Description
Hearty crockpot pizza casserole brings classic Italian-American flavors together in one comforting dish. Layers of pasta, zesty sauce, and melted cheese create a crowd-pleasing meal that satisfies both kids and adults with minimal preparation effort.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Proteins:
- 1 pound (1 lb) ground beef
- 1 cup sliced pepperoni
Vegetables:
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
Pasta, Sauces, and Seasonings:
- 3 cups uncooked rotini pasta
- 24 ounces (24 oz) marinara sauce
- 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Cheese:
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium heat, ensuring no pink remains. Discard accumulated grease thoroughly.
- Incorporate diced onion and bell pepper into the meat, sautéing until vegetables become translucent and tender.
- Blend marinara sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper into the meat mixture. Allow flavors to meld for 5 minutes over low heat.
- Prepare crockpot by lightly coating interior with cooking spray or oil.
- Create first layer of uncooked pasta across bottom of crockpot, ensuring even distribution.
- Spread half of seasoned meat sauce uniformly over pasta layer.
- Sprinkle half of cheese across meat sauce, creating consistent coverage.
- Repeat layering process with remaining pasta, meat sauce, and cheese.
- Arrange pepperoni slices across top layer for additional flavor and visual appeal.
- Carefully pour water over entire casserole, ensuring moisture reaches all ingredients.
- Secure crockpot lid and cook on low temperature for 4-5 hours until pasta reaches perfect tenderness.
- Once cooking completes, let casserole rest for 10 minutes before serving to allow sauce to settle.
- Serve hot, garnishing with fresh herbs if desired.
Notes
- Drain ground beef thoroughly to prevent excess grease pooling in the casserole.
- Select lean ground beef (90/10) for a healthier version with reduced fat content.
- Experiment with different pasta shapes like rotini or penne for varied texture and visual appeal.
- For gluten-free adaptation, use gluten-free pasta and ensure marinara sauce is certified gluten-free.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours (or 5 hours)
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 509
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 720 mg
- Fat: 23 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 33 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg