Johnny Marzetti
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It’s the season for sharing, and this Johnny Marzetti recipe is a simple, satisfying cheesy ground beef casserole that can feed a crowd!
If you love classic Midwestern ground beef casseroles, you might also want to try our Ground Beef and Potatoes Skillet, Company Casserole, and Green Bean Tater Tot Casserole.
Table of Contents
Easy Ground Beef Casserole for a Crowd
I imagine at this point in our blogging relationship, most of you realize how much I enjoy sharing food with others. It’s by far my favorite gift to give. One of my greatest joys is seeing the look of pleasure and satisfaction on someone’s face as they enjoy a home cooked meal.
However, as much as I love sharing food, I don’t do it nearly as much as I would like. You know why? It’s because I think it has to be perfect.
I want the table to be set with pretty dishes and freshly ironed linens. I want the house to be clean, the mood music to be playing softly, and the candles to be lit. I want the meal to dazzle, the wine to be a flawless match, and the dessert to leave just the right touch of sugar on my guest’s tongue.
But all of these expectations only serve to stress me out and keep me from doing the thing I love most: inviting people to gather at my table and share good food.
This Johnny Marzetti casserole is my answer to the hospitality stress factor. This dish isn’t fancy, expensive, or elaborate. It’s just good, homey, satisfying food that can feed a crowd. Actually, make that an army.
Johnny Marzetti: A Midwestern Favorite
This casserole was literally crafted for sharing. According to the Ohio History Central, it was developed by Teresa Marzetti right here in Columbus, Ohio.
Ever heard of Marzetti dressings? Yeah, that’s the Marzetti family we’re talking about. The Marzetti family were Italian immigrants who settled in Columbus and started their own Italian restaurant.
The Marzetti restaurant was located downtown, near the broke and hungry masses of Ohio State University students. Johnny Marzetti, named for Teresa’s brother-in-law, was created specifically as a cheap but delicious way to feed hungry souls.
The original Johnny Marzetti recipe was a humble mixture of noodles, ground beef, tomato sauce, and cheese and was sold for just 45 cents.
The dish was a raving success, and it’s fame spread throughout the Midwest, even showing up in school cafeterias for decades. In Ohio, Johnny Marzetti remains a common household name, and still serves as a hearty and satisfying meal.
How to Make Johnny Marzetti
While there are many different variations of Johnny Marzetti, I like to keep mine simple, just like the original.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees then bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a pound of macaroni noodles and cook until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- In the meantime, you can make the ground beef filling. Start by sauteing green pepper, mushrooms, and onions in a bit of olive oil. Add in ground beef and continue to cook until it’s browned. Drain off any excess grease, then add diced tomatoes and sauce along with salt, pepper, oregano, Italian herbs, garlic, and a bit of sugar.
- Stir in the noodles and a blend of cheddar and Italian cheeses then transfer the beef mixture to a 9 x 13 inch pan. Add more cheese to the top until the whole thing is melty, browned, and bubbly.
Substitutions and Notes for Ground Beef Casserole
This Johnny Marzetti recipe makes enough to feed a small army, so it’s a great excuse to invite your neighbors (or the whole town) over and share a meal with them.
Here are a few common substitutions:
- If you’re short on time, or just don’t like them, feel free to skip the sauteed mushrooms and peppers.
- You can substitute one pound of Italian sausage in the ground beef mixture for a little extra kick.
- Different kinds of pasta can be used, but they will need to cook slightly longer than the macaroni.
What to Serve with Johnny Marzetti
This is a really nice comfort food to take to new moms or grieving families.
Add some cheesy homemade garlic bread and an Easy Garden Salad and you have a complete meal.
We also like pairing this with Garlic Green Beans, That Good Salad, or Cucumber Tomato Salad.
Johnny Marzetti
Ingredients
- 1 lb. macaroni pasta
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion (chopped)
- 1 green pepper (chopped)
- 8 ounces mushrooms (chopped)
- 2 lbs. ground beef (or swap 1 lb. for Italian sausage)
- Salt and pepper
- 28 oz tomato sauce
- 14 oz diced tomatoes, drained
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon Italian herbs
- Pinch sugar
- 2 cups cheddar cheese (divided)
- 2 cups Italian blend cheese (divided)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil for the macaroni. Cook the macaroni until on the firmer side of al dente, about 7 minutes. I like to under do it because it will continue to soften in the casserole. Drain the pasta, then return it to the pot and set aside.
- In the meantime, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, green pepper, and mushrooms to the skillet and saute until softened, about five minutes. Add the ground beef and cook until no pink remains. Drain the fat off the beef mixture, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, garlic, oregano, Italian herbs, and sugar to the beef mixture. Allow it to simmer for five or so minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Carefully pour the beef mixture into the pot with the noodles and stir to combine. Add 1 cup of cheddar cheese and 1 cup of Italian blend to the mix. Pour the mixture into a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. Top with the remaining 2 cups of cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cheese is golden and melted. Top with parsley for serving.
Notes
- If you’re short on time, or just don’t like them, feel free to skip the sauteed mushrooms and peppers.
- You can substitute one pound of Italian sausage in the ground beef mixture for a little extra kick.
- Different kinds of pasta can be used, but they will need to cook slightly longer than the macaroni.
Nutrition
For more information about Johnny Marzetti, check out this story from Canton Rep.
Would not adding cheese to the top be okay? Didn’t know if it would make it dry out without the topping.
It might get a little dry and crispy if there are noodles that are sticking out of the sauce, especially around the edges.
I grew up with on this stuff. I was born in Columbus in 1969. My Mom made this often as well as my Grandma. This recipe is amazing! Such great comfort food. I used ground beef and spicy chicken with casings removed. Five stars!!
Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and let me know, Barbara! We’re so glad you enjoyed this classic Johnny Marzetti.
Do you have any nutritional information for the Johnny Marzetti?
I just put mine in the oven and I can’t wait until the timer goes off! 2 or my “kids” are in Columbus and I’m in Cleveland. This is the recipe I remember! Thank you so much!!
I am 78 & my mother is 99 in a nursing home. We are in Cleveland,OHIO. She made this all the time but with Campbell’s tomato soup and lots of parmesan cheese and noodles is all I can remember. I know it is summer but…I just started my 6 month journey for snap in dentures and I need soft easy to eat food now. Have misplaced her recipe and her memory is not as before. Of course she made it for my daughter and my sister’s 3 boys. My brother’s kids not so much due to picky eater syndrome and an allergy. I think I can figure out her recipe from yours-just half of everything because just me. Yes, they do have great salad dressings. My daughter went to Denison University and then The Ohio State for post graduate BUT then married an Englishman she met there and left Ohio for Sheffield, England 18 years ago. She is a great cook(better than me) like her grandma and has introduced his English family to American dishes like macaroni salad which they never had and now they love it. Thank you for the recipe and I enjoyed all the comments so much. Still in Ohio but who knows where I’ll end up. But no matter what I think this state is a pretty great place to live.
I am from the Eastern Suburbs of Pittsburgh. We never had Johnny Marzetti at home, so it was a treat at school. Now live on the other side of the world. When I make it I get a lot of “why didn’t I think of that” looks. Kids always eat it and for me it always reminds me of school days in the 60s, which was much less complicated than what the grandchildren have to deal with. Johnny Marzetti at Granma’s house is 100% comfort.
I grew up in Columbus Ohio in the 60s and my mother made Johnny Marzetti frequently. I made this recipe the other night and it turned out amazing. I added a little cream cheese and substituted a half pound of hot breakfast sausage. Other than that went by the recipe. Best one I’ve ever made.
Finally found it. I use to love when it was Johnny Marzzeti day at school. This winter I started thinking about how much I use to look forward to having Marzzeti. Tried a couple of recipes and they were terrible an wound up in the garbage. Then I found this recipe. Oh my goodness, this is exactly the way I remember it. I had two big helpings last night and two helpings this morning. I normally am not a big eater but this just so satisfied my craving. The rest of family enjoyed as well. Looking forward to having it again tonight.I did use half Italian sausage. I definitely will be making again.
I’m so glad it reminded you of the recipe you had as a child and satisfied that craving! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
Easy to make and a big hit with our church youth group. Thank you!
So glad to hear it! Thanks for sharing!
I’m 86 and grew up in Columbus and love Johnny Marzetti. My mother made her own noodles and later on added kidney beans to stretch the dish and added slices of Velveta cheese through the dish and put a little milk in before going into the oven and it made a wonderful sauce. Wishshe could make it for me now I love it and so did my two boys when I made it for them. Thank you for putting the receipt out there, lovedtheir restaurant
I grew up in a small town in Western PA and mom made it frequently. We all loved it and at age72 I’m still making it. As others have said we just called it Marzetti. I am a single household and will have to make a smaller version, no room in the freezer. What memory!
Born in Columbus, I grew up in Tallmadge (yes, I can pronounce Cuyahoga – kai-ah-hoe-gah) and loved having Johnny Marzetti in the 1970s and ’80s as a staple growing up. We loved it even without the onions (though now I appreciate them a lot more). I’ve been missing this dish for far too long now. I’ve gotta make it tonight.