Upside Down Pizza Bake is not only quick and easy, it uses up some of the frozen convenience foods that are sitting in the freezer. Whenever I’m at a warehouse store, it seems samples are being handed out for all kinds of pre-made frozen stuff. Since I’m often hungry when I’m shopping, a small bite tastes pretty good, so I get duped into buying a box of whatever it is, only to find that when I’ve cooked it at home, it doesn’t really taste as good as expected. Inevitably, the remainder of that package sits in the freezer, taking up valuable space, never to be cooked, served, or eaten.

This Upside Down Pizza Bake uses pre-made frozen snacks for the crust. In the recipe below, I’ve used the Mozzarella Bites – chunks of cheese wrapped in bread dough that are actually quite tasteless. However, other times I’ve also used Bagel Bites (upside down on the casserole so the bagel part stays crispy), Mozzarella Sticks, and Pizza Rolls. Use whatever you have. You may even use refrigerated biscuits.

I’ve chosen to use hot Italian sausage which adds a bit of spice to the casserole, but if you prefer very mild food, feel free to substitute mild sausage.

Upside Down Pizza Bake

8 Servings

1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound hot Italian Sausages

1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 26 oz. jar spaghetti sauce

1 3 oz. package pepperoni

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

20 ounces mozzarella bites (or substitute pizza rolls, Bagel Bites, Mozzarella sticks, or refrigerated biscuits – enough to cover the top of the casserole.

1. Preheat the oven to 400°.


2. Brown the ground beef and Italian sausage in a large skillet, breaking the meat up into small pieces as it cooks.


3. Drain off the fat and add the onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, and spaghetti sauce.


4. Bring the mixture to a boil, turn down to a simmer and let cook for 5 minutes.


5. Remove from the heat and stir in the pepperoni.


6. Transfer the mixture to a deep 9 x 7" casserole dish.


7. Sprinkle with the Mozzarella cheese.


8. Arrange the Mozzarella Bites over the cheese.


9. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-45 minutes or until the topping is brown and crisp and the casserole is bubbly.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 492 Calories from Fat 240
Percent Total Calories From:
Fat 49% Protein 24% Carb. 28%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 27 g
Saturated Fat 12 g
Cholesterol 77 mg
Sodium 1500 mg
Total Carbohydrate 34 g
Dietary Fiber 2 g
Sugars 4 g
Protein 29 g

Vitamin A 22% Vitamin C 30% Calcium 0% Iron 13%