This Sutton Central-approved casserole is packed with ground beef and cheese! If you are looking for a quick dinner idea that can be made in about 45 minutes, this easy recipe is a keeper!

http://www.mothersapronstrings.com brings you an easy dinner idea that kid-approved and is on the table in under 45 minutes.
Cheesy Ziti and Ground Beef Pasta Bake
From http://www.mothersapronstrings.com
Ingredients:
1 lb. dry ziti pasta
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 lb. lean ground beef
2 (26 oz.) jars spaghetti sauce
6 oz. package sliced non-smoked Provolone cheese
1 ½ c. sour cream
6 oz. finely shredded mozzarella cheese
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and boil until al dente, drain. In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef. Add spaghetti sauce and simmer 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 350° F.
Butter a 9×13 casserole dish. Layer in this order: ½ of the pasta, Provolone cheese slices spread to cover pasta, sour cream, ½ of the sauce mixture, remaining pasta, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until heated through. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
This recipe can easily be cut in half.
Make it a freezer meal: My friend makes a whole recipe and divides it into two 8×8 aluminum pans and freezes it. Cool the meat mixture BEFORE layering. Complete all of the steps except putting it in the oven. The day you’d like to use it, simply move the frozen casserole to the refrigerator in the morning and bake at night.
What I like to do INSTEAD is freeze only the meat mixture because our mornings are so hectic I may not remember to move it to the refrigerator. I can grab the meat mixture and throw it in the microwave on defrost for a few minutes while preparing the pan and the remaining ingredients. By the time the noodles are done, the meat is ready and we are set to assemble and bake. Dinner in a flash!
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Reblogged this on Mother's Apron Strings.