Julie Clark
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Cheesy Italian Casserole with Ground Beef (Foolproof Layered Bake)
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Italian casserole is a baked pasta dish layered with tube pasta, seasoned ground beef, marinara and melted cheese, all baked until bubbly and golden brown.
The sour cream and provolone cheese in this Italian bake melts into a ribbon that gives every bite taste like lasagna.
It bakes in a 9×13″ pan and serves 10-12. It holds up nicely as leftovers and can be frozen for meal-prep, too. It’s the perfect meal for new moms and sick friends, alongside our everything Italian bread.
Try our pizza pasta and million dollar spaghetti, too!
What is the difference between Italian casserole and baked ziti?
Italian casserole and baked ziti are very similar. Baked ziti is made with ziti pasta and is often just pasta, sauce and cheese.
Italian casserole is the heartier version and includes seasoned ground beef and sour cream & provolone for a lasagna casserole. This recipe started as a baked ziti but grew into the recipe that my family loves now.
What you need to make Italian Casserole
This Italian casserole has pantry and freezer staples. No strange ingredients that will have you running last minute to the grocery store!
- When I originally posted this Italian casserole recipe, it was a baked ziti casserole. Ziti can sometimes be hard to find, so any tube pasta will work.
- Ground beef is kid friendly, but ground Italian sausage, ground chicken or ground turkey will work as well.
- My favorite marinara sauce is Rao’s marinara, but use a spaghetti sauce that you like the flavor of.
✨ See the recipe card below for full ingredients and amounts. ✨
How Do you Make Italian Casserole?
- In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef and onion together until the meat is no longer pink. Drain off the fat. Add the spaghetti sauce and stir the beef mixture to mix.
- While the meat mixture is cooking, boil ziti according to package directions in another pot.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Spread half the noodles in the bottom of the dish. Layer the provolone cheese, sour cream and then half the sauce on top. Add the rest of the ziti. Sprinkle 6 ounces of shredded mozzarella over top the ziti.
- Top with the remaining sauce, parmesan cheese and the remaining mozzarella.
- Bake for 35 minutes. If you’d like the top to get a touch of brown, broil the casserole for 2-3 minutes on high. Watch carefully! Season with salt and pepper to taste.
What to Serve with an Italian Casserole
What can you serve with this baked Italian casserole?
Try cheesy garlic bread (with our roasted garlic) or asiago bread toasted with butter, roasted veggies or a side salad with tomatoes and cucumbers or our Italian sub salad.
Need an appetizer? Try our Italian tomato sandwiches or whipped ricotta.
For dessert, serve with brown sugar butter cookies, sweet potato pound cake or strawberry bread.
How many servings does this make?
This Italian casserole serves 10-12 people making it a great potluck casserole. Don’t have that many to serve? Split it into two smaller 8×8 pans and give one away. Divide the remaining casserole into lunch portions and freeze for your hubby to take to work or children to take to school.
Can you make this in advance?
Assemble the Italian casserole and freeze to bake at another time. Wrap the pan in plastic wrap, then wrap again in aluminum foil. Then freeze for up to 8 weeks.
The day before you want to bake it, allow the casserole to defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Take the casserole out of the fridge one hour before baking, then bake as the recipe suggests. Make sure it is heated through to at least 165ºF in the center of the casserole.
Baked Italian Casserole with Ground Beef
This easy baked Italian Casserole recipe is a layered with pasta, ground beef and creamy cheese. It makes a large casserole and is great for leftovers.
Servings 12 servings
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef round (at least 85% lean)
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 48 ounces spaghetti sauce
- 16 ounces ziti noodles or penne pasta
- 12 slices provolone cheese
- 2 cups sour cream
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef and onion together until the meat is no longer pink. Drain off the fat. Add the spaghetti sauce and stir to mix. 2 pounds ground beef round, ½ cup chopped onion, 48 ounces spaghetti sauce
- While the meat is cooking, boil ziti according to package directions in another pot. 16 ounces ziti noodles
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
- Spread half the noodles in the bottom of the dish. Layer the provolone cheese, sour cream and then half the sauce on top. Add the rest of the ziti. Sprinkle 6 ounces of the shredded mozzarella over the ziti, and reserve the remaining 2 ounces for the top. 12 slices provolone cheese, 2 cups sour cream, 8 ounces mozzarella cheese
- Top with the remaining sauce, the parmesan and the reserved 2 ounces of mozzarella. ⅓ cup parmesan cheese
- Bake for 35 minutes. If you'd like the top to get a touch of brown, broil the casserole for 2-3 minutes on high. Watch carefully!
Video
Notes
- For easy serving, spread a thin layer of sauce across the bottom of the dish before the first layer of noodles so nothing sticks.
- Want more flavor? Add minced garlic or a tablespoon of our Italian sausage seasoning.
- Don’t like sour cream? Try a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup to add creaminess instead.
Nutrition
Serving: 295g | Calories: 513kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 903mg | Potassium: 765mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1047IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 345mg | Iron: 4mg
Best baked ziti that I have ever eaten. Love the sour cream instead of ricotta! I added some garlic, but other than that, it’s delicious!!!
what cheese may i sub for provolone ?
Made this for dinner just to have something different and my grandson who is a very picky eater enjoyed it so much he ate 2 helpings.
I don’t normally comment on recipes, but when my toddler, husband and I gobbled this meal up faster than you can imagine you know it’s a hit. Easy to make, good for a group and delicious!
Hi! If I’m going to use your homemade sauce recipe for the Ziti, should I not add the ground beef to both? Thanks!
Love this recipe! My son always request this for his Birthday dinner!
SO good. I doubled this recipe and made it for our baseball potluck. It came out better than expected. I did not use any meat or onions though. I used Pregos chunky Tomato, garlic, onion spaghetti sauce and it came out delicious!
Do you think it’s possible to pre-make this but let it sit in the fridge overnight and bake the next day?
Has anyone ever commented that the dish is too shallow? I just premade everything and will bake it in about another 2 hours–the pasta is almost over the brim. I have a 9×13 Pyrex dish. I’m so wondering what’s going to happen in the oven!!! Lol. I might put foil or a pan underneath. I’m excited to try it, though.
This recipe was great. Very easy to prepare and the taste is awesome. I used turkey instead of beef and I also added Italian sausage. Will prepare again.
Delicious! Had to use a bigger than 9×13 pan tho. My husband told me this was the best baked ziti I’ve ever made! Thank u!!
Love the sour cream in this recipe! I have never heard of using that!! I usually use cream cheese, but that is a bit rich. Thanks for sharing! This is a #10!!
I made it the first time using sour cream. ..not happy with it…using ricotta this time…
I just have to tell you that this dish has become a favorite family special!! I mean it is at the top of the list of ‘makes’. Thank.you.so.much. Lasagna is an absolute favorite in our home, but I don’t always have the time to make it – now with this dish, no problem – it is the best substitute!!
Yes! The creaminess is kicked up by the addition of sour cream. 🙂