Receta Easy Cheesy Pizza Casserole
Easy Cheesy Pizza Casserole
What's for dinner? Surprise them with this easy and delicious pizza casserole.
This is an idea I worked from a basic recipe I saw in a magazine years ago. That used "wampum" biscuits (the canned variety found in the dairy case, aptly named because you wampum on the edge of a counter LOL) and only ground beef. I make my own parmesan and herb drop biscuits for this as it's much tastier.
I incorporate the ground beef--sometimes--but have substituted Italian bulk sausage for it too. I also add more cheese in the meat mixture with the addition of ricotta cheese. I also tend to mix and match cheese toppings where the original just called for a 2-to-1 mix of mozzarella & cheddar. If I have it, I add pepperoni as well.
Anyone from New York City will immediately think of the square Sicilian pizza when they taste this.
Whatever works for you as a filling is fine here, so feel free to use this as a guide only for times, assembly and amounts.
The baking dish is my beloved Revol Belle Cuisine 1.8 quart rectangular baker.
Easy Cheesy Pizza Casserole
- 1 lb ground beef*
- 1/2 cup ricotta
- pinch of oregano
- pinch of basil
- 1 tbs grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 - 26 oz jar of pasta sauce
- -or-
- 1 can pizza sauce**
- 1/8 - 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- Pepperoni slices (I used 1/2 of a package of Hormel brand)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- 1/2 cup shredded aged Provolone
- Herbed Parmesan Drop Biscuits
- Additional Parmesan cheese for topping
- Herbed Parmesan Drop Biscuits
- 2 1/4 cup baking mix (like Bisquick or Jiffy)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2/3 cup milk
Brown ground beef in skillet; drain fat. Mix in pasta or pizza sauce and pepper flakes; set aside. Mix ricotta cheese with the herbs and Parmesan in a separate bowl; set aside.
Mix the dry ingredients for the biscuits. Add milk and stir until combined.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9 pan with non-stick spray. Drop biscuit dough by teaspoons in the bottom of pan, spacing evenly. It's OK if there is space between the dough--it will expand as it's cooked. Top with ground beef mixture and dot with the ricotta cheese mixture. Bake at 375 for about 20 min or until biscuits are puffed and beginning to get golden brown.
Top with mozzarella and provolone cheeses and distribute pepperoni slices evenly over top, increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. Return to oven and bake until cheeses are melted and beginning to bubble. This should take about 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before slicing and serving. May be topped with the additional Parmesan cheese.
Serves about 6 (hearty servings)
*equal amount of bulk Italian sausage may be substituted
**home made sauce may be substituted