Family friendly and a crowd pleaser, this Puffed Up Pizza Casserole has a ground beef layer topped with an easy, cheesy homemade dough layer. This one is a hit with kids and adults!
Count me in for all of the easy, weeknight casserole recipes! If you’re looking to add even more to your menu, check out this Taco Casserole or Corn Dog Casserole.
As a food blogger, you’d assume that I’m always on top of everything food – the latest trends, what people want, what is the rage on Pinterest. But the truth of the matter is that even though I’m immersed in all things food for hours every day, I still have no clue most of the time.
I came across a recipe for this pizza casserole, and thought to myself – hey, this sounds good. My kids love pizza, so I bet they will love it! Little did I know that a Puffed Up Pizza Casserole has been done about a million times. It’s one of those recipes that people talk about eating as a child years and years ago. And here I had never even heard of it.
But I can tell why this is such a popular dish. While I’m not sure it screams “pizza”, the flavors are all great and it’s a hearty, comforting dish. Most of the recipes that I have come across use canned biscuit dough, but I love that this is made from scratch since I don’t usually have canned biscuits on hand. And I made up my own combination of spices where most recipes call for a spaghetti sauce mix. It really was just as easy to make this from pantry staples than it would have been to use convenience items! Next time I might add in some diced pepperoni to really make it taste like pizza, but we all gobbled this right up!!
If you have pizza loving kids – I’m sure this would be a hit at your house, too!
How to Make this Puffed Up Pizza Casserole Recipe
You’ll start by browning the ground beef, then adding in some onions and green peppers. To this, add tomato sauce and a whole bunch of seasonings. It looks like a long list, but these are all seasonings I keep on hand all the time. Let this simmer to reduce just a bit.
To make the topping, combine milk, melted butter and eggs and beat them to combine. Beat in some flour. The mixture will be quite thin.
Place the ground beef mixture in a large casserole dish, then carefully pour the topping mixture over the top.
Top that all off with cheese, then bake until it is cooked through and the cheese is all melted.
Puffed Up Pizza Casserole Video
Watch the video above to see just how easy this casserole is.
More Pizza Inspired Recipes
Stuffed Pizza Rolls
Pizza Cups
Pizza Bagels
Homemade Pizza Roll Recipe
Pizza Grilled Cheese
Pizza Dogs
Tools Used to Make this Puffed Up Pizza Casserole
I have a whole stack of affordable casserole dishes that I use pretty much every day.
You can use any large skillet, but I love my 12-inch cast iron skillet.
If you want, you can whisk the topping with a whisk, but I find it’s easier to use my hand mixer.
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Puffed Up Pizza Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon minced dry onion
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 8 oz shredded Mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until browned, breaking up as you cook it. Drain, if necessary, and then stir in the onion and green bell pepper. Let the vegetables cook for a couple minutes, then add the tomato sauce and water and stir to combine. Add the dry onion, cornstarch, oregano, basil, sugar, salt, garlic powder, and celery salt. Stir to combine, then cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400F.
- In a medium bowl, combine the milk, butter, oil and eggs and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the flour, and then beat for 2 more minutes. (The batter will be thin.)
- Pour the meat mixture into a 9×13-inch baking dish. Pour the liquid mixture evenly over the top of the meat. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top, followed by the Parmesan.
- Bake in the preheated oven until puffed and golden, about 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Joan says
Was this recipe on your site approximately 1 yr ago (April 2021 – different image) but with a crispier homemade dough? I made it at that time (delicious) and just made the current recipe yesterday. However, I found the pourable dough to not be the same when baked, as the the first time.
Deborah says
Hi Joan – this is the same recipe that has been on my site since 2014 (but with updated photos). There are several different versions of this casserole on the web, so I’m guessing it was a different recipe that you tried before.
NicoleP says
We called this Popover Pizza growing up! But my mom made it with a jar of ready-made sauce. ha ha! I definitely want to try this version from scratch!!