Easy Crockpot Pizza Casserole Everyone Loves!
Crockpot Pizza Casserole is a cheesy, easy weeknight dinner everyone loves! It slow-cooks all the flavors of your favorite pizza to perfection.
A simple and delicious kid-friendly crockpot casserole recipe. It’s even a wonderful leftover lunch the next day!
Looking for a simple, family-friendly casserole dinner recipe that doesn’t disappoint? Great! I’ve got you covered!
I serve this yummy Tater Tot Casserole all the time. However, my all-time favorite is this Slow-Cooker Pizza Casserole. It’s It’s a winner for everyone in our house, and I’m sure it will be in yours, too!
With the crowd-pleasing taste of pizza AND the ease of your crockpot, it’s the perfect recipe for busy weeknights. It’s a family favorite worth trying.
If you love pizza, try my Deep Dish Crockpot Pizza. For a cheesy slow cooker dish, make Crockpot Crack Chicken or Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo.
This literally is one of the easiest kid-friendly crockpot casserole meals. Just like my Crockpot Mexican Casserole and Slow Cooker Ground Beef Casserole.
I make them on busy nights and take them to get-togethers because everyone loves them. It’s the best potluck crockpot idea!
Ingredient Notes
The basic ingredients for this slow cooker pizza recipe are below.
The shredded zucchini is optional but a great way to increase the nutritional value and hide some veggies for the kiddos 🙂
- Ground Sausage – 1/2 pound of ground Italian sausage (browned and drained)
- Ground Beef – 1 pound of lean ground beef (browned and drained)
- Onion – 1/2 large white onion (diced)
- Pasta – 8-ounce box (approximately 1/2 pound) of short whole wheat pasta (rigatoni, penne, or ziti), undercooked slightly
- Red Sauce – 2 (14-ounce) jars of marinara sauce (aka pizza sauce)
- Italian Seasoning – 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning
- Garlic – 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- Zucchini – 1 small zucchini, shredded (optional)
- Pepperoni – 8-ounce package of sliced pepperoni (placed between paper towels and microwaved for a few seconds to remove extra grease)
- Mozzarella Cheese – 16 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese
- Parmesan – 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
You can certainly use ground beef or ground turkey, but the recipe may not be as flavor-packed.
Step By Step Instructions
Let’s get the crockpot (or slow cooker) out and start!
Step 1 – BROWN MEAT AND COOK PASTA
Before you brown the meat, boil the pasta in a pot of water on the stove. Follow the pasta cooking instructions, but slightly undercook it for the best results in the crockpot.
Now, while the pasta is cooking, brown, and then drain the meat.
Step 2 – LAYER INGREDIENTS IN CROCKPOT
Next, spray the crockpot with non-stick cooking spray. Add all ingredients except 1/3 of the cheese and mix well.
Tip: To remove excess grease from the pepperoni, microwave it between paper towels for approximately 10-20 seconds.
Step 3 – COOK
Next, top with the remaining mozzarella cheese and set it to cook for 3 – 4 hours. Our crockpot works well, so 3 hours was plenty.
Test your pizza casserole at three hours to make sure it doesn’t overcook.
This is the crockpot we use – it’s held up year after year.
Oven Instructions for Pizza Casserole
If you don’t have time for the slow cooking process and you prefer to make this pizza casserole in the oven, follow these instructions:
- Cook ground beef and pasta and layer ingredients as instructed. Top with remaining cheese.
- Then, bake the pasta recipe at 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) for 30-40 minutes.
Can I Use a Different Pizza Topping for this Casserole?
Yes, you can customize this pizza casserole with the toppings of your choice! Depending on what you choose, you want to make sure the toppings are cooked before they go in the crockpot.
- Swap out the mild Italian sausage for spicy.
- Instead of pepperoni, try Canadian bacon or salami.
- Use the cheese of your choice; provolone would also be good.
- You can add olives or other veggies.
Can I freeze It?
You can absolutely freeze any leftover Crockpot Pizza Casserole. First, let it cool completely, then place it in an airtight container, label it, and freeze it for up to 3 months.
Make sure to follow our tips to prevent freezer burn.
To defrost the pizza casserole you made in the slow cooker, remove it from the freezer the night before and reheat it in an oven-safe dish or microwave.
More Delicious Crock Pot Recipes
Crock Pot French Dip Sandwichs
Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff
Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
Slow Cooker Pork Chops
Slow Cooker Ground Pork Casserole
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Pasta: Use short but sturdy pasta like ziti, rigatoni, or penne in your slow cooker recipe. You can substitute regular pasta for whole-wheat pasta if that’s what your family prefers.
- Cooking Temp: We don’t recommend cooking this recipe on high as it may burn.
- Veggies: For an added nutrition boost, I add shredded carrots, zucchini, or diced bell pepper.
- Storing: Store leftovers (if any) in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. This Crock pot Pizza Casserole is a wonderful leftover lunch the next day.
(this version is made with spiral pasta)
What To Serve with a Crockpot Casserole
- Serve with a green salad, and dinner is done!
- Make some crispy garlic bread, and you’ll be in heaven!
- A side of green beans, broccoli, or roasted Brussels sprouts would also go nicely.
Love this Crock Pot Pizza Casserole recipe? Please leave a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a review in the comment section further down.
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Crockpot Pizza Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ pound of ground Italian sausage, browned and drained, mild or spicy
- 1 pound of ground beef, browned and drained
- ½ large white onion, diced
- 8 ounce box of short whole wheat pasta, rigatoni, penne or ziti, undercooked slightly
- 2 14-ounce jars of marinara sauce
- 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small zucchini, shredded, optional
- 8 ounce package of sliced pepperoni, placed between paper towels and microwaved for a few seconds to remove extra grease
- 16 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup Shredded Parmesan cheese
Equipment
- 4-6-quart Crockpot
- Spatula or cooking spoon
- non-stick cooking spray
Instructions
- Brown ground beef and cook pasta al dente. Spray the inside of a 4 – 6 quart Crock-Pot with non-stick spray.
- Mix all ingredients in the crockpot except for 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese.
- Place the remaining cheese on top of all ingredients.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 3 – 4 hours. If cooked longer than 4 hours or on high, it may burn (THREE hours works perfectly fine in our crockpot)
Notes
- Pasta: For best results, read the cooking instructions and then undercook the pasta slightly before putting it in the crockpot. Use short but sturdy pasta like ziti, rigatoni, or penne.
- Slow Cooker Setting: We do not recommend cooking this recipe on high as it may burn.
- Regular pasta can be substituted for whole wheat pasta if that’s what your family prefers.
- Freeze any leftovers in an airtight container for up to three months.
- Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 4-5 days.
This post was updated with enhanced instructions and tips on December 7, 2019, and more images and a video on November 11, 2020.
Amazing- the whole family loved it!
So glad your family enjoyed this recipe, Melissa. It is very family-friendly.
My kids LOVED this! We didn’t have any leftovers – will definitely be making again.
Yes! That’s what we love to hear, April. A family-friendly recipe that was gobbled up and you’ll make again.
I love slow cooker recipes and pizza! This pizza casserole is awesome and super easy to make. Yummy!
Very easy to make and a lot cheaper than ordering pizza for your whole family.
This is sure to be a hit with my family! We love anything pizza related! Looks so creamy & delicious!
It’s an easy recipe you know everyone will love!
We love ANYTHING pizza as well. This is a versatile recipe you can use whatever meat you have on hand.
Thank you so much my family loved this recipe!
Awesome! Thanks for the 5-star review, Melissa!
We love making crockpot pasta! It’s so good! Love the pizza flavor in this casserole!
It’s amazing how well pasta turns out in the crock pot! Well, what doesn’t 🙂
Oh, Erin! This looks amazing. Tuesdays are such a long day for us, I take our son to karate and religion classes and we don’t get home until 7:30 pm, so I have been looking for new crock pot recipes as I was running out of ideas.
Looking forward to next Tuesday! Can’t wait to try it 🙂
This is an easy recipe that tastes great. All the kids love it and I feel better about not ordering takeout! Enjoy, Flavia!
Looks delicious. My mum makes a very similar recipe and I love it, I always have it on my must have dinners when I visit 🙂
This recipe is the perfect comfort food recipe! I can see why you request it when you go home 🙂
This looks delicious! Definitely a dinner the whole fam will adore, and I love that you’ve snuck some veggies in there too! 😉 Saving now!
This looks delicious Erin! I love easy recipes, and can’t get any easier in the crockpot. Thanks for sharing!
Me too, Linda. I don’t think I could survive without easy recipes…or my crockpot for that matter!!