Pepperoni Pizza Casserole

Pizza.  I've made my fair share of combinations and have tasted many others BUT sometimes, you get bored. Sometimes you need to switch it up the presentation and voila, this is what this is.

I first found this recipe on Pinterest and, of course, had to try it.  

It could not have been an easier recipe to follow and my four taste testers managed to eat an entire 9x11 dish in one sitting! (If that's not a positive review, I don't know what is!)

Pepperoni Pizza Casserole 

(from Sweet Treats and More)

1 package uncooked spaghetti

1lb ground turkey burger (plus 1 TBS olive oil)

1 (26oz) jar tomato sauce

1/2 package pepperoni

1 (8oz) bag shredded cheese (I used an Italian 6 blend)

Directions 

Preheat oven to 350* and spray a 9x11 casserole dish with nonstick spray.

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and place in casserole dish.

In a large skillet brown the turkey burger in the olive oil.  Once cooked, pour on top of noodles in the casserole dish. Pour jar of sauce over the noodles and ground turkey.

In the same skillet used for the ground turkey, heat pepperoni for three to five minutes.  Place half of the pepperoni on top of sauce.  Cover the noodles, ground turkey, sauce and pepperoni with the cheese and sprinkle remaining pepperoni on top.  Spray one side of aluminum foil and cover casserole dish (spray side down)

Bake for 30 minutes until cheese is melted and starting to brown.  Serve immediately.

 ENJOY! 

Pizza Party

 I'm spending a few days with my favorite pizza eaters and decided this was the perfect  time to share some of my favorite, quick and easy pizza combinations.

(Andouille Chicken Sausage)

For starters, I purchase a pizza dough ball from Trader Joe's.  I tend to use their whole wheat crust as I like the chewiness of the crust and I've found it holds up the best and really compliments the toppings. 

(Garlic Chicken Sausage)

I also use Trader Joe's light mozzarella cheese and their pizza sauce. Although, I have been known to use a plain marinara or leftover pasta sauce in a bind.

(Sundried Tomato Chicken Sausage with onions, peppers and sundried tomatoes)

After the pizza is fully covered with sauce and cheese, it's time for toppings.  Trader Joe's sells really good chicken sausage links that I like to use (in particular the sun-dried tomato and garlic sausages) after I slice them.  I also like to use leftover chicken (cut in cubes).  And nothing beats pepperoni!

(Roasted chicken with red peppers- proof that food doesn't always look perfect!)

A little something extra. Depending on what I have on hand, who I'm cooking for and what type of pizza, I try to pile on some extra flavors.  My standbys are a chicken pizza with diced red peppers and sautéed onions or the sun-dried tomato sausage pizza with chopped sun-dried tomatoes and garlic on top. 

ENJOY!

Pizza Roll Ups

Pinterest has done it AGAIN

One of the boys I babysit, Max (age 5), is a serious pizza fanatic.

Max could (and would) eat pizza everyday so I tried to mix it up as I get bored of the "same old/ same old" too quickly.

This could not be any easier and Max definitely proclaimed it "the best pizza ever"*

Pizza Roll Ups 

(from The Girl Who Ate Everything)

(makes 8 roll ups)

1 can Pillsbury Crescent rolls

24 pepperoni slices

4 string cheese/ cut in half

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 

Unroll crescent rolls and place 3 pepperoni slices and half of a string cheese on the edge of the crescent.  Roll crescent and place on lined (or sprayed) baking sheet.  

Bake for 10-12 minutes 

Let cool for 2 minutes and ENJOY

(*Max tends to say that every pizza he eats is the best pizza ever--- I take the compliment with a shred of cheese and a slice of pepperoni!*)