My Mom’s 5-Ingredient Casserole Will Be the First Thing Gone at the Tailgate

Growing up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the home of the six-time Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, meant that our Sundays revolved around football. In fact, one of my friends recently described Steelers Sundays as a “holiday” in my house—a tradition that I’ve lovingly carried on even after moving out of the Steel City.

Like any holiday, gameday meant a plethora of food and camaraderie. While many of my Sundays were spent on the couch with my parents and a plate of microwaved nachos (a delicacy in our household), just as many were spent at my parents’ friends’ houses watching the game there. 

These football parties consisted of spending time with friends who felt like family and lots of food. Over the years, everyone had the recipe for every dish on the buffet table, so it’s hard to even pinpoint who some of the crowd-pleasers belonged to.

However, a casserole made by one of my mom’s friends sticks out as a top favorite that my mom has continued making over the years. It’s a five-ingredient “pizza breadstick casserole,” whose name has probably already piqued your interest—and appetite.

My Mom's Pizza Breadstick Casserole

The casserole is served as almost an upside-down pizza with the meat and sauce on the bottom of the baking dish topped with Pillsbury breadstick dough and melty, browned cheese. And, I promise, it’s worth bringing the fork and knife out for at your next tailgate.

The easy pizza breadstick casserole calls for ground beef, jarred marinara sauce, diced pepperoni, refrigerated breadstick dough, and Colby Jack cheese. My mom’s friend always used the Pillsbury Garlic Breadsticks kit, which features a buttery garlic spread for extra flavor, but I couldn’t find that or Pillsbury Breadsticks, so I used Pillsbury Pizza Crust instead, and it worked just as well.

While the recipe only includes pepperoni and ground beef, you can always add more of your favorite pizza toppings—much like my mom’s pizza dip. Adding mushrooms, onions, or bacon to the ground beef will up the ante—and make it a little heartier. Because even though we’ve always eaten this casserole as a gameday appetizer, it would make a delicious dinner on a cool fall or winter evening.

Without further ado, let me introduce you to your new tailgate winner.

How To Make Pizza Breadstick Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained
• 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
• 1/2 cup diced pepperoni
• 1 container refrigerated breadstick dough (like Pillsbury Garlic Breadsticks)
• 1 cup Colby Jack cheese, shredded

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and grease a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In a bowl, combine drained ground beef, sauce, and pepperoni. Spoon the mixture into the baking dish.
3. Unroll the breadstick dough and separate into perforated sticks. Cut each stick into thirds, then evenly arrange the dough over the ground beef mixture in the casserole dish until no mixture is showing.
4. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with Colby Jack cheese. Return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes, or until breadsticks are browned, cheese is melty, and sauce is bubbly.