Easy Cheesy Baked Ziti

This delicious Easy Cheesy Baked Ziti with Ground Beef Recipe is perfect to serve for dinner tonight! Add this easy cheesy recipe to your recipe collection. Serve with a side salad, breadsticks, and sweet tea!

Are you a busy mom looking for a quick, easy, and delicious recipe that the whole family will enjoy? This Baked Ziti Pasta recipe is what you are looking for! I love the variety of pasta recipes out there and this is one to add to the list of favorites.

10+ Ground Beef Recipes

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Baked Ziti has become a favorite of ours over the last few years! As a mom of three and a military spouse, I look for quick and easy dinners that can easily serve our family of five that will include leftovers to enjoy the next day. I have a very hungry husband that works super hard and comes home hungry every day!

Try our Easy Cheesy Meatless Baked Spaghetti recipe, too.

When I have visitors over or if I have to make meals for families in need, this Baked Ziti is my go-to recipe! Often times, meal trains are set up for military spouses having babies. Occasionally, meal trains are set up when a military spouse needs help with meals for her family when their spouse is deployed, for example when a kid gets sick or has to be in the hospital. This recipe is perfect to serve when you sign up for a meal train!

The Easy Cheesy Baked Ziti recipe is so easy and perfect for busy moms out there if you need a dinner idea that the whole family will enjoy!

If you follow this recipe, you’ll be sure to have plenty to eat and most likely, a little leftover for the next night! Do you like to freeze meals? Divide this recipe in half and freeze half for another day.

I recommend serving hot, buttery rolls along with a side salad and sweet tea with this recipe! Serve Baked Ziti any time of the year.

Easy Cheesy Baked Ziti Recipe

Ingredients: 

• 1 box of Ziti noodles
• 2 jars of spaghetti sauce
• 2.25 lbs. ground beef
• 1 onion
• 1 lb. mozzarella cheese
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• Optional: 1 tsp. salt – note I don’t use salt because the cheese contains enough salt.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Brown ground beef in a large deep skillet. I use my favorite jumbo skillet when I make this recipe!

Add two jars of spaghetti sauce to the beef.

Stir the sauce and the beef mixture around until combined well.

Simmer on low heat.

Using a cutting board and knife, cut the onion into thin slices.

In a small skillet, saute the onions with olive oil until onions are caramelized.

Pour onions into the beef mixture and stir until mixed.

In a large pot, boil two quarts of water.

Add Ziti pasta noodles and boil for 10-11 minutes, stirring well so the noodles don’t stick together.

Drain the noodles using a colander.

Add desired amount of Ziti noodles to beef mixture. Note: I usually use about 2/3 to 1/2 box of the Ziti noodles. I prefer more meat sauce over noodles – add more noodles if you like to have more noodles in your recipe!

Mix the noodles into the meat sauce.

Scoop mixture into a 13 X 9 baking pan.

Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top until covered.

Sprinkle with pepper and salt if desired for added flavor. Note: The cheese does contain salt, keep that in mind when creating your recipe!

Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until cheese is slightly browned.

Let us know how your Baked Ziti turned out! I hope your family enjoys this recipe as much as we do!

Cheesy Baked Ziti Directions without Photos:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Brown ground beef in a large deep skillet.
3. Add two jars of spaghetti sauce to the beef.
4. Stir the sauce and the beef mixture around until combined well.
5. Simmer on low heat.
6. Using a cutting board and knife, cut the onion into thin slices.
7. In a small skillet, saute the onions with olive oil until onions are caramelized.
8. Pour onions into the beef mixture and stir until mixed.
9. In a large pot, boil two quarts of water.
10. Add Ziti pasta noodles and boil for 10-11 minutes, stirring well so the noodles don’t stick together.
11. Drain the noodles using a colander.
12. Add desired amount of Ziti noodles to beef mixture.
13. Mix the noodles into the meat sauce.
14. Scoop mixture into a 13 X 9 baking pan.
15. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top until covered.
16. Sprinkle with pepper and salt if desired for added flavor.
17. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until cheese is slightly browned.

Here are a few cool Ziti lover gift ideas to take advantage of, too:

• You Had Me At Ziti Funny Italian Food Fan T-Shirt
• Pasta La Vista Baby Women’s Shirt
• Baked Ziti Blvd 4″ x 17″ Aluminum Street Sign
• OK but first BAKED ZITI – A cute funny baby bodysuit for babies
• Rectangular Copper Roaster w/ lid
• Ziti Pasta Necklace Kit

More great recipes:

• Cheesy Baked Spaghetti
• Bacon Macaroni and Cheese Muffins
• Cheesy Mexican Casserole
• Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread

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