Meat Lover’s Pizza Hot Dish

My week with the kids. Detroit thaw. The streets full of potholes the size of sinks. Thursday Jerome and I took our breaks together and talked restaurant. The dream is closer than it was a year ago.

Pop's in the recliner. Tigers on. Sugar in range this week. Sunday at Mama's. She made greens with hambone the way she has since 1985.

Pulled chicken Saturday — slow-roasted thighs, BBQ sauce, sandwiches on Hawaiian rolls.

Aiden's 10. The youth basketball league. I'm coaching. He's the best player on the team and he knows it. Zaria's 8. Helps me cook on a step stool. Has opinions about the seasoning.

I called Mama Sunday night. She picked up on the second ring. She always picks up.

The custody calendar holds. Aiden and Zaria alternate weeks. Brianna and I co-parent without drama now. We do not always have to like each other to do this right.

A catering inquiry came in this week — fifty-person family reunion. Booked. Saturday after next.

The basketball court at the rec center got refurbished. New floor. Plays different. Bouncy. I shot a few from the elbow before practice Wednesday. The knee held. The shot fell short.

The kids next door knocked over my trash cans Tuesday night. Their dad made them help me clean up Wednesday morning. Good man. The kids apologized. I gave them each a Capri Sun. Cycle complete.

I cleaned the smoker Sunday morning. Brushed the grates. Emptied the ash. Wiped down the body. The smoker repays attention. So does most everything that matters.

Stopped at Eastern Market Saturday. Got chicken thighs, bacon, a watermelon, and a pound of greens that I did not need but bought anyway. The vendors know me by name now. Three of them asked about the family.

Watched the Tigers Sunday afternoon. Lost in extras. Detroit reflex. I yelled at the TV the way Pop used to yell at the TV. The TV did not respond. The bullpen will probably not respond either.

The grass came in fast this week. Cut it Saturday morning before the heat. The mower had been sitting all winter. Took three pulls to start. Once it ran, it ran. Some things just need patience.

I took a walk around the block Sunday morning. The neighborhood was quiet. The trees were the trees. The light was good. I waved at three porches. The porches waved back. Brookline holds.

Drove past Jefferson North on Tuesday. The plant is still the plant. The trucks coming out. I waved at the gate guard out of habit. He waved back even though he didn't know me. The plant is its own neighborhood.

The Lions on TV Sunday. Lost on a missed field goal. Detroit. The neighborhood collectively groaned at the same moment. You could hear it through the windows.

Mr. Williams across the street had a heart scare. He is okay. We are all watching each other now. I took him a plate of greens and chicken Wednesday. He said, "DeShawn. You're a good neighbor." I said, "We're even, Mr. Williams. You shoveled my walk in 2024." He laughed.

Pop sat in the recliner Sunday. He fell asleep before the third quarter. We covered him with a blanket.

I made grocery lists on the back of envelopes the way Mama did. The list this week was short — onions, garlic, half-and-half, cornmeal, a pound of bacon. The list is the recipe of the week before it happens.

Mama left me a voicemail Wednesday. She said, "DeShawn. Don't forget Sunday." I had not forgotten Sunday. I have not forgotten Sunday in twenty years. The reminder is the love. I called her back.

Saturday was for the smoker and the pulled chicken, but a week like this one — catering booked, practices coached, Mr. Williams checked on, and two kids with opinions about seasoning rotating through the kitchen — deserves a recipe that holds up across all of it. This Meat Lover’s Pizza Hot Dish is the kind of thing Zaria can help layer together on her step stool, Aiden will come back for seconds of without being asked, and that reheats clean the next morning before a long Saturday. The smoker gets the glory, but the casserole dish keeps the week running.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 40 min | Total Time: 1 hr | Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
4 oz pepperoni slices, halved
4 oz thick-cut bacon (about 5 strips), chopped
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jar (24 oz) marinara or pizza sauce
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
12 oz rotini or penne pasta, cooked al dente and drained
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Salt and black pepper to taste
Olive oil for the pan

Instructions

Preheat and prep. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with olive oil and set aside. Cook pasta according to package directions until just al dente, drain, and set aside.
Brown the meats. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon pieces until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving about 1 tablespoon of drippings in the pan. Add the ground beef and Italian sausage to the skillet, breaking up with a spoon, and cook until no pink remains, about 8–10 minutes. Drain excess fat.
Build the base. Add the diced onion and bell pepper to the skillet with the browned meat. Cook over medium heat until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Season with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, red pepper flakes if using, salt, and black pepper.
Combine the filling. Stir in the marinara sauce and drained diced tomatoes. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes, letting the flavors settle. Add the cooked pasta and half the pepperoni to the skillet and fold everything together until well coated.
Layer the dish. Transfer the meat and pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly. Scatter the reserved bacon over the top. Sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella evenly across the surface, then lay the remaining pepperoni on top. Finish with the second cup of mozzarella and all of the Parmesan.
Bake. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 15–20 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and lightly golden at the edges.
Rest and serve. Let the hot dish rest 5 minutes before cutting. Serve directly from the pan.

Nutrition (per serving)

Meat Lover’s Pizza Hot Dish — When the Smoker Rests and the Casserole Dish Steps Up