Description
A savory, cheese-filled casserole featuring seasoned ground beef, rich pasta sauce, and flaky crescent roll dough. This comforting dish combines Italian flavors with an easy preparation method for a satisfying family meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb ground beef, cooked and drained
- 1 cup Three Cheese Pasta Sauce
- 1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
- 1½ cups shredded Italian cheese blend (6 oz)
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil leaves
Instructions
- Prepare the Meat Sauce – In a skillet, combine the cooked and drained ground beef with the Three Cheese Pasta Sauce. Heat the mixture to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to ensure even heating and to prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan. This creates the flavorful base of your casserole.
- Form the Crescent Crust – Separate the refrigerated crescent dough into 8 triangles. Arrange the triangles in an ungreased 9-inch glass pie plate in a spoke pattern, with the narrow tips overlapping the rim of the plate by about 3 inches. Press the dough against the sides and bottom of the pie plate to form a cohesive crust. Sprinkle 1 cup of the shredded Italian cheese blend evenly over the dough.
- Add Filling and Fold Dough – Spoon the hot meat mixture evenly over the cheese layer. Then, bring the tips of the crescent dough over the filling to meet in the center, creating a decorative top. Be careful not to overlap the dough tips. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of cheese and the dried basil over the top of the casserole.
- Bake to Golden Perfection – Place the assembled casserole in a preheated 375°F oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until the crescent dough is golden brown and the filling is hot and bubbly. Allow to cool slightly before serving to let the filling set.
Notes
- Try adding sautéed onions, bell peppers, or mushrooms to the meat mixture for added flavor and vegetables.
- For a spicier version, add red pepper flakes or use a spicy Italian pasta sauce.
- This dish can be assembled ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to bake. Add an extra 5-10 minutes to the baking time if cooking from cold.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated in the microwave or oven.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main-course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of casserole
- Calories: 405
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 780mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 23g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 24g
- Cholesterol: 70mg