If you haven’t heard of pizza casseroles then where have you been? This pepperoni pizza pasta bake is a perfect one to start with as it is really easy and family-friendly. Once you have mastered this one simply adapt the ingredients as you wish to make your own! Will you make a pepperoni pasta bake with chicken perhaps? There are so many ways you can adapt this recipe!
Choosing the best ingredients for pizza casseroles
The best way to make any pizza casseroles is to think of them like pizzas. What flavours and toppings do you like on a pizza? It really doesn’t work trying to adapt a standard pasta bake recipe as it is essentially a different meal.
It is for this reason that I would always recommend mozzarella over cheddar. There is no reason you can’t use any cheese you fancy but mozzarella will always give that pizza-like taste.
Adapting your pepperoni pizza pasta bake/pizza casserole for weight loss
This isn’t a salad and isn’t full of veggies so I appreciate it isn’t perfect for weight loss but that doesn’t mean it can’t be with a few simple adaptions.
By having a smaller portion of this recipe it will be lower in calories and as such better for a calorie-counting diet. If you follow Slimming World, Weight Watchers, Noom (paid link) or another plan then most of the ingredients should fit into that reasonably well with adaptions.
I would recommend the first adaption to make is to ensure you use the lowest fat mince you can. the calories calculated below are based on 5% fat mince but if you can get 3% fat mince then it is even better of course.
Adding extra veggies is a great way to make this healthier, you could do that either in the pizza casserole/pepperoni pasta bake itself or on the side.
If pepperoni is causing issues for your weight loss plan then consider swapping that for ham, chicken or similar for a lower calorie alternative. It could easily become like a Slimming World pizza pasta bake and is still healthier than a takeaway pizza anyway!
Step-by-step instructions
Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F ready for your pizza pasta bake.
Boil pasta according to directions.
Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
In a large frying pan brown the mince. Break the mince apart as it cooks.
When the mince is brown, remove it from the frying pan and allow it to drain on a paper towel.
Add the onions and mushrooms to the frying pan and saute them, then add the mince back into the pan.
Now, add the passata and a large handful of the cheese.
Stir.
Add jalapenos and stir.
Add the pasta and stir.
Add all the mixture to a large round casserole dish
Top with grated mozzarella cheese and pepperoni to make a tasty pepperoni pasta bake or if you prefer to call it a pizza casserole.
Place the casserole dish into the preheated oven and allow to bake until the cheese is melted.
Serve immediately.
How to serve
I would recommend serving this with some garlic bread if you are not dieting or perhaps a salad if you are.
This recipe makes a comfortable 6 portions but if you are really hungry you can have 4 large portions and really fill your belly!
Is this recipe like a Weight Watchers pepperoni pizza casserole?
Whilst it isn’t the same it has similarities and if that is something you enjoy then I would be quite confident in saying you would also enjoy this!
Let me know what you think, is this pizza pasta bake as good, or is it better?
Other recipes you may enjoy
If you have enjoyed this recipe I have picked out a few others I think you might like, including Ben’s favourite carbonara.
Pepperoni pizza pasta bake (easy pizza casseroles)
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 Portions 1x
- Category: Main meal
- Method: Easy
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
400g of fusilli pasta
500g Onion and garlic passata
250g of mushrooms
1 onion, sliced or diced
2 tbsp jalapenos from a jar of sliced jalapenos
200g Grated mozzarella cheese
80g sliced pepperoni
250g Minced pork
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F.
Boil pasta according to directions.
Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
In a large frying pan brown the mince. Break the mince apart as it cooks.
When the mince is brown, remove it from the frying pan and allow it to drain on a paper towel.
Add the onions and mushrooms to the frying pan and saute them, then add the mince back into the pan.
Now, add the passata and a handful of the cheese.
Stir.
Add jalapenos and stir.
Add the pasta and stir.
Add all the mixture to a large round casserole dish
Top with grated mozzarella cheese and pepperoni.
Place the casserole dish into the preheated oven and allow to bake until the cheese is melted.
Serve immediately.
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About Author
Hi, I’m Jen Mellor; I live in Nottingham, UK. and use my knowledge and experience in weight loss and confidence to help you become your own cheerleader and best friend. I am usually seen wearing colourful leggings and love to wear bright colours. Wear what you love, and be proud of your style and choices!
This sounds delicious. Always eager to try a healthy alternative while looking for new recipes. Can’t wait to try this and I look forward to adding it to my recipe book. Look forward to reading you blogs which would definitely help me on my weight loss journey.