Make-Ahead Pizza Casserole

By carvalhohm2

Ingredients

• 1 lb mild Italian pork sausage
• 2 cups water
• 1 can (15 oz) pizza sauce
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with sweet onion, undrained
• 4 cups uncooked rotini pasta (10 oz)
• 1 can (2 1/4 oz) sliced ripe olives, drained
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella or pizza cheese blend (6 oz)

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from bettycrocker.com

Preparation

Step 1

1 In 10-inch skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until no longer pink; drain.

2 In ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish, mix water, pizza sauce and tomatoes. Stir in cooked sausage, uncooked pasta and olives (pasta should be completely covered with sauce). Cover tightly with foil; refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.

3 When ready to bake, heat oven to 350°F. Stir casserole; cover with foil and bake 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until bubbly.

4 Uncover baking dish; stir mixture. Sprinkle with cheese; bake uncovered 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Olives add some color contrast to this casserole, but you can omit them for a more kid-friendly meal. Serve with warm breadsticks and a green salad.

Serves 6

Serving Size: 1 Serving Calories500 ( Calories from Fat200), Total Fat22g (Saturated Fat9g, Trans Fat0g ), Cholesterol60mg Sodium1250mg Total Carbohydrate50g (Dietary Fiber5g Sugars8g ), Protein26g