Easy Four Cheese Baked Ziti Recipe | Freezer Friendly Make Ahead Meal
Check out this delicious and easy baked ziti recipe!
Calling all cheese and pasta lovers!
This baked ziti recipe is the perfect Italian dish if you are craving onlinefort food that the whole family will love. Besides being such a simple Italian recipe that really anyone can make, the best part about this amazing dish is that you can FREEZE it to enjoy at a later time!
There’s nothing better than grabbing a delicious meal like this right from your freezer and popping it into the oven after a long day of work or school. From your favorite spaghetti sauce to the creamy cheese throughout every bite, everyone in your family will be asking for seconds! It is that good!
This recipe makes enough to fill two Hefty Ez-Foil Casserole 9×12 Pans so you can have one for dinner and you can freeze the other pan for the uponlineing week when you have a busy night ahead. My favorite meals have always been the ones I can take out of the freezer and put straight into the oven.
Hip tips for this baked ziti recipe:
- If you are serving the Baked Ziti on the same day that you are preparing it, you will want to bake it in the oven at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.
- If you are freezing to enjoy at a later time, you can do one of two things:
- Take it out of the freezer the morning of, place it in the refrigerator to thaw and then in the evening, place it in the oven at 350 degrees for 20-30 mins.
- If you forget to take it out of the freezer in advance, no worries! Just bake it for 1 hour at 350 degrees.
- I like to sprinkle parsley or fresh basil on my Baked Ziti before serving it. If you love veggies as I do, consider adding onions, mushrooms, or even spinach to your Ziti mix! So yummy!!
- You can substitute the cream cheese for ricotta cheese. I also put the eggs as optional as this meal tastes great without them as well!
Easy 4 Cheese Baked Ziti Recipe | Freezer-Friendly
yield: 8 SERVINGS
prep time: 30 MINUTES
cook time: 25 MINUTES
total time: 55 MINUTES
This recipe is perfect for busy families as you can make it in under an hour and then freeze it to enjoy at a later date!
Ingredients
- 2 - 16 oz. bags Ziti Noodles
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
- 3 cups spaghetti sauce
- 4 eggs (optional)
- 10 tablespoons cream cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Directions
1
If serving right away baked ziti, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. You do not need to preheat if you plan to freeze to cook at a later date.
2
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook Ziti noodles as directed on the package - typically about 8 minutes.
3
In a large skillet, brown ground beef and sausage together. Drain any grease and add beef and sausage back to skillet. Add in diced tomatoes and spaghetti sauce.
4
Add noodles to foil pans evenly. A reminder that this batch makes enough to fill two 9"x12" pans.
5
In each pan, add 2 eggs, 5 tablespoons of cream cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, and 1 cup of Italian blended cheese. Stir until noodles are evenly coated.
6
Split the spaghetti sauce mixture in half and pour half in one pan of noodles and the rest in the other pan making sure all noodles are covered with sauce. Top with remaining cheddar cheese and cover with foil.
7
Bake in a preheated oven for 20-30 minutes or until cheese is melted. If you are freezing, cover in foil two times. I have even covered the foil in plastic wrap to make sure it is sealed.
Any recipe that can be made ahead of time is a WIN in my book! It’s such an easy and convenient recipe that will be a family and friend favorite for sure!
