Looking for a fun and tasty weeknight meal? Make this family-friendly pizza casserole. With ingredients like Italian sausage, pepperoni and bell peppers, this dish features the best of a classic "meat lover's pizza." It's also ideal for satisfying that pizza craving when you don't have a crust—or simply don't feel like making one! Read on to make it yourself.
![Pizza casserole recipe](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/clsd/5/3/e739cd3e93f94ded886ca214b5f243b2.jpg)
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Things You'll Need
1 pound Italian sausage or ground meat of choice
1 medium bell pepper, deseeded and diced
1 medium onion, deseeded and diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
5 cups pasta or pizza sauce
2.25-ounce can sliced olives (optional)
1/2 cup chopped ham, plus more for topping
3 ounces pepperoni
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
16 ounces pasta of choice
Olive oil
![Ingredients for pizza casserole recipe](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/clsd/5/3/ea95f81e38ba4c0daf33bdc7071b1c1b.jpg)
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 3-quart casserole dish.
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In a large skillet, heat about 2 tablespoons of oil. Cook the bell peppers and onions for 5 to 7 minutes, or until tender. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
![Cook bell pepper, onion and garlic](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/clsd/5/3/30d910e799ee4b6cb559596356ed0b73.jpg)
Step 2
Remove the sausage from their casings and add to the skillet. Cook for 10 minutes or until no longer pink, using a spatula to break up the meat.
![Cook Italian sausage](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/clsd/5/3/dc51e9546f5543daa4c5efa31d3cbe70.jpg)
Step 3
Set aside about 20 pieces of pepperoni for the topping. Chop the rest of the pepperoni.
![Chop the pepperoni](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/clsd/5/3/6f316cf032244ae2854d2001f3de841c.jpg)
Step 4
To the skillet, add the sauce, chopped pepperoni, diced ham and olives. Mix well. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce is thick.
![Mix sauce, ham, pepperoni and olives](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/clsd/5/3/d0b9d2eb968e411fa34dd28faecf96a4.jpg)
Step 5
While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta according to the package's directions. Drain well.
![Cook the pasta](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/clsd/5/3/60142d0f671e48059dcdf3a4fd1bd179.jpg)
Step 6
Carefully add the pasta to the sauce and stir. If your skillet isn't big enough, you can add the sauce to the pot of pasta instead.
![Add the pasta to the sauce](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/clsd/5/3/1fa86c48bc164f92a70e762450e2c735.jpg)
Step 7
To the greased casserole dish, add half of the pasta. Top with half of the shredded cheese.
![Add pasta and cheese to casserole dish](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/clsd/5/3/7cabe9cd192140048d7a27c7605fda0b.jpg)
Step 8
Add the remaining pasta, then top with the remaining cheese. Top with chopped ham and pepperoni.
![Top with pasta, cheese and pepperoni](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/clsd/5/3/7179ed5724354786928a1d788996cd36.jpg)
Step 9
Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and pepperoni is slightly crispy.
![Bake until cheese is bubbly](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/clsd/5/3/7a1b9c0e9ba4478fbb0786e203e9340c.jpg)
Serve with a side salad or garlic bread. Enjoy!
![Pizza casserole recipe](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/clsd/5/3/e739cd3e93f94ded886ca214b5f243b2.jpg)