Tired Of The Same Old Ground Beef Dishes? Bring Back This Vintage Casserole And You Won't Be

Ground beef is incredibly versatile and relatively cheap compared to other cuts of beef. Whether you want to make meatloaf, hamburgers, or a Bolognese sauce, ground beef won't steer you wrong. But it can be a double-edged sword, as eventually everything starts to feel a little old or repetitive. If you're looking for a comfort food classic that steps up your casserole game, give Johnny Marzetti a try.

If you've never heard of a Johnny Marzetti casserole, the name can definitely be confusing. It's a staple of the culinary world in Columbus, Ohio, but virtually unknown elsewhere. According to lore, Italian immigrant Teresa Marzetti came to Columbus in 1896 and opened Marzetti's Restaurant. The pasta dish — a mix of macaroni noodles, ground beef, tomato sauce, and cheese — was named after her brother. It became so ubiquitous locally that it's served in high school cafeterias and at family get-togethers to this day.

There are multiple variations and many include additions like onion, fresh tomato, mushrooms, or bell peppers. Some versions include beans, use egg noodles, or even swap tomato sauce for cream of mushroom soup. In a lot of ways it's like an elevated homemade Hamburger Helper, but baked and covered in a layer of cheese. The most "classic" versions seem to stick with beef, macaroni, tomato sauce, and cheese. 

As far as vintage ground beef dishes go, this one's a winner. The real draw of the Johnny Marzetti casserole is that you have flexibility in how you make it. Johnny Marzetti works with whatever pasta you have on hand, even egg noodles. If you don't have enough ground beef to round out the whole dish, you can include ground pork. You can make it with tomato sauce, marinara sauce, or even canned soup.

A classic trinity would be great in a Johnny Marzetti, but so would a mirepoix or a soffrito. Mushrooms, fresh tomato, garlic, zucchini, and even spinach or peas have also been included. Creativity and versatility are the name of the game here, and you can really just focus on making a hearty, filling pasta dish with whatever you have handy.

A fun side note to the dish is that the history is probably all made up, according to Columbus Monthly. A representative for T. Marzetti Co, which spun off from the restaurant, can't find any historical link between their company and the dish. It was never served at the restaurant according to their records. Also, the earliest print recipe in 1916 was made with ground pork and a healthy dose of cayenne pepper, so it's been a culinary chameleon from the start. No one really knows where the name came from.