Bubble Up Pizza Casserole

By dorchuk

Ingredients

• 1 pound Italian sausage (links or ground) or ground beef
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• sea salt and fresh black pepper
• 1 + 1/2 cups tomato sauce (I use arrabiata)
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• butter, for greasing pan
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
• Parmesan cheese, grated, for serving
• pepperoni slices for the top, optional

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a large skillet cook sausage or ground beef over medium heat until brown; remove from pan and drain off all but a tablespoon or so of fat.
Add onion and peppers cook about 5 minutes; add garlic; cook until fragrant; add tomatoes, oregano and thyme; season well with salt and pepper. Cook 3-4 minutes longer.
If using link sausage slice into bite size pieces and set aside a few for the top (unless using pepperoni). Add sausage (or beef) back to the pan along with the tomato sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes. Taste and season as needed.
Meanwhile in a large mixing bowl beat milk, eggs and oil together on medium speed for about 1 minute. Add flour and salt; beat for 2 more minutes.
Grease a 9x13 baking pan, add the sausage mixture and spread out in an even layer. Sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella over top. Pour the batter carefully all over the top to reach about a 1/2 inch from the top, discard any excess batter. Sprinkle with remaining cup of cheese and dot the top with pepperoni or the sausage slices set aside earlier.
Bake, uncovered, with a thin sheet pan one rack below for catching dripsfor about 30 minutes or until puffed, golden and set in the middle. Let set for 5 minutes before serving with parmesan cheese.