Johnny Marzetti

This easy Johnny Marzetti casserole is a traditional Ohio recipe that is a great make-ahead casserole for potlucks because it serves a crowd! This ground beef and sausage casserole is full of noodles, cheese and Italian flavor.

I’ve lived in the midwest all my life. I complain about the state often, mostly because of the strange weather we have. In all honestly though, I love that we can experience snow one week and 70 degrees the next. Yes, it wreaks havoc on my allergies and sinuses, but Ohio can be very pretty.

About Johnny Marzetti Casserole:

So what is Johnny Marzetti? Although I’m sure the recipe has changed from its original version over time, It’s really just a casserole with ground beef, sausage, noodles, tomatoes, cheese and a few chopped veggies. It’s similar to American goulash. But it has an Italian flair which my kids love.

This recipe serves about 10-15. It’s a great make-ahead casserole or potluck dish. I doubled this recipe to serve our church group of about 25 people and still had some for leftovers the next night, so it definitely serves a crowd!

How to Make Johnny Marzetti

There are several steps to making this casserole, but I promise they are easy!

• Cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente. Our elbow mac took about 7 minutes to al dente perfection. Penne pasta works well, too.
• While the pasta is cooking, start browning the beef and ground pork sausage in a large skillet. Once it is browned and crumbly, drain off any fat, then add all of the veggies, spices and flavor. Cook the mixture for an additional 5 minutes to blend the flavors.
• Add the tomato sauce and tomatoes.
• Then you start layering! This will completely fill a 9×13 pan. I use a pan that is just ever so slightly bigger than 9×13 to be sure there is plenty of room.
• Here’s the layers: cooked noodles, Italian cheese and meat sauce.
• You’ll cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake the casserole for 45 minutes. Then remove the foil and sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the top. Bake again until the cheese is melted, about 5-10 minutes.
• If you’d like the cheese to be slightly crisp and brown, broil the casserole on low for 3 minutes. Be sure to watch it closely though!

Can you make this with egg noodles?

If you’d like you can swap out the pasta noodles for egg noodles and cook just the same as shown below. Feel free to use other shapes of pasta, too.

What to Serve with Johnny Marzetti

• Lettuce Salad
• Italian Green Beans
• Sparkling Fruit Salad
• Asiago Bread

Storage

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. This casserole also freezes well for up to 6 weeks.

Johnny Marzetti Recipe

4.65 from 39 votes

This easy Johnny Marzetti casserole is a traditional Ohio recipe that is a great make-ahead casserole for potlucks because it serves a crowd! This ground beef and sausage casserole is full of noodles, cheese and Italian flavor.

Servings 15

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

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Ingredients

 

US Customary – Metric

• 8 ounces elbow macaroni
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 pound mild Italian sausage
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 14.4 ounces diced tomatoes (with juice)
• 23 ounces tomato sauce (1 15 ounce can and 1 8 ounce can)
• 2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend or mozzarella cheese
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Cook the macaroni in a large pot according to package directions until it is al dente (about 6-8 minutes). 
• Drain the pasta and run cold water over it. Set aside.
• Brown the ground beef and sausage in a skillet over medium heat until it is completely browned and crumbly. Drain off any fat. 
• Add the onion, bell peppers, garlic, oregano, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, pepper flakes and garlic salt. Cook and stir for an additional 5 minutes to soften the vegetables.
• Add the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Stir well.
• Spray a large casserole dish (9×13 size or slightly larger) with cooking spray.
• Spread the pasta over the bottom of the prepared pan.
• Sprinkle the Italian cheese blend over the pasta.
• Spread the meat sauce over the pasta and cheese. 
• Cover the pan with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
• Remove the foil, sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the casserole and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, uncovered, until the cheese is melted.
• Add salt and black pepper to taste.

Notes

The calories shown are based on the recipe making 15 servings, with 1 serving about ¾ cup to 1 cup of casserole. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate.

Nutrition

Calories: 302kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 561mg | Potassium: 393mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 350IU | Vitamin C: 8.8mg | Calcium: 141mg | Iron: 1.9mg

Author Julie Clark

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Calories 302

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