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Italian Crescent Casserole

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A while back, I had you all help me pick a recipe to take to a potluck party.  Now that the holiday’s are over, I am finally getting around to sharing the recipe I made.  This Italian crescent casserole was another dinner dish that was easy to put together and it was a big hit with everyone who tried it.  It reminded me of a deep dish pizza. Just add a salad on the side and you have a complete meal.

Here is what you need to make the

Italian Crescent Casserole

  • GROUND BEEF
  • GARLIC TOMATO PASTA SAUCE
  • PILLSBURY® REFRIGERATED CRESCENT DINNER ROLLS
  • SHREDDED ITALIAN CHEESE BLEND
  • DRIED BASIL LEAVES
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Italian Crescent Casserole


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1lb ground beef, cooked and drained
  • 1 cup garlic tomato pasta sauce
  • 1can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried basil leaves

Instructions

  1. In skillet, mix cooked beef and pasta sauce. Heat over medium heat until warm.
  2. Separate crescent dough into 8 triangles. Place dough in ungreased 9-inch glass pie plate in spoke pattern, with narrow tips overlapping rim of plate about 3 inches.
  3. Press dough in side and bottom of pan to form crust and cover the pan. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese over dough in the pan.
  4. Spoon meat mixture evenly over cheese.
  5. Bring tips of dough over filling to meet in center; do not overlap.
  6. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese over the dish followed by the basil. Bake at 375°F 15 to 20 minutes.
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Recipe adapted from Pillsbury.
 

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62 comments

Terri November 22, 2022 - 4:03 am

Made this tonight and it came out fantastic! Quick easy dinner and very yummy! I think I’ll add a few more pizza toppings to the meat mixture next time.

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Friha March 31, 2018 - 12:40 am

We don’t get croissant rolls here, so I wanted to know what we can use instead

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Friha March 31, 2018 - 12:38 am

We don’t get croissant rolls here, can we use puff pastry instead?

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Easy Moroccan Lentils Recipe September 25, 2017 - 6:47 pm

[…] Italian Crescent Casserole It’s like a deep dish pizza/lasagna. This dinner is SO quick and easy! […]

Reply
Moroccan Food: Easy and Healthy Lentils Recipe September 17, 2017 - 2:37 pm

[…] Italian Crescent Casserole It’s like a deep dish pizza/lasagna. This dinner is SO quick and easy! […]

Reply
Italian Crescent Casserole – Collector of Recipes February 27, 2017 - 10:34 am

[…] For directions, visit Real Mom Kitchen. […]

Reply
Marcia August 15, 2016 - 1:32 pm

I added fresh garlic & Italian seasoning to the meat and sauce, then simmered the mixture until most of the liquid was gone. Too much liquid may have caused the soggy bottom crust. Thanks for a great recipe! My diners all asked for the recipe!

Reply
Italian Crescent Casserole – Real Mom Kitchen | iwonta0304 January 9, 2016 - 9:02 am Reply
Italian Crescent Casserole | One Human Being's Thoughts and Plans January 8, 2016 - 12:19 pm

[…] Original Recipe […]

Reply
pamela January 3, 2016 - 12:16 pm

So stated under the recipe

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Peggy January 2, 2016 - 2:26 am

Just wondering if these recipes can be made without meats for a more vegetarian friendly meal

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Aaron February 8, 2016 - 12:57 pm

absolutely…I use the Morningstar Farms crumbles instead of meat and its amazing.

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Jaynie from Michigan December 27, 2015 - 6:16 pm

I, too, like to use what I have on hand. I made this recipe with mild Italian sausage, spaghetti sauce, and cheddar/mozzarella cheeses in an 8 inch metal cake pan. I baked it on a cookie sheet on the lowest rack. I didn’t think it would turn out due to all the changes but it was AMAZING! The “crust” was perfectly cooked. Posted to my “Pinterest Proven” board!

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Millie Holbel December 16, 2015 - 6:28 pm

Where is the save the recipe button?

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frenchman2901 June 15, 2015 - 12:30 am

lolz sounds soon good

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Italian Crescent Casserole | February 9, 2015 - 9:31 pm

[…] This recipe was amazingly good! It was another meal that was quick and easy to make and we ate it all up! […]

Reply
Gail October 29, 2014 - 5:11 pm

I admit I’m a slacker when it comes to following a recipe to the letter; I didn’t want to go to the store so I made this recipe with what I had on hand & it turned out great!
Used a tube of pizza dough since I didn’t have the crescent rolls. The pizza dough isn’t as sweet but I think has more leavening so it rose really nicely. Used about 2/3 for the bottom & 1/3 for the top which covered it completely (like a pie crust). Meat was ground turkey & sauce was a 10 oz. can of enchilada sauce. Added lots of onion, fresh garlic, a can of green chili’s & Mexican spices. I had the 4 cheese blend of Fiesta cheese so that’s what went between each layer. Great dish…just a Mexican twist!

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Teresa July 25, 2015 - 10:51 am

Like the Mexican twist. Thanks.

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Morgan July 15, 2014 - 4:51 pm

I made this for dinner and my family loved it! That’s a big deal considering I have a 2 year old and a 5 year old. I added a chopped Vidalia Onion, and one clove of Elephant Garlic, minced, to the meat while cooking it and I used garlic butter flavored crescent rolls. The cooking time for me was 25 minutes. I shared this recipe on a facebook page I use to share recipes of my own and that I find on Pinterest, my followers were also excited to try it. Next time I make it we will try the spin on deep dish pizza.

Reply
Italian Crescent Roll | Collector Of Recipes January 29, 2014 - 6:02 pm

[…] Recipe and photo by Real Mom Kitchen. […]

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ColleenB. January 14, 2014 - 5:39 am

Made this like I do our pizza by adding small can sliced black olives- drained, can mushrooms – drained, mini pepperoni along with diced up Canadian bacon, and diced green bell pepper all added to the meat mixture

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Johannah January 11, 2014 - 11:48 am

Not only does it sound like it would be delicious, it looks amazing too!

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KATHY September 13, 2013 - 2:16 pm

YUM! SO EASY! My 8 yr old was able to do it all minus the oven …
already made it to next weeks menu, they begged for a come back and to double the recipe for the next day’s lunch!
Thanks for sharing!!!!!

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Melanie @ Growing to Four August 21, 2013 - 8:47 am

Made this recipe the other night. It was so good! Thanks for sharing it.

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Carol O. July 2, 2013 - 4:12 pm

We made this and it was VERY good. Baked it on the lowest rack and the bottom was fully cooked and yummy! I had no problems with the recipe and I aredy bought some more crescent roll dough to make it agian with different flavors. (maybe corned beef and cabbage…) Thanks for a YUMMY dinner idea.

Reply
12 Easy and Kid Friendly Meal Ideas - momdoesreviews.com June 20, 2013 - 5:02 am

[…] Italian Crescent Casserole – Speaking of pizza this easy to make substitute can be varied to fit any taste. With store bough crescent roll dough and lots of filling options you can change and create to suit your family. I like to make it with Italian sausage and lots of cheese, but try it out and see what you can come up with. […]

Reply
Ashley June 9, 2013 - 4:59 pm

Made this tonight, and it was delicious! I added pepperoni,and parmesan to my meat mixture! It turned out great!

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Amy May 7, 2013 - 7:05 pm

Kids really enjoyed it, but I did have the same issue of the dough not being fully cooked in the middle. I put the rack in the lowest position in my oven and used a glass dish… Will up the cooking time or precook the dough a little next time.

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Marg April 16, 2013 - 5:47 pm

Found this recipe, and had to make it. It was realy easy to make, and after 20 minutes in my oven, the top and bottom crusts were perfect! Glass pie plate must make the difference. Served with a simple salad, and dinner was easy, quick, and little mess to clean up.
I did use ground soy (soy crumbles?), and it worked great. No browning of beef required. 😀
Thanks for sharing this great recipe!

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Kathryn March 4, 2013 - 6:37 pm

Made this tonight using Rinaldi Garlic/Tomato Spaghetti Sauce with a jar of Walmart brand Pizza sauce and some italian seasoning. Everything else I made just like you said. Used a metal pan as someone threw my pie plates away. It cooked in just 15 minutes, I made 2 pans full thank goodness, IT WAS perfect! Got told I could do this instead of Pizza if I wanted to and they suggested variations on the meat and cheeses! THANK YOU!!!

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Rhonda January 23, 2013 - 2:35 pm

I had trouble getting the triangles to cover the bottom on the 9\ glass dish so I turned the triangles around as per another reader. It worked out fine even with edges over lapping although the bottom wasn’t a complete crust. Might try this again & flatten the triangles out a bit more.

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Sherry Robinsom January 15, 2013 - 5:10 pm

I made this for our supper tonight and it wasn’t just good, it was DELISH! I hate to admit it but my husband and I ate the whole thing! I will definitely make it again and again. Thanks so much for sharing!

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Ann January 14, 2013 - 11:21 am

Going to make this tonight! I have stoneware pie plate…I’m hoping that works well. I used to do Pampered Chef and they use cresent rolls for everything..should work!

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AmyLynn November 17, 2012 - 8:21 am

Made mine with some Italian sausage, everyone loved it!!

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Sandy November 2, 2012 - 4:18 pm

I forgot to add, I use spaghetti sauce mixed in with the hamburger meat, added fresh garlic too.

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Sandy November 2, 2012 - 3:26 pm

Making this tonight for the second time, this is delicious!

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Laura October 27, 2012 - 11:40 am

It is a tomato based sauce.

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Anna October 21, 2012 - 10:45 pm

What pasta sauce is everyone using? Is garlic pasta sauce a marinara, Alfredo??

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LeAna October 27, 2012 - 7:31 am

Anna, I wondere too , so I went to the pilsbury link below and its a tomato sauce. Hope this helps!!!

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Donna F. August 20, 2012 - 5:31 pm

I made this tonight and we devoured the entire thing (2 adults and 2 children). It was simple except I couldn’t fit all 8 crescent triangles so I just tore up the last one and placed it where needed. I make a similar recipe and ALWAYS use a glass pan. If the bottom isn’t golden brown after cooking time, I cover the top with aluminum foil so it does not burn and cook until the bottom crust is golden. This particular recipe only took 15 mins to cook.
It is officially added into our dinner rotation.

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Cynthia August 20, 2012 - 4:59 pm

This dish is super delish!!!! I used ground turkey sausage instead of beef and also added more mozzarella cheese.
Yummy…thanks for sharing!
To Jenlo…if you place your dish on a cookie sheet and cook it on the bottom rack the dough will cook perfectly.

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Lindsay July 31, 2012 - 6:38 pm

I made this tonight and it was SO GOOD! I cooked it on a lower rack in the oven for all 15 minutes and it worked perfectly for me. This is definitely a recipe we’ll make over and over 🙂

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Kelley July 29, 2012 - 12:43 pm

My husband and I just made this recipe last night, but made it with Italian sausage instead of ground beef, and doubled the recipe so that we could bake it in a 13″ x 9″ pan. This will provide dinner for the two of us for 4 days! (And a DELICIOUS dinner, at that!)
We also added a carton of sliced mushrooms and 1/2 onion. We lined the bottom of the pan with a tube of jumbo crescent rolls, put all of the ingredients in the middle, and covered the whole thing with another tube of jumbo crescent rolls.
We were also very generous with multiple Italian seasonings (basil, oregano, Italian seasoning, pizza seasoning, and garlic powder). My husband and I both thought this recipe was absolutely AMAZING! We will definitely be using this recipe when a group comes over for dinner.
I also love the fact that this recipe is super “forgiving,” meaning that you can pretty much mix up the combo in so many different ways, and it’s impossible for it not to come out absolutely delicious. For someone who has to work at not being a perfectionist, this recipe is incredible because perfect measuring is not at all required. 🙂

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Becky July 20, 2012 - 2:35 pm

I made this with mild italian sausage and it was great.

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Tracy May 1, 2012 - 7:20 pm

Laura,
Great recipe. It was easy and QUICK. My family loved it. Next time, I may also add pepperoni and olives.
Thanks!

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Tina February 28, 2012 - 3:57 pm

I found this recipe on Pinterest and had to make it! My family loved it!
I posted the recipe on my blog and tagged you in it!
Thank you!!!
https://grammasinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2012/02/italian-crescent-casserole.html

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Kelly January 20, 2012 - 4:33 pm

I made this with a glass pan tonight and the bottom didn’t cook through. I think I’ll try to precook the dough for a few minutes before adding the filling next time.

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Laura January 20, 2012 - 5:14 pm

My other suggestion would be to place it one level lower in your oven. It may be that the top of your oven is hotter than the bottom. However, pre-cooking is also a great idea. Just cut off the excess that would fold over the top. Pre-cook the bottom for a few minutes. Then add filling and dough triangles on top.

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Jenlo January 18, 2012 - 8:37 am

I used an aluminum pie plate (couldn’t find my glass one), so maybe the key is to use glass?

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Laura January 18, 2012 - 8:52 am

That may be it, try it with glass next time.

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Jenlo January 17, 2012 - 8:39 am

I made this last night, but the center of the crescents on the bottom were total goo. The top was golden and crusty, and the edges near the pie plate were cooked through, but we had to leave the entire center portion because the dough was raw. I even put it back in the oven for another 10 minutes after I cut the first piece. Anybody else have this problem? PS–other than the very center, the rest of the dish was yummy. My family liked it.

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Alison January 17, 2012 - 6:02 pm

That was a concern of mine as well so I put the narrow tips in the bottom of the pie dish and flipped the big end over the top. It says not to overlap, but I did. We are big bread people so having all the yummy bready bits on top and crusty worked great for us.
And frankly, meat, cheese, sauce, and cresent rolls all together can’t go wrong with my boys!

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Alison January 17, 2012 - 7:05 pm

So it turned out really good with the wider ends on top and overlapped! I added mushrooms and think next time I’ll add some corn too.
I should note that tonight was one of our ‘everyone eating at different times and places due to work/school/sports’ and when I went in for a little bit more, the dish was empty!

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Joy January 12, 2012 - 9:26 pm

made this for dinner tonight!! It was SO yummy. After I flipped the ends of the crescents up & put the rest of the cheese on them I sprinkled some seasoning on top it’s suppose to be just like the Carraba’s seasoning I got the recipe from Pinterest. My son even asked for 2nds-OMG that means something in this house:)

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kathy steadman January 12, 2012 - 11:02 am

I might need a picture on the dough part. Doesn’t seem like it’d cover the whole pie plate. do you have to roll it pretty thin?

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Deborah January 12, 2012 - 8:11 am

I’ve made this recipe before, and it was delicious!

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Heather of Kitchen Concoctions January 11, 2012 - 10:24 am

We make a similar recipe all the time in our house. Great winter comfort food!

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CArly January 11, 2012 - 8:36 am

Oooo looks yummy!! DInner anyone??

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Bea May 25, 2013 - 11:49 am

i’m trying this recipe today. I’m confused as to how to place the crescent rolls !

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TERESA January 27, 2014 - 10:30 am

I am confused too. It makes more sense to put the narrow tips on the bottom of the plate, all touching in the center and the wide end at the top of the plate. Isn’t that how it looks in the picture? Can somebody explain? Thank you.

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TERESA January 27, 2014 - 10:33 am

O.K., I just read the directions again. I get it now.

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Carolyn November 16, 2014 - 9:48 am

Your recipe isn’t clear. What do you mean by letting the thin points be 3″ over the pan? Then there must not be any dough on the bottom of the pie dish?

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