Johnny Marzetti Casserole – (Ground Beef Casserole Recipe)
If you have heard of Johnny Marzetti Casserole, a delicious ground beef recipe, you are definitely from the Midwestern USA.
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If you haven’t heard of it, don’t feel bad as I didn’t have a clue what it was (or that it even existed) until I randomly stumbled up it a couple of weeks ago while looking for a good ground beef recipe. My attention was immediately drawn to the title : Johnny Marzetti? Made a casserole? Who’s he? I knew that I loved my Sour Cream Ground Beef Noodle Casserole, and this recipe also using ground beef in a casserole seemed similar, so I HAD to explore this recipe!

The Johnny Marzetti casserole originated at the Italian restaurant Marzetti’s in Columbus, Ohio. The restaurant was established in 1896, but the real local fame came when Teresa Marzetti served up this baked casserole that she named after her brother-in-law Johnny. It was cheap, cheerful and Marzetti’s happened to be right by Ohio State University – full of students looking for cheap, good eats. It soon became famous all over Ohio and the Midwest.
Johnny Marzetti Casserole (Ground Beef Recipe)

A Simple & Easy Ground Beef Casserole
This ground beef recipe is still popular with home cooks today and for good reason. It’s easy, it’s delicious and yes, it’s cheap (ground beef is always cheap!) and cheerful. I love a good ground beef recipe and the Johnny Marzetti casserole has become one of my new favourites.
On a side note, Marzetti’s restaurant is now closed ( has been since 1972) but the name lived on with a line of salad dressings in the States! Who knew?
Ground Beef Recipe – Johnny Marzetti

You have two options to make this casserole, in the oven or in the slow cooker. The slow cooker of course is messier, you will end up with a plate like the one shown above instead of the nicer squares shown below. You also have to make sure that you don’t overcook the noodles in the slow cooker as well, as a lot of slow cookers ‘low” setting is a pretty hot temperature.
Johnny Marzetti Casserole

I feel like the slow cooker version is good for setting right before you head to church on Sundays. If you make sure to cook your noodles to a firm al dente, you won’t have a problem leaving it for two hours to slowly come together and warm up. It does have to do with knowing your slow cooker; mine runs hot so I would cook mine for 1 1/2 hours and then leave it to stay on “keep warm” until we got home. That is perfect.
Side Dishes to Serve with this Casserole
I suggest a nice lighter Homemade coleslaw recipe or my Tex-Mex Corn Salad for some extra zip. You also can’t go wrong with a Dill Cucumber and Tomato Salad or Mexican Coleslaw. What you need is to keep any side dishes light AND full of vegetables, so a salad is the perfect thing. Even a simple green salad will do the trick. This is a heavy pasta casserole so you want to make sure to balance out the meal.
Johnny Marzetti Casserole

You can also prepare this casserole and leave it in the fridge, until an hour before you want to eat or even overnight. I’ve read that leaving it overnight really gets the flavours melding together even better.
So, who here has heard of the Johnny Marzetti casserole before – and if so, where are you from?
Happy cooking!
Love,
Karlynn

Johnny Marzetti Casserole - Slow Cooker or Oven!
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 1 hr
Total Time 1 hr 20 mins

Johnny Marzetti Casserole - the classic Midwest dish that is the perfect comfort food! This is a fabulous ground beef recipe.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: ground beef recipe, johnny marzetti
Servings: 8
Calories: 482 kcal
Author: Karlynn Johnston

Ingredients
  • 2 cups dry rotini pasta
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 pound bulk mild Italian sausage
  • 3/4 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 lb white mushrooms washed and chopped
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 15-16 ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 1 15-16 ounce can tomato sauce
  • 2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded old Cheddar cheese
Instructions
  1. If making in the oven, preheat your oven to 350 °F.
  2. Cook the pasta according to the package directions to a firm al dente. Remember, you are cooking it even further in the oven or crockpot, you don't want mush.
  3. Fry the ground beef and Italian sausage in a large skillet until browned. Mix in the onion and mushrooms and cook until soft. Add in the garlic, saute for 2-3 minutes.
  4. Stir in the Italian seasoning, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Simmer briefly, then set aside and cool for 10 minutes.
  5. Grease or spray the casserole dish or the inside of the slow cooker. Spread a little bit of the sauce on the bottom of the dish/slow cooker, then top with the pasta.
  6. Sprinkle the Italian blend cheese over the pasta, then pour the remaining sauce over the casserole.
  7. Cover and cook in the oven for 45 minutes or in the slow cooker on low for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. When ready, uncover, sprinkle the cheddar cheese on top and then cover again until melted.
  8. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
If you have a slow cooker where "low' is super hot, cut the time to 1 1/2 hours. The slow cooker method is great for when you don't want to use the oven but it's not an all day recipe. As with almost all ground beef recipes that use the slow cooker, you have to cook the ground beef first.

Nutrition Facts
Johnny Marzetti Casserole - Slow Cooker or Oven!
Amount Per Serving
Calories 482Calories from Fat 297
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 33g51%
Saturated Fat 15g75%
Cholesterol 106mg35%
Sodium 556mg23%
Potassium 420mg12%
Total Carbohydrates 15g5%
Dietary Fiber 1g4%
Sugars 2g
Protein 28g56%
Vitamin A8.2%
Vitamin C3.1%
Calcium32.8%
Iron12.8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.