I've started cooking for the big crowd coming in on Sunday. These are hearty eaters and since Labor Day is an introduction to winter fare, the dishes are all less than delicate. There will be two meals, one around 1:30 and then one around 7:00 which will be mostly grilled food and salads. I am a crowd cook--hate to make tiny little dishes for two, and thankfully I don't have to. One of the dishes I am serving is a new recipe called pepperoni pizza casserole. I hope it is good because I made three big dishes of it...one for tonight and two for the party. (Kitchen tested and it is good.)
Andy grows good things in the garden, but this watermelon leaves a lot to be desired--cute, but tiny, and useless except for a picture.
Pepperoni Pizza Casserole
1 sm. can of mushrooms (I used fresh)
2 lbs. hamburger ( I used 1 lb. of ground chuck , 1 lb. of Bob Evans zesty sausage)
1 sm. onion
1-2 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 cans or jars of pizza sauce (I use Carfagna's sauce.)
1 box of macaroni twists, spiral pasta (I use cavatappi)
Package pepperoni slices
1 pkg. of mozzarella cheese (Shredded)
Brown meat with onion, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Add mushrooms and pizza sauce. Cook macaroni. (Do not over cook) Add to hamburger mixture.Pour one half in a buttered crockpot. Top with layer of pepperoni, layer of cheese, and another layer of pepperoni. Top with rest of meat mixture, and another layer of pepperoni and Cheese. I put my crockpot on low for a few hours, until cheese melts. You can also use a casserole dish and bake in oven at 325 for 45 minutes to an hour. I used the oven.
