Crock Pot Pizza Casserole

This Crock Pot Pizza Casserole is the easiest dinner recipe that our whole family loves. This dish combines two of the best things, pizza and pasta, into one no fuss dinner. With just 10 ingredients, the slow cooker does all of the cooking for you.

We love a slow cooker around here, it’s the best way to cook during a busy week and is always delicious, every single time. This Crock Pot Pizza Casserole was a recipe I developed several years ago when I wanted an easy dinner that had both the flavors of pizza and pasta. It’s a foolproof recipe that tastes just like you baked it in the oven.

After numerous rounds of testing with every family member’s favorite pizza toppings, this is our best version that is requested regularly. This is the easiest dinner, all you need is 30 minutes of prep time and just 10 ingredients – many of which are probably already at home!

Crock pot recipes are something we keep in our easy dinner recipe book for any time of the year. Try some of our other favorites! We also are huge fans of Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing Casserole, Slow Cooker Beef and Sausage Meatballs, and this Costa Vida Sweet Pork Recipe.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• Let the slow cooker do the work for you! Add the ingredients to the crockpot and sit back and relax, dinner is so easy with this recipe.
• Customize for the whole family with your favorite pizza toppings. Add whatever you like on pizza, cooked mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, olives, the options are endless!
• Freeze any leftovers. This meal makes a lot of food and is great for meal prep or saving for later in the freezer.

Ingredients

Scroll Down for Ingredient Amounts Listed in the Full Recipe Card Below

• Pasta: Our noodle of choice for the slow cooker is penne, ziti, or rigatoni.
• Lean ground beef: We love beef for this recipe like a lasagna. You could also use ground chicken or turkey.
• Breakfast or Italian sausage: You can use any spice variety: mild, medium or hot. This adds an extra bit of decadence to this pasta recipe.
• Garlic powder: Gives that punch of garlic infusion in the sauce.
• Pepperoni: Adds that classic, savory pizza flavor.
• Onion: Adds a nice veggie sweetness in the sauce.
• Diced green bell pepper: One of our favorite pizza toppings, adds sweet vegetable flavor in each bite.
• Italian seasoning: Provides that warmth of Italian flavors.
• Pizza sauce: A jarred light tomato sauce is perfect to lightly coat this pasta and the other ingredients. Marinara can also be used.
• Mozzarella cheese: Can’t skip on the cheese of course! Mozzarella is perfect for the cheesy goodness in each bite. We recommend buying high-quality pre-shredded or a block and shredding it yourself.

Laura Ashley’s Tip: Be sure to use a short pasta noodle like penne, ziti, or rigatoni for this slow cooker pasta recipe. They cook best in the casserole, just as you would make it in the oven.

TOOLS YOU’LL NEED

• Large Skillet or Cast Iron Skillet
• Meat Chopper
• 6 Quart or Larger Crockpot
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Liquid Measuring Cups
• Cutting Board
• Chef’s Knife
• Microplane Zester Grater

How to Make Crock Pot Pizza Casserole

1. Cook pasta in boiling salted water 2-3 minutes less than the package calls for al dente (tender) pasta. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook and crumble ground beef and sausage until browned and cooked through. This should take about 8-10 minutes.

3. Add onion, bell pepper, and pepperoni to the skillet. Sauté 2 minutes. Season the meat mixture with salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of the garlic powder. Drain off any excess grease. 

4. In a large bowl, mix together the cooked and drained pasta, cooked meat mixture, pizza sauce, Italian seasoning, and remaining garlic powder. 

5. Coat the inside of a crockpot with oil or non-stick spray. Spreading in even layers, add half of the meat mixture, followed by half of the mozzarella cheese. Add the remaining meat mixture, followed by the remaining cheese. Cover and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours. If cooked longer than 4 hours or on HIGH it may burn.

6. Serve warm garnished as desired.

How to Make Pizza Casserole in the Oven

If you’d rather use the oven than the slow cooker, just preheat the oven to 375°. Grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray. Pour the meat pasta mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella evenly on top. Add pepperoni slices to the top, if desired. Tightly cover with foil and bake 30 minutes.

Remove the foil and turn the oven to broil on high for 2 to 3 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and lightly browned.

Pro Tips

• Pre-cook the sausage and beef. You will want to cook both of these fully on the stovetop before placing into the slow cooker. This ensures they are fully cooked through and just infuse the sauce with their flavor over time.
• Par-cook the pasta. You will want to cook your pasta noodles 2 to 3 minutes less than the package instructions for al dente. The noodles will continue cooking in the slow cooker until they are perfect.
• Mozzarella Varieties. Most pre-shredded bags of mozzarella have a coating on it that prevents the cheese from melting as nicely. Ideally, shred a fresh block of mozzarella. Alternatively, use a high-quality pre-shredded bag of cheese.
• Sauce Options: Pizza sauce is part of what gives this dish its classic pizza flavor. However, you can also use marinara sauce, if desired.

Storage and Freezing

You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Again place in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat according to the instructions below.

To reheat, place in the microwave for a few minutes or until warmed through. Alternatively, you can place in a baking dish in the oven at 350ºF for 8 to 10 minutes until bubbling and warm.

Variations and Mix-ins

The options of things to add to this pizza casserole recipe are endless! Think of anything veggies or meats you would put on a pizza, they’re probably great in this slow cooker recipe too! Some of our other suggestions include:

• Sauteed mushrooms
• Spinach
• Cherry tomatoes
• Red onion
• Artichoke hearts
• Olives

FAQs

More Easy Slow Cooker Recipes:

• Slow Cooker Pepper Steak
• Slow Cooker Green Chicken Chili
• Crock Pot Beef and Noodles
• Slow Cooker Cube Steak