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A close up of a slow cooker filled with pizza casserole, topped with pepperoni.

Crock Pot PIzza Casserole

If you're looking for a quick and easy meal idea that you can prepare in advance, you're going to love this easy crock pot pizza casserole. Made with ground beef, tender pasta, and flavorful pepperoni, this is a meal the whole family can enjoy!
5 from 2 votes
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Course: Slow Cooker
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 8 Servings
Calories: 438kcal
Author: Dolly (Dash for Dinner)

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ pound lean ground beef
  • ½ medium red onion chopped
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 cups good quality marinara sauce approximately a 24oz jar
  • 1 cup water
  • 12 ounces bowtie pasta or medium sized pasta of your choice
  • 32 Pepperoni slices divided
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 3 tablespoons fresh chopped basil optional
  • ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Add the ground beef to a skillet that has been heated to medium heat. Add the onion, and crumble until browned. Drain any excess fat. 
  • Add in the garlic and add salt and pepper to taste. Saute until fragrant, or for about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  • Add the marinara sauce, water, half of the pepperoni slices, chopped fresh basil (if using) and 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese to the slow cooker. Stir well.
  • Add the pasta, and stir to combine. Push the noodles below the liquids. This will help the pasta cook through, without too many crunchy bits. The more submerged the pasta, the butter the result.
  • Add the ground beef and onion mixture into the crock pot.
  • Add the remaining mozzarella cheese, Top the mixture in the crockpot with the remaining mozzarella cheese and pepperoni slices. 
  • Cook on low for 3 hours, then test the noodles to see if they are tender and cooked through. If not, replace the lid and cook for an additional 1 hour for a total of 4 hours.
  • Garnish with the parmesan cheese, and additional chopped basil or parsley if desired. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Instant Pot: Brown the ground beef and season as directed in the recipe. Add the marinara, water, pasta, basil, and about half of the pepperoni slices to the Instant pot. Stir to combine, then add in pasta and stir once again. Cook on high pressure for 9 minutes, and then do a quick pressure release. Stir in half of the mozzarella cheese. Then, top with the remaining mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, and remaining pepperoni slices. Serve or brown with the Instant Pot air fryer lid.
Keto/Low Carb: Reduce the marinara sauce to 2 cups and omit the water and pasta. Increase the ground beef to 2lbs.
Cooking on High: You can cook this recipe on High for 1 ½ - 2 hours, checking the pasta for doneness at 1 ½ hours.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/8 of Recipe | Calories: 438kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 103mg | Sodium: 885mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g