release into the baking pan.
  • Halve the recipe. For a smaller pizza casserole, halve the ingredients and bake this recipe in an 8×8” baking dish instead.
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More Pizza Topping Ideas

Layer any of these tasty pizza topping combos between the dough and cheese in this homemade pizza casserole. Or, mix and match your favorite topping ideas to create your own.

  • Vegetarian –Skip the pepperoni and add bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, and olives.
  • Hawaiian –Chopped ham (or leftover baked ham) and diced pineapple.
  • Greek –Kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, spinach, and crumbled feta cheese.
  • Mexican –Ground beef, black beans, avocado, and any other taco fixings you like. Check out my taco pizza recipe for inspiration.
  • Buffalo Chicken –Toss shredded chicken with melted butter and your preferred Buffalo hot sauce, replace the pizza sauce with ranch dressing, and layer it into this casserole. It’s a lazy chef’s version of a Buffalo chicken pizza!
  • BBQ –Make a BBQ chicken pizza casserole with juicy crockpot BBQ chicken.
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What to Serve With a Pizza Bake

A serving of cheesy pizza casserole is a meal on its own. Of course, you can always round out dinner with some tasty sides. This family-style pull-apart garlic monkey bread is perfect for sharing. Or, start the meal with fresh tomato bruschetta. For something lighter, serve pizza casserole with a side of green salad drizzled with homemade ranch dressing.

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Can I Prepare This Casserole In Advance?

Yes! Get a head start and assemble this pizza casserole the day before. Store it tightly covered in the fridge until you’re ready to bake it.

Note that the casserole might need an extra few minutes of baking time if you’re baking it cold from the fridge. If you’re looking for another make-ahead-friendly casserole idea, try this cheesy chili mac casserole.

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Storing and Reheating Leftover Casserole

  • Refrigerate. Store leftover pizza casserole airtight in the fridge. Reheat servings in the microwave, or the oven at 375ºF until the cheese is melted and the casserole is hot throughout.
  • Freeze. Freeze any leftovers airtight for up to 2 months, and defrost them in the fridge before reheating.

More Easy Pizza Recipes

  • Homemade Pepperoni Pizza Rolls
  • Pizza Muffins
  • Cheesy Pizza Breadsticks
  • Jalapeno Popper Pizza

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Pizza Casserole - The Best Pizza Casserole Recipe! (14)

Pizza Casserole

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 2 from 1 review

  • Author: Shelly
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 6-8 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

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Description

Cheesy pizza casserole is the best weeknight dinner! This recipe combines layers of fluffy biscuit dough with savory tomato sauce, your favorite pizza toppings, and lots of melty cheese.

Ingredients

Scale

  • 3 1/3 cups Bisquick
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
  • 1 (14-15 ounce) jar pizza sauce
  • 6 ounces sliced pepperoni
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish lightly with cooking spray, set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl combine Bisquick, garlic powder and Italian seasonings. Add water and stir until a soft dough forms. (If dough is too sticky, sprinkle a few tablespoons more Bisquick, if it feels dry add a tablespoon of water).
  3. Divide dough in half and drop dough by tablespoon sized portions all over the bottom of the prepared pan. Pan will not be covered by the dough.
  4. Drizzle 1 cup of the pizza sauce on top of the dough. Then layer half of the pepperoni on top of sauce.
  5. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese all over the pepperoni. Repeat this entire process again with remaining ingredients.
  6. Bake 20-25 minutes. Cut into squares and serve warm.

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Pizza Casserole - The Best Pizza Casserole Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

What is in a casserole dish? ›

In the United States, a casserole or hot dish is typically a baked food with three main components: pieces of meat (such as chicken or ground meat) or fish (such as tuna) or other protein (such as beans or tofu), various chopped or canned vegetables (such as green beans or peas), and a starchy binder (such as flour, ...

Is deep dish pizza casserole? ›

While the original poster's passionate take on the subject would imply that other Chicagoans believed deep-dish pizza to be a casserole, commenters seemed to be in unison with the sentiment that the Chicago food is not akin to a tuna casserole.

What is the key to making a good casserole? ›

  1. Choose the right baking dish. If you're all about the crunchy topping, use a shallow dish. ...
  2. Undercook your pasta. ...
  3. Drain your meat. ...
  4. Beware of mushy vegetables. ...
  5. Know your cheeses. ...
  6. Master the art of casserole assembly. ...
  7. Don't skip the topping. ...
  8. Make it now, but bake it later.
Nov 1, 2021

What makes a good casserole dish? ›

Look for a dish that has wide, looped handles, and that is made of stoneware or ceramic for heat retention. We also preferred dishes with softer, rounded interior corners since they were often easier to clean.

Is deep dish pizza dough the same as regular pizza dough? ›

I have it on good authority that this is the real deep-dish pizza dough that's used in Chicago. The real thing is nothing like bread or even pizza dough. It's a buttery, flaky crust that's achieved by using corn oil (not butter) and minimal mixing and kneading times.

What makes pizza deep-dish? ›

Chicago-style pizza usually refers to deep-dish pizza, which is a thick pizza baked in a pan and layered with cheese, fillings like meat and vegetables, and sauce–in that order. The crust is usually two to three inches tall and gets slightly fried due to the oil in the pan.

What is the difference between pizza and deep dish pizza? ›

The main difference between deep dish pizza and traditional thin crust pizza is the thickness of the crust. Deep dish pizza has a thick, doughy crust that is formed into a deep, round pan, similar to a pie dish. The crust is then filled with cheese, sauce, and toppings, in that order.

What are the 4 parts of a casserole? ›

Not every single casserole has all of them, but as a rule of thumb, here's what to look for: a starch, a binding agent or sauce, and a protein or vegetable. Many casseroles also have both vegetables and proteins, as well as a crunchy element to give some textural contrast, and cheese.

What are five basic components of most casseroles? ›

According to food blog High Heeled Homemaker, your basic casserole requires five ingredients: a protein, starch, vegetable, sauce, and cheese. If you have those five ingredients in your casserole dish, congratulations; you just made a casserole, whether it's a beloved recipe or a concoction of your own creation.

Is a 9x13 a casserole dish? ›

A 13-by-9-inch casserole dish is useful for making so many things—from lasagna to bread pudding to a small roast.

What is the difference between a dish and a casserole? ›

Definition: Casserole is the name of the dish used to cook with, whereas hot dish is the meal itself.

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