Slow Cooker Pizza Pasta is a family favorite that’s easy to make and feeds a crowd. Budget-friendly, you’ll love this comforting dinner.
Slow Cooker Pizza Pasta
Some nights you just need easy dinner options, am I right? We’ve all had crazy busy days where you barely have time to think let alone plan out a complicated dinner. These are the nights when I love my crockpot, Instant Pot, and air fryers.
Having a meal planned out early in the day sometimes just doesn’t happen, for a variety of reasons. Hey, we all get busy, or schedules are thrown out of whack or life just throws you a curveball. Whatever the reason I love having simple recipes which can still get a semi-homemade dinner on the table without having to pick up carry-out once again.
Slow Cooker Pizza Pasta is exactly the type of meal I’m referring to, a meal that essentially is a slow cooker meal but isn’t at the same time. Let me explain. This type of “casserole” type crockpot meal is assembled in a crockpot, but prior to assembling the components are cooked separately. The ground beef and pasta are both cooked and drained ahead of time. This means you can even prep parts of this dish ahead of time and assemble them in the crockpot just a couple of hours before dinnertime.
What I really like is how inexpensive and customizable this meal is too. Try it with a bunch of your favorite pizza toppings, let the kids pick and choose what they’d like to add. That’s usually a great way to get my youngest to eat what I’m making if she can participate in picking out what goes into her meal.
This dinner is also budget-friendly and feeds a whole bunch of mouths. Serve with a big loaf of crusty bread and a salad, you’ll have a happily fed group.
What ingredients do you need?
- Ground Beef
- Marinara Sauce
- Rotini Pasta
- Seasonings (including homemade onion powder)
- Pepperoni
- Mozzarella Cheese
Some tips to make this meal even easier:
- Substitute ground beef for ground chicken or turkey.
- Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente.
- Top with parmesan cheese and chopped parsley for extra flavor.
- Try using the tiny pepperoni, it’s a fun addition.
- Use other shaped pasta if desired.
Simple steps involved in cooking this meal:
Spray your crockpot with non-stick cooking spray. Cook and drain ground beef and pasta and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine browned ground beef, marinara, rotini pasta, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Mix well to combine.
Layer in your crockpot ⅓ of the pasta mixture, add a layer of mozzarella cheese and a layer of pepperoni.
Repeat two more times until you have 3 layers of pasta, cheese, and pepperoni.
Cook on low for 2-3 hours, until everything is heated through and mozzarella is melted.
Looking for other easy slow cooker meals? Try these:
- Crockpot Applesauce BBQ Chicken
- Rustic Chicken Slow Cooker Stew
- Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana Soup
- Crockpot Mongolian Beef
- Slow Cooker Cajun Chicken Alfredo
Try some delicious easy to make meals that the family will love:
- Instant Pot Cheesy Chicken Pasta
- Polynesian Sheet Pan Pork Chops
- Teriyaki Noodles
- Pepperoni Pizza Sliders
- Air Fryer Orange Beef
Slow Cooker Pizza Pasta
Slow Cooker Pizza Pasta is a family favorite that's easy to make and feeds a crowd. Budget-friendly, you'll love this comforting dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef, browned and drained
- 48 ounces marinara sauce
- 16 ounces rotini pasta, cooked and drained
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 6 ounces pepperoni slices
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Spray your crockpot with non-stick spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine browned ground beef, marinara sauce, cooked and drained pasta, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Mix well to combine.
- In your crockpot, layer ⅓ of the pasta mixture, add a layer of mozzarella cheese and a layer of pepperoni. Repeat two more times until you have 3 layers of pasta, cheese, and pepperoni.
- Cook on low for 2-3 hours, until everything is heated through and mozzarella is melted.
Notes
- Cook pasta according to package directions to al dente. You can use whole grain pasta if desired or a different shaped pasta.
- Substitute ground beef for ground chicken or turkey.
- Add a bit of parmesan cheese to the top for additional flavor.
Find this recipe and more at the Weekend Potluck!
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