Sausage Pizza Au Gratin Potato Casserole

This Sausage Pizza Au Gratin Potato Casserole is the best of both worlds. It’s pizza. It’s a casserole. It’s a potato dish.

Today I’m featuring a simple casserole recipe that combines my two favorite food groups: pizza and potatoes.

Together.

All snuggled up and cozy.

I don’t have children of my own, but I’m willing to bet the kiddos will love this casserole. If I were kid, I’d coming running at the very mention of pizza and potatoes.

One of my favorite fall side dishes is creamy, cheese-y au gratin potatoes. I took that concept and put my own very delicious spin on it by turning it in to a main dish.

Think everything pizza meets cheese-y potatoes.

I combined my favorite pizza toppings to create a hearty mixture that tastes just like you’re eating a slice of pizza dripping with extra cheese. I used a combination of sausage, mushrooms, onions, and green peppers that I sautéed with Idaho® red potatoes. I chose red potatoes for this recipe because their high moisture center and waxy exterior hold up better when pan fried and baked with the pizza sauce. Even after the casserole is baked, the potatoes stay firm.

This Sausage Pizza Au Gratin Potato Casserole went straight to my parents after it came out of the oven. The casserole quickly disappeared, and I received texts later that evening requesting a second casserole.

Print Recipe

Sausage Pizza Au Gratin Potato Casserole

I combined my favorite pizza toppings to create a hearty mixture that tastes just like you’re eating a slice of pizza dripping with extra cheese.

Yield: 1 (9-inch-by-13-inch) casserole

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground hot Italian sausage
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 8 ounces sliced baby Portobello mushrooms
• 5 red potatoes, cut into ½-inch cubes (about 5 cups)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1 (28-ounce) can pizza sauce
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley for garnish
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-inch-by-13-inch casserole dish.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage to the and cook, breaking up the meat as you go along, until brown, about 7-10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to your prepared casserole dish.  
3. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Stir in the mushrooms. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and brown, about 5 minutes. Refrain from seasoning with salt until the end of the cooking process. Transfer the browned mushrooms to the casserole dish with the sausage.
4. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan. Stir in the potatoes. Season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 12 minutes.
5. Add the onion, green pepper, garlic, and red pepper flakes to the pan with the potatoes; stir to combine. Continue to cook, stirring often, until the potatoes are fork tender, about 10 minutes.
6. Stir in Italian seasoning, pizza sauce, Parmesan cheese, and 1 cup of mozzarella. Continue to cook for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Transfer the mixture to the prepared casserole dish with the sausage and mushrooms; stir to combine. Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake for 30 minutes uncovered. Sprinkle with fresh parsley, if desired.

All images and text ©One Sweet Mess.

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Disclosure: This recipe was developed for the lovely folks at Idaho® Potato. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting my recipes and site while I work with brands I adore.