This Columbus, Ohio legend was created in the 1920s at Marzetti's Restaurant and became an absolute school cafeteria icon across the Midwest. Ground beef, elbow macaroni, tomato sauce, and loads of cheese baked into pure comfort. This is church basement potluck food at its finest—the kind of casserole that shows up in a 9x13 pan and gets scraped clean every single time.
Ingredients
1 lb ground beef (80/20 works great)
1 lb elbow macaroni
1 large onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
8 oz mushrooms, sliced (optional but traditional)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
Preheat & Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Cook the elbow macaroni according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Brown the Beef: In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through (about 7-8 minutes). Drain excess fat if needed.
Cook the Vegetables: Add the diced onion and green bell pepper to the beef. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sliced mushrooms (if using), cook another 3 minutes until mushrooms release their liquid and start to brown.
Add the Tomatoes: Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and let it bubble for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Combine Everything: Add the cooked macaroni to the meat sauce and stir well to combine. Mix in 1 cup of the cheddar cheese and ½ cup of the mozzarella cheese. Stir until cheese starts to melt.
Assemble & Bake: Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with the remaining 1 cup cheddar and ½ cup mozzarella cheese, spreading evenly across the top.
Bake: Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and starting to brown on top. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Josh's Notes
Make Ahead: Assemble the casserole completely, cover tightly with foil, and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Add 10 minutes to baking time if going straight from fridge to oven.
Freezer Friendly: This freezes beautifully. Wrap tightly in foil and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in fridge before baking.
Mushroom Haters: Leave them out! The dish is still authentic without them.
Cafeteria Style: Some Ohio schools used American cheese slices on top instead of shredded cheese. It's not fancy, but it's legit.
Leftover Magic: This actually gets better the next day. Reheat individual portions in the microwave.