Johnny Marzetti
A Johnny Marzetti is an iconic American casserole, or hot dish. It has become a staple of potluck dinners, school cafeterias, and church socials. While many different versions exist, it is typically made with ground beef or Italian sausage, onions, cheese, tomato sauce, and noodles. The name of the casserole might vary slightly from cookbook to cookbook or in different parts of the country. Sometimes it is called a “Johnny Mazetti,” leaving out the “R.” This spelling was typical in the Panama Canal Zone where the casserole was served in U.S. Army commissaries. In this region they usually added olives to the dish.
The meat used in this dish can vary from recipe to recipe and substitutions can be made according to your personal preferences. Here I used bulk Italian sausage. Ground beef or ground pork can also be used. You can also substitute ground turkey. I updated this version to use Italian sausage and swapped tomato sauce for the condensed soup. You really can’t go wrong with a classic American comfort food dish like this. It’s a warm, cheesy, stick-to-your-ribs dinner that feels like something your grandma used to make.
Ingredients:
- Cooking spray
- 1 (12-ounce) bag dried egg noodles
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1/2 medium yellow onion
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound mild Italian sausage, removed from casings
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup water