Johnny Marzetti Casserole

senior chef

Senior Member
This is not one of my recipes. In fact I had never heard of it until I happened to stumble across it on youtube.
Has anyone made this ?
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1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb Italian bulk sausage.
8 ounces of rotini pasta
3/4 cup of chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped celery
2 TBSLP chopped green pepper
3 tsp garlic
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups grated Italian cheese blend
1+1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese.

1.) fry ground beef and Italian sausage until well browned.
2.) add onions, celery, green pepper and garlic to the meat. Simmer for 10 minutes
3.) add chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, and Italian seasoning. Simmer
4.) boil rotini pasta until al dente. NOT LONGER ! You don't want to end up with mush. When pasta is al dente, drain and cool under running cold water.
5.) mix cooked rotini with beef/sausage/and tomato mix.
6.) stir in Italian cheese blend
recipe recommends letting it sit for an hour or 2 before baking so that the rotini absorbs flavor.
6.) heat oven to 375 F
7.) spoon into a medium sized casserole dish.
8.) Cover with aluminum foil.
8. bake for 40 minutes. remove from oven, remove foil. Cover with grated cheddar cheese. continue to bake for 10 minutes.
 

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I’ve never made it but variations of it appear in many Amish or church cookbooks.

I make a simple version called American chop suey or ACS. It also goes by names like
American goulash, beef- a - roni, Slumgullian, etc...

1# ground beef
1 chopped onion
1 chopped bell pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
Salt, pepper and herbs to taste
3 T tomato paste
28 ounce can of tomato purée
1/2 pound cooked elbow macaroni.

While the macaroni is cooking brown and crumble ground beef with the chopped vegetables. Add tomato paste, tomato purée, and simmer a few minutes. Drain pasta and add it to the other ingredients. Simmer a few minutes to blend flavors and serve.

My mother used to make this with little more than ground venison or beef, a quart of home canned tomatoes and elbow macaroni.

Great winter comfort food!
 
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I’ve never made it but variations of it appear in many Amish or church cookbooks.

I make a simple version called American chop suey or ACS. It also goes by names like
American goulash, beef- a - roni, Slumgullian, etc...

1# ground beef
1 chopped onion
1 chopped bell pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
Salt, pepper and herbs to taste
3 T tomato paste
28 ounce can of tomato purée
1/2 pound cooked elbow macaroni.

While the macaroni is cooking brown and crumble ground beef with the chopped vegetables. Add tomato paste, tomato purée, and simmer a few minutes. Drain pasta and add it to the other ingredients. Simmer a few minutes to blend flavors and serve.

My mother used to make this with little more than ground venison or beef, a quart of home canned tomatoes and elbow macaroni.

Great winter comfort food!
That's how I make goulash. With the left over I put it in a baking dish and add grated cheese, pop in oven, makes a different meal for another day.
 

a side question, chef: What kind of bread are you to use under a "open face roast beef and gravy sandwich", or an "open face turkey and gravy sandwich" or an "open face chicken and gravy sandwich" so it doesn't taste mushy?
If you're using sandwich bread, are you supposed to crisp it on each side? This is for everyday meals, of course.
The same question for crust trimmed bread under a tenderloin filet with au jus sauce? Are you supposed to use a rusk?
It should be heated, right?
 
a side question, chef: What kind of bread are you to use under a "open face roast beef and gravy sandwich", or an "open face turkey and gravy sandwich" or an "open face chicken and gravy sandwich" so it doesn't taste mushy?
If you're using sandwich bread, are you supposed to crisp it on each side? This is for everyday meals, of course.
The same question for crust trimmed bread under a tenderloin filet with au jus sauce? Are you supposed to use a rusk?
It should be heated, right?
Interesting question. Honestly, I just use regular bread for an open face hot sandwich. And , yes it does get mushy. I never really gave it much thought.
For Chicken Mornay, I have always used toast points with the crust removed after toasting. You could always do the same with Tenderloin au Jus.
You might try using bread in the style of a bruschetta.
 
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a side question, chef: What kind of bread are you to use under a "open face roast beef and gravy sandwich", or an "open face turkey and gravy sandwich" or an "open face chicken and gravy sandwich" so it doesn't taste mushy?
If you're using sandwich bread, are you supposed to crisp it on each side? This is for everyday meals, of course.
The same question for crust trimmed bread under a tenderloin filet with au jus sauce? Are you supposed to use a rusk?
It should be heated, right?
When you think about it, any bread is going to become soft, even mushy, when hot liquid (gravy) is poured over it.
That being said, a very lightly toasted Italian bread would hold up a tad longer and be more 'chewy'. At least for a brief time.
 

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