Easy Johnny Marzetti Casserole (aka American Goulash)

Johnny Marzetti casserole is a combination of noodles, rich tomato sauce, ground beef, cheese, bell pepper and sauteed vegetables. It's said to have originated in a restaurant run by the Marzetti family in Columbus, Ohio. It's an easy casserole recipe perfect for potlucks that everyone will love!

 

I have to be honest. I've lived in Ohio my entire life and, up until several years ago, I had never heard of Johnny Marzetti.

Sure, I was familiar with the Marzetti name. You might be familiar with the Marzetti family of Columbus, Ohio, too. They are the face of the company behind the salad dressings and dips that you see in grocery stores across the country. 

As the story goes, in 1896, Italian immigrant Teresa Marzetti and her husband Joseph opened their original restaurant in Columbus, Ohio. They served good food and delicious homemade salad dressings. Folklore has it that, one of the dishes served at the restaurant was called Johnny Marzetti. It was a hearty dish made of pasta, tomato sauce, ground beef, and cheese. It's said that this casserole was named for Teresa's brother-in-law Johnny. it quickly grew as a family favorite.

Popularity of this baked casserole dish grew across the country. It was easy to make and delicious! Marzetti's restaurant had a hit! If you live in an area other than Ohio, you might know it as American Goulash, Goulash, American Chop Suey, or Beef Goulash.

Although the restaurant permanently closed in 1972, Teresa's legacy lives on as the T. Marzetti company still produces many of her original salad dressing recipes even today! They're best known for their French and Cole Slaw Dressings. They even make the strawberry glaze I use in my Easy Strawberry and Cream Pie. 

And, her legacy lives on with the baked pasta dish known as Johnny Marzetti, even if it didn't originate with her! 

I may not have known what this casserole was called, but I've eaten plenty of it over the years. I've enjoyed this dish since I was a kid. My mom made it. My grandmother made it.

I don't know how close my recipe comes to the original recipe, but it's a recipe I've enjoyed for years and I hope you will too!

What is Johnny Marzetti?

According to Wikipedia, "Johnny Marzetti is a baked pasta dish, or casserole, consisting of noodles, tomato sauce, ground beef, and cheese. Other ingredients and seasonings may be added to adjust the taste. The dish originated in Columbus, Ohio, at the Marzetti restaurant, and spread to other parts of the United States as variations of the recipe were published in magazines and cookbooks during the mid-20th century. The dish is still served in Ohio, especially at social gatherings and in school lunchrooms."

You can use any type of noodle you like in this recipe. Egg noodles, any small shaped pasta (like penne pasta), and even spaghetti will work. I like to use elbow macaroni when I make it.

As with the choice of noodle, you can use just about any kind of melty cheese you like too! I use colby jack, because I like how it melts and tastes. But, you can use mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, or even Parmesan cheese. (Or a combination of cheeses.)  Like heat? Swap the colby jack for pepper jack! YUM!

You can also swap out the ground beef for another protein. Ground turkey, ground pork sausage (such as Italian sausage), ground veal, or even ground chicken will work in this delicious recipe. You could even use a combination of ground beef with pork sausage. 

It's your Johnny Marzetti casserole, feel free to get creative!

How to make Johnny Marzetti

Begin by gathering your ingredients:

• Dry Pasta - I like to use elbow macaroni
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef  - I like to use Certified Angus Beef ® ground round. It's has a nice ratio of fat to lean that's perfect for this dish.
• green pepper
• onion
• celery
• garlic powder
• worcestershire sauce
• dried oregano
• 15 oz. can of chopped stewed tomatoes
• 15 oz. can of tomato sauce
• sugar
• Colby-Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 

Boil the pasta, in a large pot of salted water, according to package directions, except reduce the cook time by one minute to make sure pasta stays al dente. (Pasta will continue to cook in the oven).

While pasta is cooking, saute onions, ground beef, celery, and green peppers in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook, stirring occasionally to break up the ground beef, until the beef is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. About 10 minutes. 

In small bowl, combine stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, worcestershire sauce, dried oregano, and sugar.

Combine the cooked and drained pasta, the meat and veggie mixture in a 13" x 9" inch casserole dish.

Mix in the tomato sauce mixture and taste for seasoning. Add additional salt and pepper, if needed. If mixture seems dry, add water.

Mix in half the cheese.

Top the casserole with the remaining cheese, cover with aluminum foil, and bake in oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until johnny marzetti casserole is heated through and cheese is melted.

Whatever you want to call it, goulash, American goulash, or Johnny Marzetti, you'll be calling this pasta casserole pure comfort food!

I like to serve this simple dish with a green salad for a complete meal.

More easy casseroles you'll love

• Zesty Sloppy Joes Casserole
• Cheeseburger Casserole
• Zucchini Casserole
• Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole
• Creamy Chicken and Vegetable Casserole
• Frito Pie Casserole

Johnny Marzetti, Johnny Marzetti recipe

Main Course, Casserole, Beef, Pasta

American

Yield: 8 servings

Author: Renee Paj

Johnny Marzetti

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 35 Min

Johnny Marzetti is a comforting casserole, consisting of noodles, tomato sauce, ground beef, cheese, and sauteed vegetables. It's said to have originated in a restaurant run by the Marzetti family in Columbus, Ohio.

Ingredients

• 16 oz. dry elbow pasta
• 1 1/2 lbs. Ground Beef Round (85/15)
• 1/2 TBSP olive oil
• 1 cup chopped green pepper
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 3 TBSP worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 15 oz. can chopped stewed tomatoes
• 15 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1/2 TBSP granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup water (if needed)
• 4 oz. Colby-Jack cheese, shredded

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling water that has been generously seasoned with salt. Undercook pasta by 1 minute, according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
3. In large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. When oil begins to shimmer, add ground round, green pepper, onion, celery, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook, stirring occasionally to break up the ground beef. Cook until meat is browned and vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.
4. In small bowl, combine worcestershire sauce, oregano, stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and sugar.
5. Assemble casserole by mixing the cooked pasta and ground beef and vegetable mixture in a 13" x 9" baking dish. Pour tomato sauce mixture over onto the casserole and mix to combine.
6. Mix in half of the shredded cheese. Taste for seasoning. Adjust salt and pepper to your liking. If casserole seems dry, add water.
7. Top casserole with the rest of the cheese. Cover with foil.
8. Place in preheated oven and bake until heated through and cheese is melted, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Notes

While pasta is cooking, cook the beef and vegetables and prepare the tomato sauce mixture.Use block cheese that has been shredded. Packaged shredded cheese contains a starch to keep it from sticking together and won't melt as well as shredded cheese from a block. Put a little heat in your Johnny Marzetti by swapping the Colby-Jack cheese with Pepper Jack cheese!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

439.08

Fat (grams)

20.95 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

8.63 g

Carbs (grams)

30.91 g

Fiber (grams)

3.29 g

Net carbs

27.62 g

Sugar (grams)

7.84 g

Protein (grams)

31.55 g

Sodium (milligrams)

916.39 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

88.73 mg

Nutritional Information is an estimate.

Copyright © 2019 Renee's Kitchen Adventures

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