Deep Dish Crescent Pizza Casserole is a veggie-loaded remake of a classic crescent roll pizza casserole. It's a family-pleaser!
The first week of classes is in full swing, and I'm finding a new grove. I just have to get over the initial week hump. The first day of a new class is always stressful as I try to set the tone, get to know my students, and find a pace that works for everyone. This semester I have two-night classes, so I'm trying to carve out a morning to spend some time on GreenLiteBites.
Anyway, I'm here this morning because Tara asked if I could send her version of a pizza casserole I did, and I think this is the one she's talking about. I totally forgot about this recipe! It was initially posted in October of 2010, so please excuse the photo size and quality. I'm going to post it with a few edits as I linked to things that no longer exist online. However, I did add back the "Roni's Redo" category so if you have any recipe you want me to adjust for a healthy spin, email me!
OMG! And I Just realized I have a video of the now-14-year-old and I make this! Click here for the long version and I even edited a short one too. *sigh* I miss those days.
The following, Deep Dish Crescent Pizza Casserole, was originally posted in October 2010.
Amy sent me this email a few months ago…
How would you make this recipe healthier? It is a favorite in my family. The biggest problem is that I cannot actually add any of the veggies I have listed because of people not eating certain ones. We love pizza and this hotdish is fantastic but deadly to our health. Ideas?
- 2 rolls crescent rolls
- 1 jar pizza sauce
- 1 pound lean hamburger
- ½ pound spicy italian sausage
- pepperoni
- Shredded Mozzarella and Chedder cheese
- 2 cans black olives
- 1 onion
- 2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
- 1 green pepper
Fry the hamburger and sausage together to mingle the flavors and add any spices you want for flavor. Add in the following layers: layer of crescent rolls, pepperoni, cheese, ½ pizza sauce, hamburger/sausage mix, veggies, remaining pizza sauce, pepperoni, cheese, layer of crescent rolls, cheese on top.
I have to be honest. When I initially read her email, I was in LOVE. This is my kind of meal. It’s PIZZA! Only my absolute favorite food on the planet. I had so much fun making this tonight, and my family LOVED it. The Little Guy devoured it, and so did I. The husband was his usual un-enthused self.
Here’s what I did. I’ll give you some of my thought processes as I share the recipe.
Deep Dish Crescent Pizza Casserole Ingredients
- 1 small onion chopped small
- 8 oz (½ lb) lean ground beef (95%)
- 2 hot Italian sausage links (preferably turkey but I didn’t have any)
- 1 medium zucchini chopped small
- 8 oz mushrooms chopped small
- 1 large bell pepper chopped small
- 2 Reduced-Fat Packages of Crescent Rolls
- 2 oz Turkey Pepperoni slices (60g)
- 4 oz fancy shredded mozzarella cheese
- 4 oz fancy shredded Mexican Cheese Blend
- 16 oz of your favorite pizza/red sauce
- garlic powder
- dried parsley
Deep Dish Crescent Pizza Casserole Step-by-Step
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Remove the casing from the sausage and brown with the ground beef and onion.
For the meats, I used half the amount of beef and sausage because I knew I’d be bulking up the filling with all the veggies. Diced small, they mix right in and add not only nutrients to the dish but flavor! I skipped the olives but added zucchini as it’s pretty much flavorless and will soak up all the yummy goodness from everything else.
Chop the zucchini, mushrooms, and bell pepper and add it to the browning meats.
While the meats and veggies are cooking spray the bottom of a 9 x 13 casserole dish with non-stick spray. Spread 1 of the packages of crescent rolls on the bottom, sealing the seems and pushing to the edges and corners.
Bake for about 10 minutes until just browning.
Top the cooked crescent roll with a layer of turkey pepperoni, 2 oz of mozzarella, and 2 oz of Mexican cheese blend.
Layer in the cooked meat/veggie mixture and top with the remaining pepperoni.
Pour on the sauce and spread around. I only used a small, 16 oz jar, knowing the addition of veggies will add even more liquid to the dish once baked. Top with the remaining cheese.
Lay the remaining crescent dough on top pressing down firmly and spreading to the edges again. I sprinkled with a bit of garlic powder and dried parsley instead of adding additional cheese.
Bake for about 30 minutes until the top crescent starts to brown.
Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes to help it set. Then cut a piece and marvel at the wonder…
Isn’t it beautiful?! And oh.. the SMELL.. just glorious! 🙂
As you can see, the casserole held together wonderfully. Here it is minus our 3 pieces…
I don’t feel comfortable doing a side by side nutritional information comparison since Amy didn’t have measurements for things like the cheese and pepperoni. Even if I use the same amounts I did for them, I’m getting almost a 200 calorie savings! Regardless this version is only 9 points for a nice size slice. Totally worth it in my opinion!
Thanks, Amy! This was fun. If you have a recipe you want me to redo, let me know by filling out the form!
~*~*~
Here's the recipe for printing, no photos. I'm glad I reshared this one. It's so fun!
📖 Recipe
Deep Dish Crescent Pizza Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 small onion chopped small
- 8 oz ½ lb lean ground beef (95%)
- 2 hot Italian sausage links preferably turkey but I didn’t have any
- 1 medium zucchini chopped small
- 8 oz mushrooms chopped small
- 1 large bell pepper chopped small
- 2 Reduced Fat Packages of Crescent Rolls
- 2 oz Turkey Pepperoni slices 60g
- 4 oz fancy shredded mozzarella cheese
- 4 oz fancy shredded Mexican Cheese Blend
- 16 oz of your favorite pizza/red sauce
- garlic powder
- dried parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Remove the casing from the sausage and brown with the ground beef and onion.1 small onion chopped small, 8 oz ½ lb lean ground beef (95%), 2 hot Italian sausage links, 16 oz of your favorite pizza/red sauce
- Chop the zucchini, mushrooms and bell pepper and add it to the browning meats.1 medium zucchini chopped small, 8 oz mushrooms chopped small, 1 large bell pepper chopped small
- While the meats and veggies are cooking spray the bottom of a 9 x 13 casserole dish with non-stick spray. Spread 1 of the packages of crescent rolls on the bottoms sealing the seems and pushing to the edges and corners.
- Bake for about 10 minutes until just browning.
- Top the cooked crescent roll with a layer of turkey pepperoni, 2 oz of mozzarella and 2 oz of mexican cheese blend.2 Reduced Fat Packages of Crescent Rolls, 2 oz Turkey Pepperoni slices, 4 oz fancy shredded Mexican Cheese Blend
- Layer in the cooked meat/veggie mixture and top with the remaining pepperoni.1 large bell pepper chopped small
- Pour on the sauce and spread around. I only used a small, 16 oz jar, knowing the addition of veggies will add even more liquid to the dish once baked. Top with the remaining cheese.
- Lay the remaining crescent dough on top pressing down firmly and spreading to the edges again. I sprinkled with a bit of garlic powder and dried parsley instead of adding additional cheese.garlic powder, dried parsley, 4 oz fancy shredded mozzarella cheese
- Bake for about 30 minutes until the top crescent starts to brown.
- Remove from the oven and let cook for 5 minutes to help it set.
- Cut into eight squares and enjoy!
Nutrition
Video Recipe:
GAIL
Hi Roni, my suggestion for making this recipe a little lighter would be to use the Kraft grated cheese that you can get in lighter versions, in a variety of flavours. That would cut a lot of fat out in addition to what you already have with your revised recipe.
Jacquelyn wade
THIS LOOKS LIKE IT WILL BE GREAT WHEN I TRY IT SOON. IS IT EVER POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO INCLUDE THE SODIUM COUNTS AS THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME. THANKS FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO. I REALLY ENJOY ALL YOUR EFFORT.
roni
Hi Jacquelyn!
I'm glad you like the site! Unfortunately I don't feel comfortable adding sodium because I don't usually measure salt. It's a pinch here and a pinch there. I hope you understand.
-Roni
Donna
Made this tonight and it was sooooo good! Family loved it and would want it again. Thanks for sharing this recipe 🙂
roni
It's 2 of the middle stuff, is that what you mean?
Karen
Is this just one layer or two
Misti
Oh my this was amazing!!!!! I didn't have sausage (forgot it) but it was still so amazing without it. Ever since starting my diet, pizza is the one thing I'm really missing...it's just SO high in points. This satisfied my cravings! And my 2 year old loved it!!!!
Jodi
Hi Roni! First of all, I just found your sites about a week ago and I am so inspired! Thank you for all your recipes with weight watchers points and all your tips. You are such an inspiration to me as I start out on my journy to lose 75 pounds.
I made this recipe tonight and it was amazing! Can't wait to try more of them.
Marie
Looks delicious! Going to try this but will add our homemade hot italian venison instead of the turkey sausage since it's what I have on hand. Thanks!
Angeline
I made a vegetarian version of this last night used boca crumbles, veggie pepperoni, and tofurky italian sausage. It turned out really good. I used a small can of sliced olives since we like them. Thanks!
Keri
YUM! I made this tonight with 16oz of sweet italian turkey sausage. It was delicious! My husband & daughters all loved it too! We'll definitely make this again. Thanks for the wonderful low-cal recipe, Roni!
Donnis
I am planning to try this but I will use Ground Turkey. Ground turkey is available with italian seasonings already mixed in. It may be in a flat like ground beef with no casings. I use it very often.
Karen Chatters
This was PHAT!! I halved the recipe and used the veggies I had on hand but I thought this was delicious. There isn't a drop left, sadness!
Amy
PointsPlus (new points) = 11 for 1/11th of the recipe.....sounds well worth it. I can't wait try this one. Thanks!
roni
Cindy - I would add fresh and chop it up as small as possible. You want to prevent those stringy pieces. Add it to the meet veggie mixture while it's browning as the end. Let it wilt and cook in but not to death, if you know what I mean. I think the mushrooms do better cooking a long time with the meat but the spinach would be better off just cooking.
Spinach in a great addition! I'll add that the next time I make it too!
Cindy
I made this tonight exactly as written but added 1/2 teasp dried red peppers for a little extra kick. It was great, and hubby loved it! He never realized it was turkey pepperoni, and I chopped the mushrooms up so small, he didn't even realize they were in there! They simply blended in nicely with the zucchini and green pepper.
Quick question...if I wanted to add spinach, what are your recommendations? Fresh or frozen? Do I cook it with the rest of the veggies as the meats are browning? Any idea how much to add? Spinach pizza has always been a personal favorite, and I think it would be a great addition to this dish. Thanks for a healthy revision that is a real family pleaser!
sport picks
damn 🙂
looks like my wife must make it
take permission to copy txt in document 🙂
roni
You know, I might have and didn't realize it because I was busy taking pictures and frying the meat. That's probably it!
kitty
Yes, i totally baked it and it was golden brown. I was thinking maybe i should of cooked it longer and more brown. I didn't let it cool before i started building on it, do you think could of made is soggy? Did you let your stand and cool before building?
roni
Did you bake it first? Mine held up pretty well. I baked it first for about 10 minutes until it was browned and firm to the touch.
kitty
Made this last night, it was good, especially the meat/veggie mix. The problem i had was the bottom was so wet and soggy. Is that normal?
BeckyJ
This was delicious! My husband loved it too! And although he did request more sauce next time, I take that as he wants there to be a next time. Success!
Also, I'm not sure why, but the casserole seemed done after only 15-17 minutes (dough was brown and sauce was bubbly). So I might suggest checking it half way through.
Thanks Roni- can't wait for the next recipe redo.
Amy P
I'm glad that you enjoyed it 🙂 I'm going to have to take Roni's suggestions and see if my family will like the new version as much as the old one.
roni
Honestly... I had spinach all ready to go and forgot to add it!! I totally think it makes a great addition.
RG
This does look a lot like Chicago deep-dish style, and my favorite of those is spinach. That should get hidden in there pretty well, right?
Joanie
Thank you so much for this recipe! I made it for dinner tonight and it was amazing! It is definitely on our go to list of things to make for dinner!
roni
I've been LOVING the leftovers! If heated in the microwave the crescent become real soft. If heated in the oven, it's super crunchy! I love it both ways! 🙂
Jenn
This looks amazing! How well to the leftovers save? Cause it's just me, and anytime I make something like this I have to eat it for days or hawk the leftovers off on my stepdad (or both lol)
roni
Only because I'm in desperate need of baking and casserole dishes. I have a handful of tin ones I use from time to time.
Jen
Perhaps a random question...why the reusable tin pan instead of a regular casserole dish?
Paige @ Two Runners And A Brown Dog
Roni! I just cooked this casserole for dinner tonight. I thought that it was going to be really good...but it was REALLY GREAT!!!! My husband gave it the ultimate compliment, which I wanted to share with you. He said, "I know you aren't going to believe this, but I think this is better than Geno's East (in Chicago)! We loved it!!! Thanks for another great recipe!!!
Lisa
Oh my gosh, this looks amazing. Each layer looks chock full of deliciousness.
Melanie
You're Welcome - Ooh Okay - That's Nifty - Thanks again!!
roni
Oh! and thanks for the compliment. 🙂
roni
Have you attempted to print? I have it set up only print the recipes. Give it a try and let me know.
Melanie
Roni - This looks amazing so many veggie options with this one. Add a Salad for a complete meal! I love to take family favorite recipes and make them healthified. By the way .. I love your website .. the recipes and photos are so colorful and inspirational. But I have one question - is there a possibility of a "printer-friendly" version for your recipes.
Sheila
Wow! This is something that will definatley go in our recipes to use especially with the cooler weather that should be here soon! 🙂 (I am in Texas, and it has been pretty warm this week). And a fantastic meal that I can teach my 11 year old to prepare that can become one of her specialties when one of those busy weekday nights seem to take over.
Jessica
Oh HELLO!! This will be making the rounds on BTL! I'm going to make this and post it within an inch of it's life!!:) (maybe I should change my e-mail from fireeater to pizzaeater...)
roni
Hi Barbara - Everyone freaks out every year when WW announces the changes and then we all grow to love the new plan. I'll keep my ear to ground as well and make any adjustments if necessary. No biggie. 🙂
Barbara
sorry this is not a recipe redo
But I have a question Did you hear that ww is redoing the points system? It suppose to come out the end of Nov. How might that affect your points on here?
I am hearing roarers that the way they figure out the points is changing.
I will let you know once we know for sure.
susiebeeonmaui from eatlittleeatbig
Love the idea of Recipe Redo!
Yum Yucky
Pizza is my middle name. And my first name... and my last name. I obviously want to try this.
Crystal
My stomach is growling looking at the pictures! Did the cresent roll crust seem soggy at all? It almost looks like lasagna. Love the Roni's Redo section.
Laurie
To make the zucchini disappear even more, shred it on a box grater. I froze two cup *portions* of shredded zucchini this summer when there was too much from the garden to eat. It's wonderful to throw into soup or spaghetti sauce or anything. I don't even thaw it.
No one will know it's there. 😉
Rhiannon
It may be irritating, but for very picky eaters (like me...) it can so be worth cutting the vegetables up really tiny. Especially when cooked with something else like meat, they really do vanish. Of course, you have to be careful with veggies with noticeable texture, but cooking them in the frying pan will definitely help reduce that.
Also, red capsicum/pepper swap for green? Or orange, yellow, purple(?). I don't particularly like zucchini, but yellow squash, pumpkin, sweet potato, broccoli (including the stems cut up really small), celery, carrot... there's plenty of other veggies. Pick your family's favourite (or least disliked), cut them up tiny and either mix them with the meat or the tomato sauce if you use your own, like Roni's 'Don't Know What's In There' sauce.
roni
Seriously.. you can not even tell the mushrooms are in there. Out of all the veggies that's the one to keep because they melt right into the meat. Diced tomato would be a great substitute for green bell peppers but I'd see if you could still sneak in the zucchini. Cut up small it also blends right in. It's worth a shot... They may be willing to give it a shot it you just call it deep dish pizza. 🙂
Lisa
This looks great. I would eat it, but my family - no way. The son won't eat mushrooms and the husband won't eat it if it has anything green (zucchini/pepper) in it. Sausage is also a no-no. I'm thinking that if I had to leave all that goodness out, it would be pretty much nothing. Any ideas for how to bulk this up for the super-picky eater! I was thinking chopped tomato or just using the veges on half for myself and hoping they don't slide over too much.
Jen @ Making Messes
That looks delicious! And I bet leftovers would be extra tasty. I'm gonna try this one.
FoodontheTable
Yummy Yummy! This looks great. Thanks for including the step-by-step pictures. I don't think I would have known how to lay the crescent rolls down.
merrymishaps
I think I need to make a vegetarian version of this w/veggie pepperoni and morningstar crumblers!
Tonyne @ Unlikely Success Story
I can't wait to make this! I want to try a vegetarian version! 🙂 Looks amazing!
roni
Debbi - TOTALLY! But sometimes convenience wins out. I try to make the easy changes that keeps the recipe as similar to the original but has a slightly healthier spin. Making my own dough, although something that would totally be fun, would change the original recipe too much in my opinion. The crescent texture isn't easily replaced. Although a quick whole wheat pizza dough would also be awesome! Just like a supreme deep dish pizza!
Krista S.
Oh wow Roni!!! This is such a fun idea! Loving the new changes on the site and really look forward to recipe redo's.
p.s. That pizza....omg *drools*.
Debbi Does Dinner Healthy
That looks great! I love to try to do that also, take a super high calorie recipe and attempt to make it healthier. Do you think a quick no rise dough would work instead of the crescent rolls? That way you can use whole wheat flour? That's how I make my pizza dough. It looks great though!
Arlene @ Adventures in Weight Loss
That looks delicious! I can't wait to pick up the crescent rolls and sausage to give it a try.
Emily
This looks so yummy! I am definitely going to be giving this a try! I love the idea of sending in a recipe for you to make better. I try to do it on my own, but I never know how well I manage 🙂 You are very inspiring for me and have absolutely gotten me to try new healthier options in the kitchen. Thanks!