PIZZA CASSEROLE

Pizza Casserole image

Provided by Cathie Valentine

Time 50m

Number Of Ingredients 11

1 pkg extra wide egg noodles (16oz); cooked and drainded
1 lb ground beef
1 lb bulk sausage (I use pork, can use Italian)
1 pkg pepperoni
2 jar(s) pizza sauce (30 ounce total)
2-4 c mozzarella cheese (depending on how cheesy you want it)
1 pkg mushrooms (sliced) (optional)
1 bell pepper-chopped (optional)
1 small onion-chopped (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tsp sugar (optional, I use to make sauce less acidic)

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook noodles according to package directions.
3. While noodles are cooking, brown sausage and hamburger in a pan.
4. Add pepperoni the last few minutes of cooking the hamburger/sausage. Drain the grease from the meat.
5. Also while noodles are cooking, saute vegetables of choice (if any) to add to casserole.
6. Add pizza sauce to the meat mixture.
7. Season with salt pepper and sugar.
8. Add vegetables and warm for about 5 minutes.
9. Toss noodles into the meat/sauce mixture.
10. Spray a non-stick cooking spray into a 9x13 casserole dish.
11. Pour the mixture into the dish. Top with enough mozzarella cheese to cover the casserole. [The more cheese the better :-)!!]
12. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 350 (until bubbly).
13. You can make this as simple or as complex as you desire. IF you go for the simpler route (noodles, hamburger, pepperoni and sauce) only need 1 jar sauce and 8 oz of noodles. If you go for the heartier version (all meats and veggies), use 2 jars sauce and 16 oz noodles.