Make Ahead Pizza Tortellini Bake
When it comes to finding dinners the entire family will love, pizza is always a great choice! And with this make ahead pizza tortellini casserole recipe, you can put together a hearty dinner that’s packed with pizza flavor. Your kids will love the delicious combination of pizza toppings and pasta. And you’ll love how simple it is to put together ahead of time and freeze until you’re ready to start cooking.
Looking for kid friendly freezer meals inspired by pizza flavors? I happen to have a whole collection of recipes. In my house, the word “pizza” pretty much guarantees my kids will eat!
- Pizza Buns
- Tater Tot Pizza Casserole
- Slow Cooker Pizza Casserole
- Pizza Stuffed Chicken
- Pepperoni Pizza Rolls
- Pizza Soup
Pizza Tortellini Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 pound cheese tortellini, fresh or frozen
- 4 ounces pepperoni slices
- 2 cups pizza sauce
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 cup onion, minced
- 1/2 cup green pepper, diced
- 2 1/2 ounces can sliced black olives, drained
- 2 cups mozzarella, divided
- optional: 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
Assembly Instructions:
- Place the tortellini, pepperoni slices, pizza sauce, oregano, vegetables, and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese in a large resealable freezer bag.
- Seal the top of the bag and shake to combine all the ingredients together. Reopen bag, remove excess air, and seal.
- Put the other cup of cheese in a medium freezer bag. Seal and staple the small bag to the large bag above the seal.
- Place in the freezer until you’re ready to cook your casserole.
Cooking Instructions:
- Transfer the ingredients to the refrigerator to thaw overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Pour the contents of large freezer bag into a casserole dish. Cover with the reserved mozzarella cheese.
- Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake for 50 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes, until the cheese on top is melted.
Can You Freeze Tortellini Bake?
This quick and easy cheesy tortellini casserole is perfect for meal prepping. That’s because it’s simple to freeze all the ingredients and cook the meal when you’re ready to enjoy it!
There are two different ways you can prepare your tortellini casserole for freezing:
- Freeze the ingredients. For faster prep work on freezing day, try combining all the ingredients for your casserole in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. You can even store all the ingredients in a casserole dish to make it super simple to heat up the meal when it’s time to start cooking.
- Bake the casserole, then freeze it. To reduce the amount of work you have to do on cooking day, try baking the casserole and then freezing it. Follow the preparation instructions for baking the casserole, then allow the dish to cool completely. Cover the pan with foil, then wrap it tightly with plastic wrap before storing it in the freezer to cook in the future.
No matter which preparation method you choose, it’s always a good idea to label your containers so you know exactly what’s inside while it’s in the freezer. Make sure to write the name of the recipe, the date of freezing and the expected expiration date on the container. When stored properly, your baked tortellini will stay good for up to four months in the freezer.
How Do You Thaw a Frozen Casserole?
When you’re ready to enjoy your baked pasta, the ingredients should be thawed before they go into the oven. To safely thaw your pasta bake, transfer the container to the refrigerator the day before you plan to cook it. This will give the ingredients plenty of time to thaw out safely, without the risk of bacteria forming on the food before it makes it into the oven.
Pizza Tortellini Recipe Ideas
This baked casserole is so simple to make, which means it’s perfect for customizing! Try some of these easy substitution ideas as you’re putting your meal plan together to come up with a delicious dinner everyone in your family will love.
- Use marinara sauce. Pizza sauce gives this casserole more of a classic pizza flavor. But if you don’t have any on hand, you can substitute your favorite marinara or meat sauce. Use the same amount of marinara sauce as pizza sauce in the recipe.
- Add more meat. Does your family enjoy meat lover’s pizza? Add to the flavor of your casserole by mixing in more meat. Ground Italian sausage, chopped bacon, diced ham, sliced Canadian bacon, or ground beef all make great additions to your pizza casserole.
- Use meat filled tortellini. Another easy way to add more meat to the casserole is to use meat filled tortellini noodles in place of the cheese filled pasta. Either filling will taste delicious in this easy baked pasta dish.
- Leave out ingredients you don’t like. Do you have picky eaters at home? You can easily adjust the recipe to your family’s tastes by adding and taking away ingredients. If your kids aren’t fans of veggies on their pizza, leave off the peppers, onions, and mushrooms. Or if your family enjoys a variety of toppings on their pizza, try adding even more vegetables to the casserole, like spinach, banana peppers, and zucchini.
What to Serve with Tortellini?
Your family is going to love the delicious combination of ingredients in this baked pasta casserole! And since it’s packed with meat, vegetables, and pasta, it’s a filling dinner all on its own. But if you’re searching for side dish ideas to serve with your tortellini, try one of these easy recipes.
- Garlic bread
- Side salads
- Breadsticks
- Roasted broccoli
- Sautéed green beans
- 1 lb. cheese tortellini fresh or frozen
- 4 oz. pepperoni slices
- 2 cups pizza sauce
- 1 tsp. oregano
- 1/2 cup onion minced
- 1/2 cup green pepper diced
- 2 1/2 oz. can sliced black olives drained
- 2 cups mozzarella divided
- 1/2 cup mushrooms sliced, optional
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Place the tortellini, pepperoni slices, pizza sauce, oregano, vegetables, and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese in a large resealable freezer bag.
-
Seal the top of the bag and shake to combine all the ingredients together. Reopen bag, remove excess air, and seal.
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Put the other cup of cheese in a medium freezer bag. Seal and staple the small bag to the large bag above the seal.
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Place in the freezer until you're ready to cook your casserole.
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Transfer the ingredients to the refrigerator to thaw overnight.
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Preheat the oven to 350°.
-
Pour the contents of large freezer bag into a casserole dish. Cover with the reserved mozzarella cheese.
-
Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake for 50 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes, until the cheese on top is melted.
