Are you looking for a baked ziti dish that’s packed with cheese and still smooth and creamy? This Creamy Cheesy Baked Ziti recipe is perfect for you!
Creamy Cheesy Baked Ziti
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We love pasta dishes. Especially ones with ground beef. And the more cheese the better! There is just something about baked pasta dishes like lasagna and baked ziti that are so delicious… But I don’t always like the way that baked ziti dishes set up. When Dewig Meats asked me to cook this recipe for Creamy Cheesy Baked Ziti for them, I knew it would be the perfect combination of a delicious baked pasta dish with a smooth creamy texture.
This recipe calls for 2 pounds of ground beef (or whatever type of ground meat you prefer) and lots of sauce and cheese. You’ll need to brown the meat on the stovetop first, then mix in all the sauce and goodies. You need a really big saucepan to do this in. This Calphalon saucepan is the workhorse in my kitchen. Everything for this recipe just fit in it, with some extra room to stir.
One of the problems with baked pasta dishes is that the pasta sometimes comes out over-cooked, mushy, or gummy. To fix that, cook your pasta only to al dente firmness. Follow the directions on the box, because different pasta shapes need slightly different cooking times. (This big pasta pot comes with a built-in strainer that makes it easy to make perfect pasta every time.) The pasta will continue cooking in the oven a little more, and will absorb some of the water from the sauce. This will give you perfectly cooked pasta out of the oven every time!
How Long Does It Take to Make Baked Ziti?
The hardest part of the any baked pasta dish is getting the sauce ready. You can multi-task and cook the pasta and the ground beef at the same time. Then work on getting your sauce warmed up (and the extra cheese all melted for this recipe). Once that is done, you just layer everything in a 9″ x 13″ baking dish and pop it in the oven. One of the really great things about baked ziti recipes like this is that you can wash all the dishes while the ziti is baking, so you don’t have to worry about clean up later! You should be able to put this recipe together, start to finish, in about an hour.
Love cheese? This is the dish for you. Packed with 2 cups of Mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, there is plenty for the biggest cheese lover in your family. And if you think there is not quite enough… you can always add more!
We to eat love this Creamy Cheesy Baked Pasta with this Pull-Apart Garlic-Parmesan Bread. Add a simple tossed salad, and dinner is served!
Enjoy!
Free Printable Ground Beef Buyer’s Guide
Have you ever gotten confused at the grocery store when you’re trying to pick out ground beef for tonight’s dinner? We can help! This Ground Beef Buyer’s Guide has everything you need to know about buying ground beef, plus you can download a free printable cheat sheet to keep handy in your kitchen or your purse!
Tools for Cooking with Ground Beef
Every kitchen needs a few basic tools… These are ones that I use all the time when I’m cooking with ground beef!
- 5-Quart Saute Pan
- Mix and Chop
- 6-Quart Slow Cooker
- Instant-Read Digital Thermometer
- Probe-Style Digital Thermometer
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Printable Recipe Card for Creamy Cheesy Baked Ziti
Creamy Cheesy Baked Ziti
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 16- ounce box penne or ziti noodles
- 2 24- ounce jars pasta sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons dried minced onion
- 1-14/5 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 8- ounce package cream cheese cubed
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook pasta as directed on box, to al dente firmness. Strain and set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat. When the beef is cooked, drain excess grease and discard grease.
- Add the marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, minced onion, and diced tomatoes to the beef. Stir well.
- Heat sauce mixture over medium heat until warmed through.
- Add the cream cheese and sour cream to the sauce mixture. Continue heating over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the cream cheese and sour cream are melted.
- Place half the cooked noodles in a lightly sprayed 9"x13" baking dish. Top the noodles with half the sauce mixture. Stir gently to mix.
- Spread half the Mozzarella cheese and half the Parmesan cheese on top of the noodles.
- Layer the rest of the cooked noodles on top of the cheese.
- Top with the rest of the sauce mixture (do not mix).
- Sprinkle the rest of the Mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese on top.
- Bake, uncovered, at 375 Degrees F for 20-25 minutes, until hot and bubbly.
- Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.
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[…] week with a pasta night? Marybeth from My Fearless Kitchen has the perfect recipe for you – Creamy Cheesy Baked Ziti– that the entire family will love and a nice way to kick off our weekly menu planning […]