Friday, January 14, 2011

Ground Beef Pizza Casserole

I made this casserole for Zane and his friends a couple of years ago on Halloween and it's become his (and his friends') favorite. I don't make it very often as it makes a huge pan full--ideal for potlucks or for feeding hungry teenage boys!
Ingredients:
2 lbs lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
salt or seasoning salt and pepper
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 lb pepperoni, divided
1 (4 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained
4 cups pasta sauce (cheap pasta sauce is great)
3-4 cups rigatoni pasta (cooked to firm-tender and drained, do not overcook the pasta)
4 cups mozzarella cheese, divided

Directions:

Grease a 10 x 15-inch baking dish. Cook the ground beef in a medium skillet with the onions, garlic, salt pepper until meat is browned and veggies are tender; drain fat, and mix in the Parmesan cheese. Stir in 1/2-pound pepperoni (chop this pepperoni to add to the mixture, leave the remaining half pound pepperoni sliced), mushrooms, pasta sauce; stir well until combined; simmer for 20-25 minutes on top of stove. Set oven to 350 degrees. Place the cooked rigatoni pasta on the bottom of the greased baking dish. Sprinkle with 2 cups mozzarella cheese over the pasta. Layer with pepperoni slices evenly over the cheese. Top with the ground beef/pasta sauce mixture. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with the remaining 2 cups mozzarella cheese. Return to oven and bake for 10 minutes longer, or until bubbly. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before serving.

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