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Upside-Down Pizza Casserole

ByJennifer Osterholt Updated

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A layer of crescent rolls bakes until golden brown over meaty, saucy and cheesy pizza toppings to make a quick and easy casserole.

Known as upside down pizza casserole, this 30 minute meal is easy to customize with the meat and veggies that you enjoy the most.

Buttery crescent roll dough baked on top of a cheesy pepperoni pizza casserole on a white plate with a fork and the full dish in the background.
Jennifer, author of Plowing Through Life, smiling in kitchen.

Why We Love This Recipe:

Pizza inspired meals are a regular in our mealtime rotation from the Air Fryer Pizza Sliders that got me through college to the Spaghetti Pizza Recipe that our kids love.

We appreciate how this upside down pizza casserole recipe quickly mixes all of the ingredients you enjoy and tops them with a roll of crescent dough to create an easy crust on top.

Why This Crescent Roll Pizza Casserole Recipe Works:

  • Easy to customize: Add your favorite pizza toppings, such as ham, olives, hot peppers, mushrooms, Parmesan cheese, or whatever your family enjoys.
  • Quick and easy crust: There’s no yeast, kneading, or rise time. Crescent rolls create a buttery, flavorful crust without the extra work.
  • Creamy and rich: Ricotta cheese adds a rich, creamy texture that makes this pizza extra satisfying.
  • Add a sweet and spicy finish: Drizzle hot honey over the finished pizza for an easy flavor boost that pairs perfectly with the savory toppings.
Spatula lifting a delicious scoop of upside down pizza casserole out of a dish above the rest of the recipe that's topped with a lightly golden brown crust.

Ingredients Needed

  • Ground Beef – or your favorite blend of sausage
  • Pizza Sauce – use half to a whole jar depending on how saucy you like the meal
  • Veggies – green peppers, mushrooms, onion
  • Cheese – ricotta, Parmesan and mozzarella
  • Pepperoni
  • Crescent Roll Dough
  • Toppings – butter makes the top brown beautifully and garlic powder adds a nice pop of flavor
Ingredients needed to make upside down pizza casserole are pepperoni, mushrooms, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, pizza sauce, ground beef, ricotta cheese, green pepper, onion and crescent roll dough on a wooden counter top.

If you enjoy this easy casserole you may also like our similar Keto Ground Beef Casserole or family friendly Tater Tot Chicken Pot Pie.

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Step By Step Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F while browning hamburger. Drain excess fat.

Add chopped onions, pepper and mushrooms. Cook until tender.

Add sauce and heat through. Then pour into the bottom of a 9 x 13″ casserole dish.

Chopped mushrooms, onion and green peppers added to a skillet full of ground beef.
Ground beef, onions, mushrooms, green peppers and pizza sauce cooking in a skillet.

Drop spoonfuls of ricotta cheese over the top and then use a butter knife to gently swirl in.

Sprinkle on a layer of parmesan cheese.

Spoonfuls of ricotta cheese dropped on top of a saucy mixture of sausage and vegetables in a glass casserole dish.
Parmesan cheese sprinkled on an old fashioned upside down pizza casserole.

Then spread mozzarella cheese and add a layer of pepperoni.

Unroll chilled crescent roll dough over the casserole.

Melt butter and stir in garlic powder, then spread evenly over the dough.

Layer of pepperoni spread on top of mozzarella cheese topping an upside down pizza casserole.
Tube of crescent roll dough unrolled and laid in an even layer on the top of a simple pizza casserole.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until casserole is bubbly and the top crescent dough crust is golden brown. Serve warm with more Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Overhead view of a perfectly baked layer of crescent roll dough on top of a meaty, cheesy and flavorful pizza casserole on a red napkin with white dots.

Tips for Making Pizza Casserole with Beef

  • Keep crescent dough chilled until laying on the casserole as it is easier to handle and fit onto the dish.
  • We like using a lot of vegetables and the full jar of sauce, some people prefer using half a jar of sauce.
  • Ground beef or Italian sausage both work well in our crescent roll pizza casserole.
  • If the crescent dough looks too brown, but isn’t cooking underneath then cover with foil to finish baking

More Meaty and Cheesy Casserole Recipes

Close up of mozzarella cheese and a couple pepperonis sliding out of a piece of pizza casserole with a thin and crispy layer of crescent roll dough serving as the crust on top of a meaty pizza casserole.

Upside-Down Pizza Casserole

Created by Jennifer Osterholt
Servings: 8 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
A layer of crescent rolls bakes until golden brown over meaty, saucy and cheesy pizza toppings to make a quick and easy casserole.

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound hamburger or sausage
  • 14 ounce jar pizza sauce
  • 1/4 cup green pepper diced
  • 1 1/2 cups mushrooms chopped
  • 1/3 cup onion chopped
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 3/4 cup pepperoni
  • 8 ounce package crescent roll dough
  • 2 tablespoons butter melted
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Brown hamburger or sausage. Drain fat.
    1 pound hamburger or sausage
  • Add onions, pepper and mushrooms to hamburger. Stir until heated through.
    1/4 cup green pepper, 1 1/2 cups mushrooms, 1/3 cup onion
  • Add pizza sauce until mixture is the desired consistency. Pour into the bottom of a greased, 9 x 13" baking dish.
    14 ounce jar pizza sauce
  • Spoon ricotta cheese evenly over mixture and then using a gentle swirling motion mix it into the casserole.
    1 cup ricotta cheese
  • Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan cheese evenly over top.
    1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • Add a layer of pepperoni.
    3/4 cup pepperoni
  • Unroll crescent roll dough.
    8 ounce package crescent roll dough
  • Melt butter, stir in the garlic powder and brush over the crescent dough.
    2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Bake for 20 – 30 minutes until casserole is bubbly and dough it baked.

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Nutrition

Calories: 473kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 23gFat: 35gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 900mgPotassium: 464mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 627IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 221mgIron: 2mg

“Plowing Through Life” is not a dietitian or nutrition professional. Any nutritional information shared is an estimate and can vary greatly depending on specific products are used. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator of your choice.

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Recipe originally shared on September 9, 2019 with updates made on October 6, 2026.

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Avatar for Jennifer Osterholt

I share how to make life easier while raising a busy family! From delicious desserts to easy dinners and simple breakfast recipes. I’m here to make your time in the kitchen more efficient while building confidence!

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One Comment

  1. Avatar for Kristi Herron Kristi Herron says:

    I make it and use biscuits it works great I cook them on side and serve it up on top when both are cooked.just place biscuits on top of sour cream topping.

    Reply

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