Meet your new favorite family dinner. This hearty casserole is made with crowd-pleasing (and inexpensive ingredients!) like ground beef, canned tomatoes, and pasta. It reminded several of our recipe testers of classic goulash. Get our Test Kitchen's take on the classic Johnny Marzetti casserole recipe. This big-batch meal feeds 12 and reheats beautifully.
Why Is it Called Johnny Marzetti Casserole?
While the history of the casserole isn't clearly known, the general consensus is that it was created at Marzetti's restaurant in the 1920s by Teresa Marzetti. The dish was named after her brother-in-law, Johnny. The restaurant was close to Ohio State where the hearty dish became popular with students. The cheesy casserole has grown in popularity ever since.
Johnny Marzetti Casserole Ingredients
Here's a quick look at what you'll need to make this ground beef casserole at home.
- Meat: A combination of ground beef and Italian sausage is the base of the casserole. Choose a lean ground beef like 90/10 or 93/7.
- Veggies: Chop onions, garlic, and bell pepper. You'll saute them before adding them to the casserole dish.
- Tomatoes: Two kinds of canned tomatoes provide flavor and texture to the dish. Our recipe testers found that tomato sauce and diced tomatoes made the best combination.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Add savory flavor with a few dashes.
- Sugar: Round out the sweetness of the tomatoes with a bit of brown sugar.
- Seasonings: Add crushed red pepper and dried oregano. If you want less spice, omit the pepper flakes.
- Pasta: Cook your elbow macaroni according to package directions before adding to the casserole.
- Cheese: Mix in shredded cheese and top with more before baking. You'll need both Italian blend cheese and cheddar cheese.
How to Make This Johnny Marzetti Casserole Your Own
The great thing about this casserole recipe is how easy it is to customize. Here are a few of our favorite ways to make this dish your own.
- Change up the meat: If you don't like the flavor of Italian sausage, try using all ground beef. If you want a little more heat in the recipe, try using hot Italian sausage instead of mild.
- Add veggies: Try tossing in spinach, chopped kale, or broccoli if you'd like an extra serving of vegetables.
- Try a different pasta: The classic casserole is made with macaroni noodles but you could easily use shells, penne, or fusilli.
- Swap the cheese: Rather than a blend of Italian and cheddar cheese, use all of one or the other.
What to Serve with Johnny Marzetti Casserole
The great thing about this casserole is that it's almost a complete meal in on pan. If you're hoping to round out the plate with more veggies, try serving the dish with steamed veggies, roasted broccoli, or a fresh green salad. It's also delicious with a nice crusty piece of garlic bread.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 3-quart rectangular baking dish with nonstick spray.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 3-quart rectangular baking dish with nonstick spray.
- In a 4-to 5-quart Dutch oven cook ground beef, sausage, onion, and green pepper over medium-high heat until meat is browned, 8 minutes. Drain and discard fat.
In a 4-to 5-quart Dutch oven cook ground beef, sausage, onion, and green pepper over medium-high heat until meat is browned, 8 minutes. Drain and discard fat.
- Add garlic, cook 1 minute more. Add tomato sauce, undrained diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, oregano, and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, uncovered 5 to 10 minutes to develop flavor.
Add garlic, cook 1 minute more. Add tomato sauce, undrained diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, oregano, and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, uncovered 5 to 10 minutes to develop flavor.
- Add cooked macaroni to the prepared baking dish. Top with Italian blend cheese. Spoon meat and sauce mixture evenly over the cheese layer. Cover with foil.
Add cooked macaroni to the prepared baking dish. Top with Italian blend cheese. Spoon meat and sauce mixture evenly over the cheese layer. Cover with foil.
- Bake 45 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake 5 minutes more or until melted and bubbly.
Bake 45 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake 5 minutes more or until melted and bubbly.