Upside Down Pizza Casserole
Comfort food at its best with this Upside Down Pizza Casserole; a truly easy weeknight meal. Combo pizza casserole with the crust baked right on top.
Hopefully the photo jumped right at you, making you want this Upside Down Pizza Casserole. I’ve never been able to get this amount of vibrancy, color and quality in a photograph. Dare I say this Pizza Casserole looks better in the photographs than in real life, but don’t worry it tastes even better. The prep is quick, just cook Italian sausage and ground beef, mix with spaghetti sauce and veggies, then top with Pillsbury Grands! Biscuits for an easy upside-down pizza. The rich flavors and texture meld together perfectly for a comforting weeknight meal.
It’s interesting how something can be right in front of you for months and you never notice. I’ve been struggling with limited light for food photography in my apartment; trying every possible spot at every possible time. I’ve even tried a few artificial light setups. During summer the light is average at best, but with limited light and cloudy days in the fall I was looking for a solution. The artificial lights do help but I prefer food photographed purely under natural light.
My apartment is an upstairs unit inside of a community home clubhouse. Today I walked out of my door, into the short indoor hallway that leads downstairs. Literally right in front of me at the end of the hallway was a window. I walk past it all the time and never noticed how beautiful the light during the day (while I’m usually at work). Thanks Nagi from RecipeTinEats for showing me what to look for with lighting. I just found my new favorite daylight spot and sure I’ll be getting some odd looks from residents or the clubhouse manager, but that may lead to some interesting conversations. I’ll remember this simple moment because the smallest things can make the biggest difference.
You can see the window highlighted in the ingredient shot setup (pictures from phone).
This Upside Down Pizza Casserole recipe includes Italian sausage, ground beef, spaghetti sauce, mushrooms, green bell peppers and mozzarella cheese; basically a combination pizza. You may be wondering why a casserole instead of a traditional pizza. For one it’s fall and hearty comfort food is the best. Plus it’s a perfect way to use Pillsbury Grands! Biscuits, from my local Safeway, as a topping to create upside down pizza. Holiday’s can be a busy time. A quick and easy weeknight meal like this allows more time to notice the small things right in front of you.
Recipe at-a-glance:
Difficulty: Easy
Flavor profiles: Rich, meaty and hearty pizza flavor baked in a casserole.
Texture: Tender meat with moist sauce and a slight crunch from veggies. Chewy, flaky biscuit crust on top.
Dietary Options/Substitutions: Omit meat for vegetarian. Can substitute or add any veggies or meats you’d like to create your own pizza casserole flavor.
Leave a comment below and star rating if you made this recipe or want to share your thoughts.
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Upside Down Pizza Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ pound mild ground Italian sausage
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasonings
- 1 large green bell pepper, sliced small
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 1 (20-ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 (16.3-ounce) package flaky biscuit dough
- Fresh Italian parsley or thyme as optional garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Heat oil to medium-high heat in a large non-stick pan or skillet. Add onion and cook 4–6, stirring often until softened.
- Stir in Italian sausage, ground beef, salt, pepper and Italian seasonings. Cook 7–10 minutes more, breaking up meat as it cooks, until browned. Drain excess oil then place mixture in a large baking or casserole dish.
- Heat bell pepper and mushrooms in pan, 4–6 minutes until softened. Stir vegetables and spaghetti sauce with meat in casserole dish, sprinkle top with with mozzarella.
- Separate biscuit dough pieces, flatten slightly and cut in half. Arrange on top of cheese; touching but not overlapping. The size of pan affects how many pieces fit on top. Bake 18–20 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown.
- Remove from oven and let sit 5-10 minutes. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Safeway. The opinions and text are all mine.
