I have been making baked ziti for years, but this baked ziti recipe came about after the holidays when I was trying to use up some of the food in my refrigerator.
I had picked up some cream cheese during the holidays for a really good price and I had a few packages left that were nearing the expiration date. Sometimes I freeze extra cream cheese, but I try to use it up in recipes if I can instead of freezing it.
When I normally make baked ziti I add either cottage cheese or ricotta cheese, but since I had extra cream cheese I decided to give it a try instead of cottage cheese or ricotta.
And it turned out so good! It was nice and creamy and had a richness that cottage cheese does not give you.
So, next time you have some extra cream cheese try adding it to your favorite pasta dishes. It is so good!
Easy Creamy Baked Ziti
Easy to make and delicious. Kids and adults will love this.
Ingredients
- 12 ounce ziti pasta, tube type pasta, or really any type pasta- Use gluten free pasta for gluten free version
- 2 pounds ground beef (You can use less if you like, but we like our baked pastas meaty)
- 1- 28 ounce (or so) jar spaghetti sauce
- 2 eggs
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to directions.
- In a skillet, brown the ground beef until done. Drain off any fat and add sauce, eggs, cream cheese, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese.
- In a large bowl or pan mix together cooked pasta and sauce mixture and spread into a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until heated through.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
If you are gluten-free be sure to use gluten-free pasta and read labels to make sure that your ingredients are gluten-free.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 696Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 170mgSodium: 2086mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 8gSugar: 20gProtein: 42g
Nutritional values are approximate and aren't always accurate.
This looks really good, Lynn! I have hesitated using cream cheese in dishes because my husband isn’t a big fan… but I think this looks too good to pass up!
OH MY! This looks really good and easy to make!
WHich gluten free pasta do you use for baked pasta recipes? I haven’t found one that holds up to the double cooking without becoming gummy or mushy. Thanks
For baked pasta I like the Sam’s Mills corn pasta. It seems to work the best. I have also found that if I don’t cook it quite all the way when I boil/cook the pasta it helps it from getting mushy in the oven. And here is a post I did on my favorite gluten free pastas that might help. There are a lot of good suggestions in the comments also. https://lynnskitchenadventures.com/lra/my-favorite-gluten-free-pastas/
Can’t wait to try this. Do you have to cover it with foil while it bakes?
Yes you can do that. I do sometimes, but not always.
My husband has celiac so I appreciate your methods of separating the foods.
I wanted to mention that I had found a recipe for some pasta dish that used cream cheese along with Ricotta or Cottage Cheese and the extra cream cheese turned the dish completely around. It was much creamier.
Made this tonight for dinner,Lynn, and it was delicious! Thanks for the recipe…..it’s a keeper!!
Thanks for letting me know. I appreciate it.
hi Lynn! i was searching for a baked zitti recipe and i came across your blog site. i really want to try your recipe this weekend. i just want to ask, forgive me if my question may sound silly but do i need to beat the eggs before adding it to the mixture? hope to hear from you soon!
The eggs just need to be mixed in well, I usually just stir them in and make sure they are combined well, but you can beat them first and it would take less mixing in. I hope you enjoy it!
This has been our go to recipe for years. Today my 11 yr old made it from scratch for NYE dinner. Thank you so much!!!
I am so glad that you enjoy it! And I love hearing that kids make my recipes! Happy New Year!