pepperoni pizza pasta bake in a casserole dish with a piece lifted up

Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Bake

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Make dinner easy with this pepperoni pizza pasta bake. This simple casserole dish takes less than 30 minutes to make, from start to finish. Loaded with cheese and pepperoni, this casserole will be a crowd-pleaser. I love easy dinner ideas like this and my kids LOVE the pizza flavors in it.

pepperoni pizza pasta bake in a casserole dish and one piece on a plate next to a red and white towel

You can use your favorite pizza toppings like turkey pepperoni, Italian sausage, turkey sausage, grown beef, black olives, green peppers, whatever your whole family likes. The best part is that this easy recipe is customizable. Whip up a quick green salad, and you have a full meal with comfort foods and lots of flavor. And what kid doesn’t like pepperoni? 

Deconstructed Pizza

This pasta dish is like a deconstructed pizza in a pan. Kids love anything with pasta and most kids love cheese and pepperoni, so it is going to be as big a hit at your place as it is with my daycare kids. I have some picky eaters, but they don’t hesitate to scarf this down! I mean, what kid doesn’t love pizza? This dish is on our picky eater food list too. After 28 years of running a home daycare, I’ve seen all kinds of eaters, and I know how to feed the pickiest at least something. Here are more ideas for dinner that might work with picky eaters.

ingredients for pepperoni pizza bake on a board
bowl of pepperoni pizza pasta bake ingredients in a large bowl with pepperoni on top

Homemade Pasta Sauce

I love to use homemade pasta sauce like this roasted tomato sauce I make from the leftover tomatoes we grow in your garden. But pizza sauce is a little bit more than just tomato sauce. Whether you use canned tomato sauce or make your own roasted, add a little of this Italian seasoning mix to your tomato sauce and crush a clove of garlic to add too. You’ll have the best pizza sauce you ever tasted in your life. Mazzios is going to be calling you for the recipe.

Pepperoni Pizza Hot Pockets

Another favorite pepperoni pizza treat I make for my kids all the time are these pepperoni pizza hot pockets. It’s a pizza rolled inside the crust like individual calzones but the flavor blows away anything you’ve ever had store-bought. I make them in bulk for my daycare kids and stock my freezer full. You can make them with pepperoni or meatless as well. But the flavor is there either way!

And don’t forget about our world famous pizza cups. These are a real kid pleaser! They’ll love this Pepperoni Pull Apart Bread too. I love simple dinner ideas!

Can you Freeze Pasta Bake?

This Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Bake freezes great! I like to freeze it right in the casserole dish. First, I line it with foil, then add the casserole. Next, I freeze the whole dish. Then pull it out of the freezer and pop it out of the dish. Then I can use my dish for other things before I want to serve this pasta bake again.

I take the frozen puck of pepperoni pizza pasta bake and wrap the foil around the top, then wrap it again in plastic or use a giant ziplock bag if I have one. I can stack frozen casseroles in a stack in my big freezer and when I’m ready to serve them, I just unwrap it and place it back in the dish I froze it in. Then I set it in the fridge overnight and heat it up at lunch for the kids the next day.

Cooking in bulk is my favorite way to survive feeding 9 people a day every day. My 7 daycare kids get to eat great homemade food, and my husband and I don’t have to go broke buying convenience foods. Plus I know exactly what’s in what I make. So not only is it far less expensive than buying processed foods, it’s far healthier for all of us.

And for more easy frugal family dinner ideas, check this out. Or for Cheap Lunch Ideas for Daycare check this out.

Pepperoni for Pizza

mixed up pepperoni pizza pasta bake in a casserole dish
serving of pepperoni pizza pasta bake on a plate next to the casserole dish with finished casserole and a spoon and a red and white dish towel

Pizza Casserole Recipe

You can use whatever kind of pepperoni you like to eat. Or ham, bacon, sausage, or whatever you like. You can even go meatless! You have your grains and this pizza pasta bake is great with whole grain pasta to meet your whole grain requirement for the day. It has cheese for the meat or meat alternate. And it has tomatoey goodness for your vegetable requirement. All you need to add is a side veggie or fruit and a cup of milk. It’s going to be a daycare favorite and it’s EASY!

Pizza Casserole with Pasta

I like to buy the bulk packs of Hormel pepperonis, but I would love to be able to find organic pepperoni for the kids. And for another great pepperoni recipe your kids will love, check out this decadent homemade pizza you can make for them. Or make homemade pizza rolls with this Air Fryer Pizza Wontons recipe. Or this Air Fryer Pita Pizza will do the trick too! You can even make Toaster quesadillas. And these Pepperoni Meatball Roll Ups are also great! Or these Pepperoni Cream Cheese Roll Ups. Think about all the flavor garlic bread brings. Try this easy Air Fryer Garlic Bread Pizza too. And one more idea my kids love is this Pepperoni Pizza Rolls Recipe.

These are all great picky eater solutions! They make a great easy dinner for family.

Pizza Pasta Bake

pepperoni pizza pasta bake in a casserole dish with a piece lifted up
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Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Bake

Pizza flavors including pepperoni in a pasta casserole. A kid pleasing easy meal that is ready in 30 minutes.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time23 minutes
Total Time28 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: breakfast casserole, pepperoni pasta, pizza pasta bake
Servings: 8
Author: Christina

Ingredients

  • 16 oz rotini pasta noodles cooked al dente
  • 24 oz pizza sauce
  • 2 tbsp italian seasoning
  • 16 oz mozzarella cheese divided
  • 6 oz pepperoni slices divided
  • Cooking spray

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.
  • Cook pasta according to package directions, until al dente.
  • Add pizza sauce and Italian seasoning to a medium bowl and stir.
  • Once noodles are done, drain and add to a large bowl.
  • Stir in sauce.
  • Add 12 oz of mozzarella cheese and pepperoni, except for 15 slices to go on top. Stir until combined.
  • Pour into a baking dish.
  • Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of the pasta mixture.
  • Arrange 15 slices of pepperoni on top of cheese.
  • Bake for 15 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and serve hot.

This is a great Easy Bulk Freezer Meal you can stock in your freezer too!

Pasta Recipes for Kids

Kids do love anything with pasta, so check out more yummy pasta dishes my kids LOVE here.

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