Upside Down Deep Dish Pizza Casserole

This dish gives you the flavor of pizza, but in an easy casserole form. Mozzarella cheese, meat sauce, and a batter that produces a crust-like layer, makes this casserole much like an upside down deep dish pizza. Add your favorite toppings!

Deep Dish Pizza Casserole

This recipe is really a casserole, but it sure fills the bill when you're in the mood for pizza, but lacking the time. Of course, homemade pizza from scratch, is always the way to go - and there's nothing that can really match it. But, let's face it. That's pretty much a weekend project for many of us.

It's a casserole style that dish gives you the flavor of pizza, but in much less time. Layers of ingredients, beginning with Mozzarella cheese, topped with a meat sauce, and finished with a batter that produces a crust-like layer, makes this casserole much like an upside down deep dish pizza. We like green bell pepper, onion, beef and pepperoni on ours, but make it your own by adding your favorite pizza toppings. Use my easy homemade pizza sauce for this, or I often use the Walmart Great Value pizza sauce - it's cheap, it's tasty and it's lower in sugar than most commercial products.

So, when you have the taste for pizza, but not the time, this casserole is a winner since it comes together so quick and easy, but still gives you that pizza taste. It's one of those recipes that's been around forever and it's always a favorite in our house. If you haven't gotten around to trying it yet, what are you waiting for?

Recipe: Upside Down Deep Dish Pizza Casserole

©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish

Prep time: 30 min |Cook time: 30 min |

Yield: About 4 to 6 servings

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Ingredients

• 8 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 tablespoon of canola oil
• 1 cup of chopped onion
• 1/2 cup of chopped green bell pepper
• 2-3 ounces of pepperoni, roughly chopped
• 1 pound of lean ground beef
• 1 (14 ounce) jar of pizza sauce, or a homemade version
• 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
• 1 cup of milk
• 1 tablespoon of canola oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup of all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch glass baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly on the bottom of the baking pan; set aside.

Heat the 1/2 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and cook the onion and bell pepper until soft, but not browned. Add the beef and cook until browned. Stir in the pepperoni and cook another 4 minutes; drain if needed. Stir in the pizza sauce and Italian seasoning and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the milk, oil and eggs. Add the flour and the salt to the milk mixture and whisk until well blended and smooth.

Carefully transfer the meat mixture evenly over the layer of mozzarella in the prepared pan. Pour the batter on top of the meat mixture, making sure to cover completely. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese evenly on top.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes or until golden brown and puffy. Casserole will deflate and resemble an upside down deep dish pizza.

Cook's Note: Vary the "toppings" to create your own favorite pizza flavors!

Source: http://deepsouthdish.com

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Posted by Mary on March 2, 2010

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