Easy to put together, this dish is easy, quick, and – always a plus! – there is little mess to clean up! This casserole recipe is simple: ground beef, garlic pasta sauce and cheese, it’s all about classic Italian flavors in a flaky crescent crust, ready in about 40 minutes.
Excellent and easy, this Italian Crescent Casserole recipe can be adjusted to your own taste. You can pretty much mix up the combo in so many different ways, and what’s really beautiful is that you can’t go wrong.
Served with a simple salad, this simple dinner is a big hit with everyone.
Italian Crescent Casserole
At a glance
- You’ll need: dried basil, garlic tomato pasta sauce, ground beef, refrigerated crescent dinner rolls, shredded Italian cheese blend
- Serves: 6
- Time: about 40 minutes
Why it works
It is a pizza-and-lasagna mash-up that needs no pasta to boil and no dough to make. A tube of crescent rolls becomes a flaky, buttery crust, the beef and sauce make the filling, and the cheese melts over the top. Five ingredients, one dish, and most of them keep in the cupboard or freezer, which makes it a good “nothing planned for dinner” recipe.
Good to know
- Drain the beef well. Fat left in the pan makes the crust soggy underneath.
- Make it your own. Italian sausage, ground turkey, sliced mushrooms or a handful of spinach all fit. Pepperoni on top turns it into pizza night.
- A pie dish or a square baking dish both work. In a bigger dish the crust is thinner and crisps more.
- Leftovers reheat best in the oven, not the microwave, so the crust stays flaky.
What to serve with it
A green salad with a sharp vinaigrette cuts through the cheese. Garlic green beans, roasted broccoli or a simple cucumber and tomato salad are good too.
Get the full written recipe and helpful tips at Real Mom Kitchen →
Thanks to Laura for this amazing recipe and featured image!
More easy Italian-style dinners
- Easy Italian Casserole – another family-size bake with the same flavours.
- Easy Skillet Lasagna – lasagna in one pan on the stove.
- Philly Cheesesteak Crescent Ring – more fun with a tube of crescent rolls.
- Ham and Cheese Crescent Sandwiches – quick lunch from the same dough.
- Authentic Italian Pasta Sauce – if you want to make the sauce yourself.
Calories, calories, calories!!!
Not to mention sat fat!!!
Looks delicious