Pizza Spinach Casserole

This casserole takes pizza flavors and layers them lasagna-style with spinach on the bottom, seasoned ground beef in pizza sauce, store-bought ravioli, cottage cheese, and black olives all topped with Parmesan. The recipe makes two full casseroles, so you bake one tonight and freeze the other for a busy weeknight later.

Ravioli stands in for pasta sheets here, and they bring their own filling to the party. No need to boil them first since they cook through in the oven while soaking up the pizza sauce and meat juices. Skip the sauce packet that comes with the ravioli and let the pizza sauce do all the seasoning.

Cottage cheese instead of ricotta gives the layers a lighter, tangier texture. Squeeze the thawed spinach dry before spreading it in the dish. Waterlogged spinach will make the bottom of the casserole soupy instead of set.

Pro Tips

• Squeeze thawed spinach in a clean kitchen towel until no more liquid drips out. This single step makes or breaks the casserole.
• Brown the beef in a very hot pan for better flavor. If the pan isn’t hot enough, the meat steams instead of browning.
• Line the freezer casserole with foil so you can pop it out of the dish once frozen and wrap it for storage, freeing up your baking dish.
• Let a frozen casserole stay covered for the first hour of baking, then uncover to brown the top.

Variations

• Add a layer of shredded mozzarella for a gooier, more pizza-like finish.
• Swap ground beef for Italian sausage for a spicier version.
• Use fresh baby spinach instead of frozen for a brighter green layer.