Best Italian Casserole Recipes

ITALIAN ZUCCHINI CASSEROLE

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook zucchini in 1 tablespoon oil 5-6 minutes or until tender; drain and set aside. In the same skillet, saute the onion and garlic in remaining oil for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, basil, oregano, garlic salt and pepper; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat; gently stir in zucchini. , Place in an greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Top with stuffing mix; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover and bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE STUFFING CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325ºF.
• Butter a 2 quart baking dish.
• In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain & remove from skillet. Set aside.
• Pour any grease from skillet & melt butter.
• Add celery & onion and saute until slightly tender, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the green pepper & garlic and continue to saute until all veggies are tender.
• In a large bowl, combine the stuffing, sausage, celery mixture, cheese & pepper. Add broth and egg and toss to combine.
• Spoon into prepared dish, cover and bake for 35 minutes.
• Uncover and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned.

JOLEAN'S ITALIAN SAUSAGE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• In a 2 quart, ungreased casserole dish, layer twice: 1/2 cooked macaroni, 1/2 cooked sausage, then 1/2 sauce, 1/2 mushrooms, 1/2 shredded cheese. Do the same layering again.
• Sprinkle Romano cheese on top.
• Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes, until cheese is slightly browned and casserole is bubbly.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE RICE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• In a small skillet, cook the sausage, onion and red pepper over medium heat until sausage is no longer pink; drain. Remove from the heat. Stir in the rice, basil, soup, water and 1/4 cup cheese., Transfer to an ungreased 3-cup baking dish. Cover and bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until rice is tender. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

ITALIAN CASSEROLE

Steps:

• In large skillet, brown ground beef and onion. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, parsley, garlic salt and pepper, and simmer over low heat for 3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• In a 2 quart casserole dish, combine noodles and meat mixture. Top with cheese slices and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

MANICOTTI ITALIAN CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Pour in rigatoni, and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and set pasta aside.
• Meanwhile, brown ground beef and italian sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. With a slotted spoon, remove beef and sausage to a baking dish. Stir mushrooms, spaghetti sauce, and cooked pasta into the baking dish. Sprinkle cheese and pepperoni over the top.
• Bake in preheated oven until the cheese is brown and bubbly, about 20 minutes.

ITALIAN POLENTA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish.
• Combine cherry tomatoes, basil, garlic, red wine, and 1/8 teaspoon salt for marinara in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to puree. Set aside.
• Bring water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in polenta slowly, whisking constantly to ensure there are no lumps. Bring back to a boil; reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Pecorino Romano cheese and butter.
• Pour half of the polenta into the prepared casserole dish. Top with half of the sliced zucchini, overlapping slices slightly. Top zucchini with half of the marinara sauce, then sprinkle with half of the Italian-style cheese. Repeat layers one more time. Cover.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until cheese on top is slightly brown, about 10 minutes more. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

ITALIAN ARTICHOKE-GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large saucepan, bring 6 cups water to a boil. Add green beans; cook, uncovered, just until crisp-tender, 3-4 minutes. Drain and set aside., In a 6-qt. stockpot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender, 3-4 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add beans, artichoke hearts, parsley, cayenne and pepper. Stir in bread crumbs and 3/4 cup cheese. , Transfer to a greased 11x7-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until lightly browned, 25-30 minutes.

ITALIAN-INSPIRED CASSEROLE

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook sausage, beef, onion and green pepper until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, water and seasonings; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add corn and olives. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in noodles. , Pour into two greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dishes. Top with cheese. Cover and bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook sausage, green pepper, mushrooms and onion until meat is browned and vegetables are tender; drain. Place croutons in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish; top with sausage mixture. Beat eggs and milk; pour over sausage. , Cover and chill for 8 hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45 min. , Sprinkle with the mozzarella and cheddar cheeses. Place tomato slices over top; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake 15-20 minutes longer or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE DUMP CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Brown sausage in saute pan, then place in 9x13 baking dish.
• Place potatoes, peppers, onion and garlic on top of sausage.
• Pour crushed tomatoes over and sprinkle with basil, salt and pepper to taste.
• Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until done.
• Remove cover and bake 20 minutes more.

ITALIAN CHICKEN CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees; lightly spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
• In large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
• Add onion and garlic; cook 3 minutes, or until tender.
• Stir in chicken, tomatoes and cream.
• Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
• Add cream cheese and 1 cup mozzarella cheese; cook, stirring constantly until cheeses are melted.
• Add pasta, tossing gently to coat.
• Spoon into prepared baking dish.
• Sprinkle evenly with remaining cheese.
• Bake 30 minutes.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND PASTA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Prepare pasta as directed, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
• As pasta is cooking, cook Italian sausage as desired. (I like to pre-cook sausages, as they are easier to cut once they are already cooked.).
• After sausages are cooked, remove from pan and set aside.
• In a large pan, saute onion, peppers, zucchini, and garlic in olive oil until opaque.
• Season with cumin, thyme, basil, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
• Slice sausages into bite-size pieces, then add sausages, tomatoes, and pasta to the vegetables and stir.
• Spray large casserole dish with cooking spray and transfer entire mixture into dish.
• Top with feta cheese.
• Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 15-20 minutes, until cheese starts to melt.

SPICY ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND LENTIL CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Combine lentils, water, and salt in a large pot; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook at a simmer until the lentils are tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes.
• While the lentils cook, heat olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Cook and stir onion in hot oil until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add sausage links to the pot; cook until browned completely, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Stir garlic into the onion mixture; cook and stir until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, eggplant, and hot pepper to the pot; season with salt and black pepper. Pour diced tomatoes over the vegetable mixture. Place a cover on the pot and cook at a simmer until the sausage is no longer pink the middle, about 10 minutes.
• Remove the sausages from the vegetable mixture to a cutting board; cut into chunks and stir into the lentils. Stir vegetable mixture into the lentils. Cover pot and cook until the vegetables are tender and the flavors blend, about 5 minutes.

ITALIAN WEDDING CASSEROLE

Steps:

• For the casserole: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until less than al dente; set aside.
• Put the butter and olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the butter has melted and the oil is hot, add the celery, oregano, garlic, carrots and onion and cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle over the flour, stir and cook for an additional minute. While whisking constantly, slowly add the stock. Bring to a simmer and allow the sauce to thicken, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the meatballs, kale, Parmesan and cooked pasta, then stir to combine. Transfer to 9-by-13-inch casserole dish.
• For the topping: Mix together the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, butter, parsley and oregano in a bowl until well combined. Sprinkle the breadcrumb topping over the casserole.
• Bake until golden and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Allow the casserole to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

ITALIAN PORK AND RICE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• In 8-inch sauté pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add bread crumbs; toast 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until browned. Transfer to small bowl; set aside.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Spread rice evenly in baking dish. Top evenly with pork, followed by beans, bell pepper and onions. In small bowl, mix broth, Italian seasoning and salt; pour on top. Cover with foil. Bake 40 minutes.
• Stir cheese and whipping cream into pork mixture. Replace foil; bake 20 to 25 minutes longer or until rice is tender, pork is no longer pink in center and mixture is heated to at least 165°F in center of casserole. Stir; top with toasted bread crumbs and basil.

ITALIAN PASTA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, crumble beef and sausage into a large skillet; add onion. Cook and stir over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes., Drain pasta; stir in meat mixture and pepperoni. Transfer half of the pasta mixture to a 2-qt. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with half of the cheese; repeat layers., Cover and bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE PIZZA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Brown sausage, onions, garlic, green pepper, and mushrooms in a skillet over medium high heat for 6-8 minutes until sausage is cooked, stirring frequently. Drain and return sausage mixture to warm skillet.
• Stir 3 tablespoons flour into the sausage and vegetables and then add spaghetti sauce, mixing well. Bring to a boil stirring often. Pour into lightly greased 6x10 or 8x8 baking dish and top with shredded Italian cheese. A blend of Italian cheeses works well but use whatever you like or have on hand.
• Beat egg and stir in milk, oil, salt until well blended. Stir in the remaining flour and parmesan cheese and mix well. It should be pourable and not a dough like biscuits so adjust with a bit more flour or milk as needed. Pour over sausage/cheese in casserole covering the entire top evenly. Sprinkle a little more shredded parmesan cheese on top if desired.
• Bake, uncovered, 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into squares for serving.

BEEF AND ITALIAN SAUSAGE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Cook first 6 ingredients in large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until sausage and beef are brown, crumbling with fork, about 5 minutes.
• Add tomatoes, 2 tablespoons juice (from tomatoes), tomato paste and pepper flakes; simmer 5 minutes, breaking up tomatoes with back of spoon.
• Add kidney beans and heat through.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Add mostaccioli, Parmesan and parsley and toss to combine.
• Spray 9-by-13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray.
• Transfer mixture to prepared pan.
• Sprinkle with cheese.
• Bake until cheese melts, about 30 minutes.

ITALIAN TUNA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Place the spinach on a plate and microwave it for 6 minutes on high to defrost it. Place it in a clean kitchen towel and wring it dry, then reserve.
• While the spinach is defrosting, get a large pot of water on the stove for the pasta. Bring to a boil, then salt the water liberally and cook the shells to al dente.
• While the pasta works, heat a deep, large skillet over medium heat. Add the EVOO, then melt the butter into the oil. When the butter melts, add the onions and garlic and cook until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour around the pan and cook for a minute, then whisk in the wine-it will cook off and the mixture will thicken almost immediately. Whisk in the stock, then whisk in the milk and bring it to a bubble. Reduce the heat a bit. Season the sauce with the nutmeg, hot sauce, and mustard, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken, then add the spinach, separating it as you add it to the sauce.
• Preheat the broiler.
• Back to the sauce: add the tuna, flaking it as you go, then stir to combine. Heat the spinach and tuna through for a minute or so. Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce. Transfer the tuna to a casserole dish and cover it with the Parm or Romano. Place the casserole under the broiler for 2 minutes to brown the edges and the cheese. Top with the parsley and serve.