I was introduced to this easy recipe years ago by a friend in Tennessee who served it for a church youth devotional. A great dish for teens, baked ziti is easy to prepare and stretches to feed a crowd. It freezes well, so I usually divide the recipe to make one ziti for my family and one to save. Baked ziti is perfect for delivering to a shut-in, but it's also a great go-to for my family when I would rather craft than cook.
Baked Ziti
Cherie Dempster from Morristown, Tenn., shared this recipe with me.
16-ounce box ziti, cooked and drained
2-3 cups shredded mozzarella
2 packages sliced mozzarella
1 large jar spaghetti sauce with 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 pound ground beef browned with chopped onion
1 pound ricotta cheese
1 egg
Mix shredded mozzarella with cooked ziti and put in a lasagna pan. Mix ricotta with egg and spread over noodles. Pour sauce mixed with beef over ricotta. Place slices of mozzarella on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.
(Note: In typing out this recipe, I realized I omitted the sliced mozzarella from the top of the ziti. The dish was still good, but I would recommend using it.)
