Cheesy White Pizza Casserole [Video]

White Pizza Casserole is a delicious blend of homemade cheesy white pizza sauce, pasta, and lots of pepperonis, all mixed and baked to crispy perfection. It is a very easy-to-make dish that is loaded with cheese! Instead of ordering pizza, make this meal; it will save you some good money and never lack flavor.

If you love white pizza and casseroles are your favorite meals to make, this is the recipe you want to try. It is comfort food on steroids with a cheesy, meaty pasta casserole and a thick, creamy sauce flavored with fresh garlic, onion, and herbs. Two kinds of freshly shredded cheese, parmesan and mozzarella, and warm heavy cream make this sauce thick and delicious.

This is a casserole you can be proud to show off if you do not eat it all before you get the chance. I suggest making a double batch the first time you make it, even if you think it would be too much. It stores easily in the fridge for up to five days, and you can freeze it for several months. But, if you are anything like me, you will pick at it and “taste” it quite a bit, so you may need extra.

With just seven ingredients and some herbs, this is one of the easiest casseroles you can make. It is so incredibly rich and indulgent that you will feel like you got it from a fine restaurant. Just some pasta, cheese, pepperoni, butter, cream, onion, and garlic are all you need. Then, it only takes a few minutes to put it together, and you can pop it in the oven and wait 30 minutes for it to finish.

You do not have to make any side dishes with this because you have more than you need. Although some bread is needed to soak up some of that delicious white pizza sauce. Try my homemade breadsticks, which you can make with just a handful of ingredients. Add a salad and some beverages, and you will have a full meal for the whole family.

Casserole recipes are a staple around here, they are easy to make and usually make enough leftovers that you don’t have to worry about cooking dinner the next day. My other favorites are Cheesy Crack Chicken Casserole, Chicken Hash-brown Casserole. and Chicken Spaghetti Casserole.

Why you will love this recipe 

• It is a comfort food: That just means you can eat it and it makes you feel full and happy.
• The end product looks incredible: Serve it to your family or to your boss and his family. It is an attractive dish.
• It only has a few ingredients: Just some cheese, pasta, pepperoni, cream, and cooking basics.
• A meal in one pan: No need for anything else. A casserole is a one-pan meal.

What you’ll need to make cheesy white pizza casserole

Special items:

• Skillet – I use a cast iron skillet.
• Casserole dish – A 9×13 casserole dish is fine.
• Large pot – For boiling pasta.
• Cooking utensils

Ingredients:

• Penne pasta – Cook to al dente as per package directions.
• Mozzarella cheese – Shred your own cheese for the best flavor and meltability.
• Pepperoni – Use the best quality pepperoni you can get. It makes a big difference.
• Unsalted butter – For sauteing the garlic and onion. No need for salted butter here.
• Onion – One medium yellow onion, freshly minced for a bold taste.
• Garlic – You will need four cloves of garlic, freshly minced, for a rich, garlicky flavor without bitterness.
• Heavy cream – The cream has to be warm and poured in at a slow drizzle, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
• Parmesan – Like the other cheeses, freshly grate your parmesan. Do NOT use the dry stuff in the can.
• Thyme – Diced fresh thyme adds a minty, sweet taste with a hint of peppery flavor.
• Oregano – Freshly chopped oregano leaves have a slightly bitter and pungent taste with a bold, earthy background.
• Flour
• Salt
• Pepper

How to make cheesy white pizza casserole?

1. Preheat: To begin, set your oven at 350 degrees F and grease a 9×13 casserole dish. 
2. Saute: Then, melt butter in a skillet over low heat. Add diced onion and cook for five minutes or until transparent. Season with salt and pepper before adding garlic. Cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant. Sprinkle in the flour and stir. Turn up the heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring continuously, for about a minute.
3. Make the sauce: Now, slowly add the warm cream to a drizzle, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Continue to stir until it simmers and thickens slightly. When it reaches the consistency of gravy, season it with oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. Then, please remove it from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese.
4. Mix it up: After, cook the pasta, drain, and set it aside. Once it is completely drained, mix it with three-quarters of the pepperoni, one cup of the mozzarella cheese, and the pizza sauce in a large bowl and stir well.
5. Bake and serve: Then, pour it into the dish, sprinkle more mozzarella on top, and add the rest of the pepperoni. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and golden. To make it extra brown and crispy, broil for the last five minutes.

Expert tip

Choosing the right pasta for this casserole

I use penne for this casserole because I like the bite-sized pieces and their filling with sauce so well. Because of the angled ends, the sauce is drawn into the hollow opening, so you get a mouthful of sauce in every bite. But that is not all. The ridges along the outside also hang onto the sauce and little pieces of onion, garlic, cheese, and oregano. Talk about a mouthful of flavors!

Penne ziti is another excellent choice, but it does not have ridges. Rigatoni has ridges, but it does not have angled ends. It has a much bigger hole, so it holds more sauce and other great stuff. Shells are incredible, too, because they can even hold smaller pieces of pepperoni and cheese, and the outside has ridges. Cavatappi is fun corkscrew-type pasta that is hollow, so they hold sauce inside and ridged, so they hold the sauce and chunky ingredients outside. They are fun to look at, too.

Elbow macaroni is the traditional choice for basic macaroni and cheese casseroles and can hold quite a bit of sauce and veggies. However, it is not ridged, so it does not hold much on the outside. Shellbows are adorable pasta creations, like a cross between elbow macaroni and shells. They have a curved hollow shape and a ridged outer texture to hold onto sauce. There is no wrong choice. Pick what you like.

Recipe variations and add-ins:

• Different meat: You can use ground beef or sausage instead of (or in addition to) pepperoni.
• Lighter meat: For something lighter, try ground turkey, pork, or chicken.
• Bacon: Fry up some bacon and crumble it on top of your casserole for a bacon pizza casserole.
• No meat: Leave out the pepperoni and add some chopped mushrooms, spinach, and sundried tomatoes.
• Cheese: Or you can toss on some shredded cheese like cheddar or pepper jack.
• Veggies: Make it more nutritious by adding in a mix of you favorite veggies, I like chopped bell peppers and broccoli.
• Gluten free: Use gluten free pasta.

Serving suggestions:

• Serve with a side of this easy yeast bread. It has only four ingredients and takes just 45 minutes to make.
• A nice Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon blanc wine pairs well with the buttery creamy flavor of this casserole.
• Soup is another dish that goes well with this casserole. Something light and simple, like this vegetable soup.
• My family enjoys this cheesy casserole with a large bowl of strawberry spinach salad. The flavors pair well together.
• Make the dessert light enough after such a rich casserole. Maybe some lemon or strawberry sorbet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between white pizza sauce and alfredo sauce?

Although it can be made the same, pasta sauce is thinner and is typically made from just a few basic ingredients, including cream, parmesan, garlic, and butter. White pizza sauce is thicker and has more, including onion, flour, thyme, and oregano. The garlic and onion are freshly minced instead of powder, so you get a thicker overall texture with a beautiful mouthfeel. The oregano leaves are also roughly chopped so you can feel them.

What are the best toppings for a white pizza casserole?

Even though this is a casserole and not a pizza, it is nice to know what people would put on a white pizza This helps with ideas of what would go good in this casserole. One of my favorites is chicken. It’s sort of like chicken alfredo. And shrimp, lobster, or clams. Bacon would also be delicious. Any mushrooms or spinach. Like cream of mushroom or spinach soups. Artichokes are another great veggie that would work on white pizza. Almost any kind of vegetable would be great on white pizza.

Why is my pasta soggy?

It is possible that you boiled it too long. When you first boil it, cook it under al dente. It usually takes about 11 minutes to cook to al dente penne. If the package says 11 minutes, I would cook it for 10 minutes. But, if the package says 10 minutes, I would cook it for nine minutes simply because the pasta will continue to cook in the oven while the casserole cooks. If you boil it all the way to or past al dente, you end up with soggy or mushy pasta.

What is the difference between red and white pizza?

Red pizza is any pizza made with tomato-based sauce. White pizza is made without tomato sauce. Although we (Americans) tend to put white sauce on it, traditional white pizza is just pizza dough with olive oil, cheese, garlic, salt, and maybe some tomatoes and herbs. If you were in Italy and asked for white pizza (pizza bianca), you would get a pizza with cheese, garlic, and olive oil.

How to store leftovers:

• Refrigerate: Your leftovers will last for three to four days in the refrigerator in a sealed container.   
• Freezing: To keep them longer, place them in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container and they will last up to four months in the freezer.   
• Defrost: For the best results, remove the frozen leftovers from the freezer and let them thaw overnight in the fridge.
• Reheating: To reheat your thawed leftovers, put them in the oven for 10 minutes or in the microwave for one to two minutes. 

More casserole recipes:

Recipe tips:

• You will notice that I always mention that you should shred your cheese. Pre-shredded cheese is coated with additives to prevent clumping (and melting) and preservatives to help it stay fresh longer. Freshly grated cheese tastes better, too.
• You can substitute alfredo sauce for white pizza sauce in a pinch, but I would add some extra Italian seasonings and mozzarella for flavor and thickening.
• Wait to boil your pasta all the way before baking it, or you will end up with mushy noodles.
• You can use any pasta you like with this casserole, but I recommend one with a textured outside and hollow inside.
• This is a rich meal. Serve light side dishes and dessert or none at all.