Description
Million Dollar Baked Ziti is a creamy, cheesy baked pasta dish made with ziti, marinara, seasoned ground beef, and a rich blend of cream cheese, cottage cheese, and sour cream. It’s a comforting crowd-pleaser, perfect for weeknight dinners or potlucks. This easy baked ziti recipe delivers big flavor with every bite.
Ingredients
1 pound ziti pasta
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jar (24 ounces) marinara sauce
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
2. Boil the ziti in salted water until just shy of al dente. Drain and set aside.
3. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef with chopped onion and garlic until browned. Drain excess fat.
4. Stir in the marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes.
5. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, cottage cheese, and sour cream until smooth.
6. Begin layering in the baking dish: half of the cooked ziti, all of the cheese mixture, 1 cup mozzarella, remaining ziti, then meat sauce.
7. Top with the remaining mozzarella and the parmesan cheese.
8. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
9. Remove foil and bake an additional 10–15 minutes until bubbly and golden on top.
10. Let it rest for 5–10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Use a mix of Italian sausage and beef for deeper flavor.
Let the ziti sit before cutting to help the layers hold.
Easily make this dish ahead and refrigerate for up to 2 days before baking.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Casserole
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of dish
- Calories: 580
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 850mg
- Fat: 34g
- Saturated Fat: 17g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 29g
- Cholesterol: 105mg