Cora's Cottage

Fast and simple meals are an essential in any kitchen, and can make the difference between ordering take-out and having a nutritious home-cooked meal. One simple way to increase the number of fast, simple meals available to your family is to find things that can be made ahead and frozen. 

Make-ahead, frozen meals made at home are much more nutritious, and can be made much cheaper than the store bought frozen meals. However, taking a stroll down the frozen meal isle at the store can give you good idea of what types of meals you can make ahead and freeze for fast and simple meals on the those busy days.

Often times, many of the meals we see in the frozen meals section at the store are a casserole style meal, so these are the perfect place to start when preparing make-ahead meals for the freezer. One specific casserole recipe that is the perfect fit, is this pizza pasta casserole recipe because it makes not one, but two 9×13 dishes!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

One Recipe, Double the Food: This recipe will make not just one meal for your family but two! You can make dinner for tonight, and one for store in the freezer for a busy night down the road.

Simple Ingredients: This recipe calls for ingredients that most of us already have in our pantries. This makes it perfect to whip up without having to run to the grocery store for speciality ingredients.

Adjustable Herbs and Spices: While this recipes calls for several different herbs and spices, the amounts can always be adjusted or some can even be left out, to fit your family’s tastes and what you have on hand in your pantry! We are going for simple, so no need to run to the store if you are missing a few of the herbs.

Tips and Tricks

Add Nutrients: I love to sneak in extra nutrients wherever I can. One simple way to do this with any recipe that calls for ground meat is to add in some ground liver. My general rule of thumb is 3-6 tablespoons per pound of ground meat. I have been using this trick for awhile now and my family can’t even tell that I am adding liver to several of our favorite recipes!

Ground Beef: This recipes calls for ground beef but any type of ground meat will work great! I have substituted in pork and wild game and my family still loved it.

Herbs and Spices: There are several different herbs and spices that are called for in this recipes. However, they do not all have to be added if you do not have them or your family does not like them. Adjust the amounts and herbs included to fit your family’s tastes and what items you have in your pantry!

Noodles: Our family purchases noodles in bulk through Azure Standard, so we measure noodles in cups usually. I will include about how many boxes or ounces this translates to if you buy your noodles in a box.

Tools

Cutting Board

Knife

Wooden Spoon

Skillet

Measuring Cups

Measuring Spoons

Two 9×13 Pans

Ingredients

Onion

Ground Beef

Liver, optional

Basil

Rosemary

Cilantro

Parsley

Thyme

Oregano

Sage

Fennel Seeds

Garlic Powder

Pepper

Noodles

Pepperoni, optional

Pasta Sauce

Oil

Mozzarella

How to Make Pizza Pasta Casserole

Start by finely chopping the onion before adding the onion, ground beef, liver (if you are choosing to add it), and herbs and spices (basil, rosemary, cilantro, thyme, parsley, oregano, sage, fennel seeds, garlic powder, and pepper) to a skillet and sauté/brown until the onions are soft and the beef is browned all the way through. When the onions and ground beef are cooked, add them to a large a mixing bowl.

While the ground beef and onions are cooking in the skillet, cook the noodles in a pot of boiling water until tender. When the noodles are tender, strain them and add them to the large mixing bowl with the ground beef and onions.

Chop the pepperoni into small pieces, approximately 1 centimeter by 1 centimeter or 6ths. Using your fingers, sprinkling the pepperoni into the large mixing bowl to help break apart the pieces.

Pour the two jars of pasta sauce over the noodles, ground beef, onions, and pepperoni before stirring to mix all the ingredients together. 

Grease two 9×13 pans using a cooking spray. I like to use this Misto sprayer with olive or avocado oil to help eliminate unnecessary chemicals from my kitchen. They simple need pumped up before each use but otherwise work just like an aerosolized can from the store, and they are reusable!

Once your pans are greased, add the noodle and ground beef mixture to the two pans equally. When the mixture has been equal separated into the two pans, spread it flat and add 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese to the top of each casserole.

One casserole can be covered and frozen for up to 3 months. When you are ready to use it simply remove it from the freezer in the morning (or even the night before) and allow it to thaw in the refrigerator.

With the other casserole, or when you are ready to bake the frozen casserole, place in the oven and then preheat the oven to 350°F. It is very important that you do not preheat the oven if you are placing a cold baking dish (such as one out of the refrigerator) into the oven. When the oven has reached temperature, bake for 25-30 minutes or until the casserole is heated through and the cheese is melted.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many people does one casserole feed?

Each pizza pasta casserole will feed between 8-10 people.

How do I store leftovers?

Leftover casserole can be stored in the refrigerator for 7-10 days.

Do I have to use mozzarella cheese to the top the casseroles?

No, any type of cheese that your family likes an be used to top the casseroles.

Can I add other ingredients to the casserole, like I would to top a pizza?

Absolutely! If your family likes bell peppers, olives, mushrooms, and other goodies on top of your pizza you can absolutely add those to your pizza pasta casserole. Just be sure to sauté or cook any vegetables or meats that you are adding to the casserole before adding it to the 9×13 dish. The baking of the pizza pasta casserole is only to warm it up and melt the cheese on top, not to cook anything in the casserole.