This hearty meal makes enough to share!
I happened upon this recipe when I was looking for a dish to take to a friend who had just had surgery. This recipe is just right! It makes enough for you to keep and then you get to share with a friend.
FRIENDSHIP CASSEROLE
2 pounds ground beef, browned
1 jar 48 oz of your favorite spaghetti sauce
16 oz bag medium egg noodles
½ cup butter
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
12 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
Preheat oven to 350º
In a skillet, brown meat and drain fat. Then put the meat back in the skillet. Add spaghetti sauce to meat; simmer for 20 minutes.
Cook noodles as directed on the package (cook to al dente); then drain and
toss the noodles with butter, seasonings and parmesan cheese. Spray two
9×13 pans with non-stick spray ( I prefer to use my Misto sprayer that I fill with oil).
In each pan layer one quarter of the sauce, half of the noodles, then split the remaining sauce between the two. Top each with half of the mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil; bake 45 minutes.
*You can also add some sauteed green bell peppers, onions and
mushrooms to the sauce. I added mushrooms after checking with my friend to make sure she liked them, too.
**You can use foil pans like these if you’re sharing with a friend.
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NOTE: I use Dreamfields pasta for low carbers. It’s possible that another low carb pasta or veggie “pasta” could be substituted as well and be equally delicious. Enjoy!
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Heart of a Country Home 
If I am serving a crowd, can I use an oversized foil pan and just bake it all together? Or do you suggest sticking to two casseroles?
You may can use a roasting size pan but you will probably need to adjust the baking time.
I have made this for years n called it company casserole. The only difference I use cream cheese, sour cream & diced onion mixture and it tastes a lot like lasagna.
oh, man! Anything with cream cheese is good to me!
Linda, how much of each do you use for the mixture?
Linda, I would love to know your recipe using the cream cheese, sour cream & diced onion. We love lasagna, but it can be time consuming.
Linda Kramer, can you please share how much cream cheese, sour cream and onions that you add to this, would really love to make it your way. Thanks.
I agree! That does sound really tasty.
I would love your receipe with the cream cheese and sour cream..my favorites. Thanks!!
PLEASE I BEG YOU PLEASE SHARE HOW MUCH CREAM CHEESE AND OTHER THINGS YOU DO AND CAN YOU PLEASEEEEE SEND IT TO MY EMAIL nannamac1854@gmail.com I AM NOT GOOD WITH COMPUTERS GETTING UP IN YEARS AND I WILL NEVER FIND THIS SIGHT AGAIN. PLEASE THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS
Hi, Dorothy. I emailed the recipe. Hope this helps.
I also use Dreamfields Pasta but I have not seen noodles in the Dreamfields. Where would I find noodles?
I have seen the egg noodles either. Normally I just use Penne pasta. I used egg noodles on this one because I was sharing it. The recipe calls for egg noodles and they were the most frugal choice. If I’m keeping both, then I’m using Dreamfields. 🙂
This reminds me of a recipe that has circulated through my family for years, except it incorporates green pepper, onion, a can of creamed corn, about 10 whole cloves (be sure to remove cloves before using the sauce) and cheddar cheese instead of mozerella. We called it “Our favorite casserole” because it always was a hit, especially served with a green salad and garlic bread.
Could you share please Sharon Wills? It sounds delicious.
Ok ladies
Getting ready to make this looks yummy with a salad and Texas toast
got to give this a try but with venison and use either macaroni or shell pasta noodles
My mom has been making this for years but with cheddar cheese and we just called it noodles and ground beef. She takes it to every sick friend or funeral or potluck so I guess it is a friendship casserole. LOL!!
Happy New Year ! Love the recipe ! Keep the snow ! 🙂
This is like the goulash that I make, it’s only missing the chopped celery for a crunch element. It’s really good.
Going to give this a try, sounds wonderful for those weekend work potlucks, but I thought my floaters had gone albino, LOL
lol. Never heard it put that way, but that’s funny! 😉
Love your recipes. Look forward to more! Keep the snow!
I think it get to keep it until Jan 4th or so, then they turn it off. 😉
I’m 63 and had this as a child growing up…mom still makes it..Johnny Marzetti….still love it…
I love it! 🙂
I had a friend in Columbus Ohio, she gave me the recipe in 1966, I have made it all through the years for my Family and Friends they have loved it… Definitely a KEEPER.
First time visiting your site….love the receipies….but I had a heck of a time with the falling white dot kept thinking something was wrong with my vision…LOL
I’m sorry! lol That’s snow. 🙂 WordPress does that for me. It will turn off after Jan 4th, I think.
i love the snow i say keep it lol
I do, too, Brenda! 🙂 In the South here, we don’t get to see a lot of it, so I’m kinda enjoying it. 😀
My gosh, me too!
This is Johnny Marzetti. My grandmother used to make it like no one else.
Hey, I like that name! Very catchy. 🙂
I too grew up with “Johnny”. Mom put sliced green olives in it. That is the only way I can eat green olives. This definately is a comfort food and brings back may memories of family get-to-gethers at Grandma’s. Happy New Year
i’m not sure i understand about the freezing of the second casserole. do you bake them both–then wrap and freeze? or do you wrap (without baking) and freeze? do you take to the friend while frozen or do you bake? i don’t have a lot of kitchen experience (as if you couldn’t tell) 🙂
I think you can do it any way freeze first and back later or bake first & freeze. As for myself, when I share with a friend, I make sure it is wRm & ready to eat.
This is my first visit and I like it, really enjoying the content,
Can this be frozen for future gifting? How to reheat when ready to serve? Thanking advance.
I don’t see why it couldn’t. I have frozen my Chili Mac and it’s very similar. Before I reheat out of the freezer, I like to thaw the container first, so I’d suggest letting it thaw first, maybe in the fridge and then baking it as per the instructions. 🙂
I wished I had u for a friend. I just had surgery and had to stay off my feet my husband stayied with me for the first 3day but had to go back to work. He made a lot of food ahead so all I had to do is warm up a serving had a young friend stay with me to help cause still had to keep my foot up. Nobody came other than the girls family. But nobody brought food my kids r hundreds and thousand of miles away so they couldn’t but they called. What I have seen of your blog I will be back. Keep up the good work.
Aw, thank you, Dixie! (I love your name! :)) Sorry about your surgery. Hope you get to feeling better real soon. That was great of your hubby to cook ahead for you! He sounds like a very thoughtful man. 🙂
Dixie.. If you lived by me in the Quad Cities, Illinois, I would gladly help cook, clean and help you in ways you can’t help yourself…. I know its very hard, Im only 49 have no family left, and have had ten major surgeries,,, It sure helps when one person pays it forward to help. Im much too young not to have parents and I miss them so much, but Im sure I could find someone like my sweet lil momma used to be like;;;If we are close by, lmk, and I will see if there is anyone to help you.. Good Luck to you…
I turn 49 tomorrow and I’m so thankful for that I still have my dad. He’s been such a help to me since the passing of my dear mother. What a sweet offer to Dixie! I’d love to help, too. Wish we all lived closer. 🙂
I look forward to trying this recipe
Great recipe and it’s so great that you made it to take to a friend. I hope the person appreciates how much you did for them. Thanks for sharing and best of luck with everything 🙂
My friend was very appreciative and even let me know. 🙂 I also took them an Orange Koolaid Pie and they loved it! 😀 I had to share the recipe. Thanks for commenting and best to you as well!
Thats’ great to hear. If you ever want to check out some funny and inspirational stories, you are more than welcome to come check out my blog 🙂
I can always use funny and inspirational. 🙂 I followed your blog. Thanks for the invite!
whats in your orange koolaid pie? sounds yummy
Kool-aid pie is super easy! I just tried it last summer. lol I do have a post about the pie recipe using several different flavors of Kool-aid. See if this helps. 🙂 https://heartofacountryhome.wordpress.com/2013/03/18/kool-aid-pie/
Click on this link for the recipe. 🙂 https://heartofacountryhome.wordpress.com/2013/03/18/kool-aid-pie/