Baked Ziti

On Saturday, Tim and I prepared 3 large trays of Baked Ziti to feed homeless men who are being housed in our church building this week. They were expecting between 20 and 30 men plus the volunteers. We decided to quadruple a 9 x 13 recipe to feed approximately 40 people. We browsed some recipes online and came up with this one which is a compilation of a few different recipes. This recipe makes one 9 x 13 casserole full of baked ziti.

Baked Ziti
1 pound dry ziti pasta
1 onion, chopped finely
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound lean ground beef or turkey
2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 ounces Italian cheese blend, shredded (Mozzarella,
Provolone, Parmesan, Romano, & Asiago) or shredded Mozzarella
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook about
7 minutes; drain.

In a large skillet, brown onion, garlic, and ground meat over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, 1/2 sauce mixture, Provolone cheese, sour cream, remaining ziti, remaining sauce mixture, shredded cheese, and grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake, covered with foil, for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

If you make a larger batch and bake in a larger pan, plan to bake for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on if the sauce is hot before baking.

This baked ziti is an easy make ahead of time meal. Add an extra 15 minutes to the baking time if your sauce is room temperature.

This recipe also freezes well. Simply thaw in the refrigerator overnight and allow to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking.

This post contributed to Tasty Tuesday Blog Party, Kitchen Tips Tuesday, Tackle-It Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday & Blissfully Domestic.

This recipe Works for Me!