Johnny Marzetti Casserole
This Johnny Marzetti Casserole is a classic Midwestern comfort food that's especially popular in Ohio. It's a baked casserole made with ground beef, elbow macaroni, tomato sauce, and cheese. In this version, there's no need to boil the pasta first — it cooks right in the oven with everything else, making it easy and saving you extra dishes.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 389kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced (or 2 teaspoons jarred minced garlic)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups (8 ounces) uncooked elbow macaroni
- 1 24-ounce jar pasta sauce
- 2 cups hot water (doesn’t need to be boiling)
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes in tomato juice undrained
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
Optional Garnishes:
- Freshly-cracked pepper
- Chopped fresh parsley or basil
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
- Brown Beef and Aromatics: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef until it's mostly browned (about 4-5 minutes), breaking it up as it cooks. Then add diced onion and garlic. Continue cooking another 3-4 minutes, until beef is fully browned and onions are soft. Spoon out excess grease if needed.
- Season Beef: Stir in Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook 1 more minute to let seasoning bloom.
- Assemble in Baking Dish: Pour cooked beef mixture into prepared baking dish. Add uncooked pasta, pasta sauce, hot water, diced tomatoes (with juices), and 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese.
- Stir Everything Together: Stir well until everything is evenly mixed and pasta is coated. Make sure pasta is mostly submerged in liquid (press it down with a spoon, if needed). If not submerged, add a little more hot water (2-4 Tablespoons).
- Cover and Bake: Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
- Uncover and Finish Baking: Remove foil, carefully stir everything, then sprinkle remaining ½ cup cheese over top. Return to oven uncovered and bake 10 more minutes, until cheese is melted and pasta is fully cooked.
- Let Rest Then Serve: Let casserole sit uncovered for 5-10 minutes to help it set (this makes scooping easier). If there's still excess liquid, wait a few minutes longer or gently stir to help absorption. You can also return it briefly to the oven uncovered if needed. Add optional garnishes then serve.
Video
Notes
Making Casserole In Advance: Assemble everything in the baking dish, cover, and refrigerate. Bake it within 24 hours, adding an extra 5-10 minutes to the covered baking time since it will be chilled.
Refrigerator Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or covered in the oven at 350 degrees F until warmed through.
Freezing and Reheating Instructions: Let the casserole cool completely, then store it tightly covered in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating in the oven at 350 degrees F until warmed through, or microwave individual portions. You might want to add a little extra sauce or cheese if it seems dry.
Nutrition
Serving: 1.25cups | Calories: 389kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 402mg | Potassium: 365mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 218IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 177mg | Iron: 2mg