Puffy Pizza Casserole
A delicious and fun twist on traditional pizza, combining all your favorite toppings in a cozy casserole format with layers of meat, cheese, and crispy tater tots.
Ingredients
Meat mixture
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 small bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cups pizza sauce
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- to taste Salt and pepper
Cheeses
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Tater tots and optional toppings
- 1 package frozen tater tots (or similar)
- to taste sliced pepperoni or other pizza toppings Optional
Instructions
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- In a large skillet, brown the ground beef and Italian sausage over medium heat until fully cooked. Drain excess fat.
- Add the chopped onion and bell pepper to the skillet and cook until softened.
- Stir in the pizza sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
Layering and Baking
- In a greased casserole dish, spread half of the tater tots, followed by half of the meat mixture.
- Sprinkle half of the mozzarella and cheddar cheese on top.
- Repeat the layers with the remaining tater tots, meat mixture, and cheeses.
- Add optional toppings if desired.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Let cool slightly before serving.
Notes
Serve hot with a side salad or garlic bread. For extra flavor, try adding chopped mushrooms, olives, or spinach to the meat mixture. You can swap the tater tots for other frozen potato products like French fries or hash browns. Make sure to season your meat well for added depth.