Johnny Marzetti Casserole

Johnny Marzetti casserole is an old-fashioned, hearty dish with a peculiar name, at least for a food. The original dish likely dates back to the late 1890s or early 1900s, when a Columbus, Ohio, restaurant owned by a Teresa Marzetti served the dish, named after her brother-in-law, Johnny. Another theory suggests it could have come from a restaurant owned by a John Marzetti during that same time period. Either way, the dish was well loved and well known in the Midwest, especially during the 1950s, when school cafeterias served it regularly. It’s an incredibly simple dish to make, and it’s 100 percent kid-friendly, which is probably why families still serve it more than 100 years later.

Ingredients for Johnny Marzetti Casserole

• Ground beef: The ground beef makes this a meaty casserole, adding protein and texture. As the beef absorbs some of the other flavors in the dish, it becomes even more tasty.
• Onion and green pepper: These two chopped veggies add more flavor to the beef and to the casserole as a whole. They also add their own unique textures. A bell pepper, green pepper is also a good source of vitamins B6 and K, plus potassium.
• Condensed cream of mushroom soup and condensed tomato soup: These two soups, undiluted, team up to create a base for the sauce in Johnny Marzetti.
• Tomato paste: Tomato paste adds more tomato flavor to the dish.
• Seasonings: Salt, dried oregano and pepper flavor this casserole even more.
• Worcestershire sauce: This sauce with a difficult-to-pronounce name adds loads of depth to the flavor.
• Wide noodles: You’ll cook and drain the noodles ahead of time, but there’s no need to keep them warm, since they’ll warm up again in the casserole.
• Shredded cheddar cheese: The cheese adds a lovely, gooey, tangy topping to the casserole.

Directions

Step 1: Cook the beef

In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and green pepper over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink, then drain the liquid out of the skillet.

Step 2: Add the remaining ingredients

Stir in both soups, the tomato paste, salt, oregano, pepper, water, Worcestershire sauce and cooked noodles.

Step 3: Bake the casserole

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spoon the mixture into a greased 3-quart baking dish, then sprinkle the cheddar cheese on top. Cover the dish and bake the casserole for 45 minutes or until it’s heated through.

Johnny Marzetti Casserole Variations

• Use ground turkey: Swap the ground beef for ground turkey; it browns the same way and will provide a similar texture in the finished casserole.
• Add garlic: Chop four or five cloves of garlic and saute them along with the beef, peppers and onions for added garlicky goodness.
• Get corny: Add a small can of corn, drained, to the recipe for a little texture and flavor variation.
• Add mushrooms: If you enjoy mushrooms, add more! Add sliced mushrooms or canned mushroom stems and pieces to the pan when browning the beef.

How to Store Johnny Marzetti Casserole

When the casserole cools, cover it and store it in the refrigerator, where it will keep for three to four days.

Can you make this Johnny Marzetti recipe ahead of time?

Sure! One option is to prepare it as directed, but without baking it. Save it in the refrigerator, covered, for a day or so in advance, then bake it per the recipe. Another option is to bake the entire dish ahead of time, let it cool, then keep it in the refrigerator. Pop it back in the oven to heat it when you’re almost ready for mealtime.

Johnny Marzetti Casserole Tips

How can I make this dish lower in sodium?

To reduce the sodium content, don’t add the salt; the soups already contain it. Also look for low-sodium or no-salt-added versions of the soups to reduce the sodium even more.

Could I use a different noodle?

Absolutely! Flat, wide noodles such as egg noodles are delightful in this dish, but elbow macaroni is another common way to enjoy it. Cavatappi, which means “corkscrew,” is another fun macaroni-style noodle to enjoy in Johnny Marzetti. Rotini, a different corkscrew-shaped noodle, also works. Here’s our guide to pasta shapes for even more ideas.

Could I add bacon?

Sure! Cook a few strips of bacon, let it drain on paper towels, then break the cooled bacon into tiny pieces. Mix it in with the pasta, or sprinkle some on top, beneath the cheese layer, before baking. Yet another way to enjoy the bacon in this dish is to mix it with butter and seasoned bread crumbs and then add it to the top before baking.