Baked Italian Casserole with Ground Beef

closeup of a spoonful of baked ziti casserole

4.73 from 47 votes

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.

Prep Time20

Cook Time35

Total Time55

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: servings

Calories: 513kcal

Author: Julie Clark

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, 1/2 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 9x13-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. 1/3 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.

The calories shown are based on the recipe being divided into 12 servings, with 1 serving being 1/12 of the recipe. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate.

Nutrition