Make-Ahead Pizza Casserole

Take just 20 minutes to put together this pasta bake, and dinner for the next night is done!

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  • Servings 6
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( 75 ) Ratings

75 Ratings

5 Stars 9%

4 Stars 15%

3 Stars 8%

2 Stars 41%

1 Stars 27%

Member Reviews ( 6 )
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  • ingredients 7
  • Prep Time 20 min
  • Total Time 9 hr 40 min

Ingredients

1
lb mild Italian pork sausage
2
cups water
1
can (15 oz) pizza sauce
1
can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with sweet onion, undrained
4
cups uncooked rotini pasta (10 oz)
1
can (2 1/4 oz) sliced ripe olives, drained
1 1/2
cups shredded mozzarella or pizza cheese blend (6 oz)

SAVE ON THIS RECIPE!

LOCATION

Directions

  • 1 In 10-inch skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until no longer pink; drain.
  • 2 In ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish, mix water, pizza sauce and tomatoes. Stir in cooked sausage, uncooked pasta and olives (pasta should be completely covered with sauce). Cover tightly with foil; refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.
  • 3 When ready to bake, heat oven to 350°F. Stir casserole; cover with foil and bake 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until bubbly.
  • 4 Uncover baking dish; stir mixture. Sprinkle with cheese; bake uncovered 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

EXPERT TIPS

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Expert Tips

Olives add some color contrast to this casserole, but you can omit them for a more kid-friendly meal. Serve with warm breadsticks and a green salad.

Nutrition Information 

Nutrition Information

NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING

Serving Size: 1 Serving
Calories
500
(
Calories from Fat
200),
% Daily Value
Total Fat
22g
22%
(Saturated Fat
9g,
9%
Trans Fat
0g
0%
),
Cholesterol
60mg
60%;
Sodium
1250mg
1250%;
Total Carbohydrate
50g
50%
(Dietary Fiber
5g
5%
  Sugars
8g
8%
),
Protein
26g
26%
;
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
10%;
Vitamin C
10%;
Calcium
25%;
Iron
25%;
Exchanges:
3 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 2 1/2 High-Fat Meat; 0 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choices:
3
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Review & Comments

Write a Review
segermom report Posted Apr. 23, 2012 5:51 PM
UGH! Do not use uncooked pasta as your dish will be gummy pasta! It kinda, sorta tasted like pizza but was not anything I would ever make again. Pasta should be al dente not al gummy
Bevrs report Posted Feb. 17, 2012 2:22 PM
I've never liked using uncooked pasta in a dish -- it's never turned out well -- so I cooked it beforehand and added it to the casserole (eliminating the water in the recipe). And after browning the sausage, I sautéd minced onion, garlic, and bell pepper (all of which I like on my pizza -- and this is supposedly a pizza casserole). Also, I am lactose-intollerant, so I used soy mozzarella. It came out fantastic, and hubby raved over it, having thirds. I will definitely make it again. However, I changed the name of the recipe to Baked Ziti, because that's how it came out, not like pizza.
gloriacollins report Posted Aug. 23, 2011 8:44 PM
I'd like to see the nutritional conversion if I made this with turkey italian sausage and part-skim cheese; that would save a LOT of calories for the bread sticks!
kspurger report Posted Jul. 15, 2010 3:10 PM
This is a great recipe to be able to make a day ahead if you are having company. It is easy to change the pizza ingredients ie the sausage. I used some sausage, some ground beef and some pepperoni. You can add or subtract vegetables. I will definitely make again.
Luckyme report Posted Mar. 1, 2010 4:31 PM
I cut this recipe in half, and it turned out really good. I also added mushrooms. I couldn't find the diced tomatoes with sweet onions, so I used a can of diced tomatoes with green peppers. I also used hamburger instead of Italian sausage. Next time I will try the sausage. Easy too.

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