Marzetti Caserole

This is an old school casserole that is usually appreciated by adults and kids alike. It’s from my Nana’s cookbook and everyone I make it for loves it. I like it for tailgating or winter family parties because I can make it ahead and just pop it in the oven. It’s a great make ahead for anytime during the week since you can make it when you have time and leave it in the fridge for a few days until you need it.

It’s pretty basic ingredients too, nothing you need to go on a quest for. This makes a 13 x 9 pan or about 8 large servings.

• 2 tablespoons each butter and olive oil -butter not pictured
• 2 large stalks of celery
• 1 large white or yellow onion – whatever you have hanging around 3/4 a cup or so
• 1/2 cup red pepper 3/4 cup green pepper (you can use all one color if that’s what you like or have on hand)
• 1 lb. mushrooms – use your favorites
• 1-2 cloves of garlic
• salt/pepper/crushed red pepper (optional)
• 2 lbs ground beef – feel free to sub in some or all turkey
• 1- 16 oz plus 1- 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 14 oz whole or diced tomatoes
• 12 oz (about 3/4 box) of macaroni
• 12 oz shredded cheese – cheddar shown here but your choice

Start some water boiling in a large stock pot for your pasta. Heat up the olive oil and butter in a large deep skillet. Lots of chopping starting here -dice onion ancelery first, get those going in the skillet. Peppers next – add those once the onions start to soften up. Wipe down the mushrooms, chop and add to the skillet with the rest of the veggies. Give those about 10-15 minutes to cook together, then add the garlic and the ground beef. When your pasta water is boiling, add some salt and your macaroni. Keep an eye on it while you work on the sauce.

Cook until the ground beef is browned nicely and cooked through. I skim off the extra fat from the meat so my sauce isn’t too greasy, but that step might not be needed if you are using a lean protein. Here I added about 2/3 of a quart of one of my home canned tomatoes that didn’t get sealed up. Should be the equivalent to about 14 oz. can of diced or whole tomatoes. I also tossed in a 16 oz. plus an 8oz can of tomato sauce. Cook things together for about 10-15 minutes. Should look something like that last picture above when this part of the sauce is finished. Taste it – add salt, pepper, and/or crushed red pepper to taste.

Let’s finish this thing up! Use a slotted spoon or a spider to move the pasta from the water to the sauce I let a tiny bit of the starchy pasta water go into the sauce to help thicken it, just don’t over do it. You can always add more and that’s why I try to time this so I don’t have to drain it. If you get in a pinch and your pasta is done before your sauce, just keep a little of the pasta water saved off and drain your pasta – no big deal. I like to grate my own cheese but feel free to skip this step and take some help from the cheese people and buy your favorite already shredded! You will need about 12 oz. total of cheese and you can use whatever you like here. I like cheddar and/or Monterey jack, but use whatever you like and have around.. I stir in about 3/4 of the cheese to the skillet, then taste this again for seasoning. Pour the entire thing into a 9×13 greased casserole (mine shown here is 4 quart) and top with the remaining cheese.

Note: At this point you can cover it and store it in the fridge for a few days until you need it. Just let it come to room temp before you bake it off.

Bake in a preheated over at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes uncovered until it’s bubbly and lightly browned on top. Because I was starving the night I made this, I totally forgot my final picture so here’s what it looks like after you and your people dig into it. You can serve as is or add some sour cream or some more cheese! A green salad or a veggie on the side never hurt anyone either. 🙂 Enjoy!!