Here’s A Weight Watchers Friendly Version Of The Pizza Casserole Everyone Is Talking About On Instagram Recipe enthusiasts

Pizza casserole is a nutritious and flavorful addition to your weekly menu. There’s comfort in every bite at just 6 WW points per serving. Easily tailored to your liking, you can use a range of pizza toppings to make this dish your own. It comes together quickly and bakes up in just 20 minutes making it ideal for simple dinners. 

This pizza casserole is perfect for families who are looking to incorporate more nutritious meals but with familiar flavors they already love. Introducing more vegetables is effortless because they blend in easily among the crumbled meat and vibrant pasta sauce. For even more vegetables, consider blending cooked and drained zucchini, yellow squash or carrots into directly into the sauce for a powerhouse meal that you can feel great about serving.

Why You Should Try This Recipe

• Budget-friendly: This recipe uses inexpensive ingredients and is great for those on a budget. To maximize savings, consider using pantry staples you already have on hand. Feel free to use a different shape of pasta or swap the sauce for a can of crushed tomatoes. You can also repurpose leftovers from a batch of regular pasta by adding more toppings to make this recipe. Simply mix in pepperoni, sausage, and cheese to transform them into a delicous upgraded dish.
• Easy meal prep: This casserole can be assembled ahead of time and then baked when you”re ready to eat. Since this recipe tastes great reheated, you can use it for easy meal prep all week long. Just be sure to reheat individual servings at a time and not the entire casserole. This will help preserve the quality and ensure it stays tasting fresh.
• Wholesome alternative: While you can still enjoy traditional pizza on WW, it doesn’t always fit into your plan for the day. This casserole is a wholesome alternative. It’s filled with pizza flavor without the greasiness you get from takeout.

Recipe Overview

• Serving Size: 191g
• Number of Servings: 8
• Time to Cook: 20-25 minutes
• WW Points Per Recipe: 48 per batch, 6 per serving

Ingredients in Pizza Casserole

• 32 ounces low sodium marinara sauce: This recipe uses marinara as the main sauce for the dish. Feel free to use your favorite type or even a mixture of pasta sauce and pizza sauce for a robust flavor.
• 4 cups water: Water is used for boiling the pasta.
• ½ teaspoon sea salt: Salt is added to the water to give the pasta flavor as it cooks.
• 6 ounces dry cellentani pasta: Cellentani pasta has a corkscrew shape that makes this dish both fun and filling. 
• 2 ounces pork pepperoni: Pepperoni is diced up for pizza flavor in every bite. Additionally, it’s used on top for a classic supreme pizza look.
• ¼ cup black olives: Olives add a briny flavor and a portion of veggies.
• ½ red bell pepper: Red bell pepper complements the marinara sauce by adding a deep and sweet flavor that carries throughout the dish. You can also use a green bell pepper.
• 2 turkey Italian sausage links: A lighter option than pork sausage, turkey sausage adds lots of great flavor to this casserole. The extra protein makes it more filling than pasta alone not to mention it adds delicous herb flavor to the dish.
• 1 cup low-fat mozzarella cheese: Mozzarella cheese makes this casserole extra gooey and reminiscent of pizza. You can also use an Italian cheese blend.
• ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning or Pizza seasoning: Italian seasoning blend adds a light herb flavor. There are also many types of pizza seasoning, including spicy varieties that add a bold flavor.

Instructions for Making Pizza Casserole

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prepare an 8×8-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Bring the water and salt to a boil in a pot over high heat. Add the pasta and boil for 8-10 minutes until al dente. Next, drain the pasta.

2. Place the cooked pasta into a large mixing bowl. Pour the marinara sauce into the bowl and stir to combine.

3. In a skillet over medium heat, brown the turkey sausage until no pink remains, about 7-10 minutes. Use the spatula to break it into small crumbles.

4.Stir the cooked sausage, quartered pepperoni, and bell pepper into the pasta until well combined. 

4. Scrape the mixture into the prepared dish. 

5. Top with an even layer of mozzarella. 

6. Place whole pepperoni slices and the black olives on top of the cheese. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Place into the oven to bake for 20-25 minutes. 

7. When done, the sides will be bubbling and the cheese will be browned and gooey. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Variations and Substitutions

• Swap the pasta: Feel free to use a different shape of pasta in this recipe. You can also choose whole-wheat pasta, rice-based pasta, or chickpea pasta such as Banza for additional protein and fiber.
• Add your favorite veggies: Sliced mushrooms, spinach, and jalapenos make great additions to this casserole. 
• Try a different protein: Swap the turkey sausage for pork Italian sausage. You can also use turkey pepperoni instead of pork pepperoni to reduce the overall WW points for this recipe. For a meat-lovers version, you can add chopped ham or crumbled bacon for a protein-forward twist.
• Want to lower the WW points? Reduce the dry pasta measurement to 4 ounces. Add 1 cup of vegetables of choice and use 1-2 additional turkey sausage links to ensure the meal is equally filling.

Tips and Tricks for Making Pizza Casserole

• Avoid overcooking the pasta: Because the pasta will bake for 20 minutes, you want to leave it slightly undercooked while boiling. This will ensure that it doesn’t become mushy and affect the overall texture of the dish. If you are using a different variety of pasta, pay close attention as their cooking times can differ.
• Ensure the meat is fully cooked: Always be sure to fully cook the sausage before adding it to the casserole. It can be difficult to tell if it’s properly cooked once it’s mixed with other ingredients. 
• Chop veggies into bite-sized pieces: While long pieces of peppers and onion look great on top of a pizza, they don’t work well in a casserole. Chop them into bite-sized pieces so you can easily get the flavor into each bite.
• Add fresh herbs: Adding herbs such as sliced basil or chopped parsley as garnish can give this casserole a fresh taste. 

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