Pizza Lasagna: A Perfect Party Food

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I grew up in a home with parents who loved football. Every Sunday, every Thursday night game, every Saturday college football game, you can bet that one or both of them were on the couch, watching. They were really into it, later becoming season ticket holders for the local football team here. It was always fun to be a part of the cheering with my entire family. We all love sports and we’d frequently get together to watch games. With that, of course, food was always involved. Whether it was a college football game, or the big game, we would have a spread that absolutely no one could possibly turn their noses at.

We have finger foods, plenty to drink, spicy foods, refreshing foods, appetizers, entrees, snacks, dessert. There was no shortage of food to eat. And, really, sometimes it’s zero percent about the food at all. Food is just a conduit (although the best conduit there is) to time spent together. That’s what I value the most about football. It’s exciting to watch, especially with a group of people who are so passionate about their teams, but it’s also the best thing ever to just be gathered together, paper plates in hand, piled high with all the goods, and a solo cup to go along with it. My parents are hardcore Publix lovers. We all are. When you grow up just 45 minutes from the Publix Corporate offices, you feel the love for Publix in your bones. (Go ahead and ask a Floridian so they can confirm).

Birthday parties, celebratory showers, and football viewing parties were all planned with Publix elements. From pre-made spreads to custom orders, Publix has it all. You can even find themed decorations around certain times of the year. There is frequently no need to go to a specialty party store because Publix is my one-stop shop. Plus those details that are important, yet less impressive like the need for garbage bags to clean up after and lots of ice to drink our favorite drinks with.

Plus, Publix has the coveted Dr Pepper®, which has been a part of college football for 25 years. It’s the official drink of college football fans because it’s one of a kind flavor pairs well with all the food you’d normally associate with big sports gatherings, like football parties and tailgating. If you love Dr Pepper as much as I do, lookie here: Find Dr Pepper at your local Publix and learn about your chance to win a sweepstakes for tickets to the SEC Championship Game! There are also (50) instant win prizes, each worth a $50 gift card. Visit this site for more details*!

How do you participate in football parties or tailgating? Are you a host? Are you a guest? Do you bring food or drinks to share? Whatever your answer, I have some tips for you:

• Remember who your guests (or fellow football fans are) and make something they’ll enjoy.
• If there are children in attendance, it wouldn’t hurt to have a little something they’ll appreciate as well!
• Bust out the permanent markers, a necessity to label your cups. When you get so much into the game that you forget where you set down your cup during that exciting touchdown, you’ll be thankful for the label.
• Don’t just stop at finger food. Finger food is wonderful, of course, but think about a meal that guests can enjoy too! Especially during halftime, it would be nice to have something prepared so everyone can sit around the table together.
• Have fun! Get creative, make some food mashups, decorate for your favorite team.

Speaking of mashups, this pizza lasagna is all the rage in my house lately, and for family gatherings. It’s a mashup of two foods that we all love so much, right? Lasagna and pizza. And, it’s very easy to make. You could even assemble everything ahead of time and bake when your guests arrive, or right before you’re due to be at someone’s house for the game.

I chose to make my pizza lasagna with pepperoni and mild Italian sausage, but feel free to use whatever you’d normally enjoy on your pizza! The assembly process is the same, and it’ll taste like your favorite pizza! It’s easy to put together and because football parties are so informal anyway, you don’t have to layer the lasagna just so. It doesn’t have to be pretty or over-the-top impressive. It just has to be tasty, and trust me, it will be. And then, go ahead, pair it with Dr Pepper. Your guests will love you for it.

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Must be U.S. legal resident residing in AL, FL, GA, NC, SC, TN or VA, 18 or older. For Official Rules/mail-in entry, print your name and residential address on a 3×5 card & mail to: 2018 Dr Pepper Southeast SEC Football Championships Sweepstakes, PO Box 6136, Dept. P, Clear Lake, MN 55319. Mark env. with entry or rules. Sponsor: Dr Pepper/Seven Up, Inc., 5301 Legacy Drive, Plano, TX 75024. DR PEPPER IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF DR PEPPER/SEVEN UP, INC. ©2018 DR PEPPER/SEVEN UP, INC.

Print Recipe

Pizza Lasagna

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 10 ounces no-boil lasagna noodles (I’ve used both “regular” noodles and gluten-free, they both worked)
• 1 pound mild Italian sausage
• ½ package of pepperoni (you can also use turkey pepperoni)
• 16 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
• 32 ounce jar of your favorite marinara sauce
• Fresh basil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425*F.
2. In a pan over medium heat, heat up the olive oil. Once hot, add the sausage and cook, breaking up into small pieces, until completely cooked through. Remove from heat.
3. In a casserole dish, spread a thin layer of marinara sauce. Assemble by layering, in order: marinara sauce, lasagna noodles (break them apart to get into all corners of the dish), mozzarella cheese, and finally toppings. Repeat until you are at the top of your casserole dish, ending with the toppings of your choice.
4. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 20 minutes.
5. Top with fresh basil and serve!

Cook times may vary. Check your lasagna noodle box for guidelines.