Skillet Pizza Casserole

What you need

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground Italian sausage ($3.62*)
• 1 small yellow onion (diced, (145g) $0.70)
• 1 green bell pepper (diced, (145g) $0.86)
• 8 oz. mushrooms (sliced, (120g) $2.04)
• 3 garlic cloves (minced, $0.22)
• 8 oz. rotini pasta (uncooked, $0.54**)
• 24 oz. pasta sauce ($1.58***)
• 1 cup water ($0.00)
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning ($0.04)
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional, $0.01)
• ¼ tsp salt ($0.02)
• ¼ tsp black pepper (freshly cracked, $0.04)
• 1½ cups mozzarella cheese (shredded, $1.47)
• 25 pepperoni slices (50g, $0.85)
• ¼ cup black olives (sliced, (28g) $0.32)

In the correct order

Instructions

1. Gather and prep all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Heat a large oven safe skillet over medium heat and add sausage and cook for about 5-7 minutes until browned, breaking it up with a spoon.
3. Stir in onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, and garlic. Cook for 4-5 minutes until softened and fragrant.
4. Stir in the uncooked rotini pasta, pasta sauce, water, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Make sure pasta is mostly submerged in sauce.
5. Reduce heat to low, cover****, and simmer for 10-12 minutes until pasta is al dente and sauce is mostly absorbed. Make sure to stir occasionally to keep pasta from sticking.
6. Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over the top. Arrange pepperoni slices and sprinkle with black olives. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes uncovered, until the top is browned and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
7. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving for the casserole to set. Garnish with fresh basil and Parmesan (optional, if you've got them) and enjoy!