Johnny Marzetti Recipe and History

I have been making Johnny Marzetti for years and years.  Recently my son asked if I have all my recipes in our family cookbook. 

On further inspection of my cookbook, (a Scrapbook Cookbook I made), I realized that I have not added recipes I use often and know from memory.  For instance my deviled eggs recipe is missing, simply because I just whip them up.   So for the last couple of weeks I have been trying to add recipes that I know the kids love, but I have neglected to write down. 
One of those happens to be the Johnny Marzetti.  I decided to find out a little history on the creation of such an easy, delicious and well known recipe and was surprised to find out it was created right here in Ohio. 

Ohioan Teresa Marzetti was the first person to serve the casserole Johnny Marzetti in their family restaurant.
In 1896, Italian immigrant Marzetti arrived in the United States of America.

That same year, Marzetti established an Italian restaurant in Columbus, Ohio on Broad Street. That restaurant closed in 1942, but another restaurant owned by the family, which had opened in 1919, remained in operation until 1972, when Teresa Marzetti died.

Before opening the original restaurant, Marzetti wrote, "We will start a new place and serve good food. At a profit if we can, at a loss if we must, but we will serve good food."

Owners Teresa and Joseph Marzetti sought a simple main course, easy and cheap to make. 
It had to be scalable to feed the masses, the starved college students from Ohio State University just down the street.  One of the dishes that Marzetti offered her customers became known as Johnny Marzetti, which was named after Teresa Marzetti's brother-in-law.

A baked casserole, the dish included ground beef, cheese, tomato sauce, and noodles. It was a sensation at 45 cents.

It is unclear when Marzetti's restaurant first offered the dish, but by the 1920s, it had become popular across Ohio and the Midwest. This was primarily due to the ease of preparation and the tastiness of Johnny Marzetti.

Then the Columbus Public Schools got wind of it and served it in school cafeterias. This made the casserole a staple in schools throughout the state. It remains the No. 1 cafeteria dish fondly remembered and duplicated at home.

Other ingredients and seasonings have been added over the years, to adjust to the taste of different cooks. The dish spread to other parts of the United States when Marzetti released the recipe and variations of it were published in magazines and cookbooks during the mid-20th century. The dish is still served, especially at social gatherings and in school lunchrooms.

Building of the Panama Canal

Although the Marzetti’s restaurant is long gone, her salad dressings continue on with the Marzetti Company, and her signature casserole dish is still popular.Even the U.S. Army grabbed it for battlefield kitchens. Troops in Panama ate so much of it,  it spilled over into the community. 
Locals still call it “Johnny Marzetti” and add olives and Arturo sauce. They also claim it as their national dish.

The Ohio Historical Society has preserved Teresa Marzetti’s original recipe. 
It’s the mother recipe for all the ones that followed. 
Here it is:

THE ORIGINAL JOHNNY MARZETTI  RECIPE

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped
3⁄4 pound mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 pounds lean ground beef
3 1⁄2 cups tomato sauce
1 1⁄2 pounds cheddar cheese, shredded
1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked and drained


Sauté onion in oil until limp, about 3 minutes.
Add mushrooms and fry until juices are released, about 5 minutes.
Add beef and cook, stirring, breaking up clumps, until no longer red.
Remove from heat and mix in tomato sauce and all but 1 cup of cheese.
Transfer to greased 9- by 13-inch baking dish and add macaroni.
Toss gently to mix. Scatter remaining cheese on top. Bake, uncovered, in 350-degree oven until browned and bubbling (35 to 40 minutes). Serves 10 to 12.

My husband Bill told me that when growing up in Wisconsin, his family ate a similar casserole, but his Mother called it Goulash.

Just so you know the difference, Goulash ( Hungarian: gulyás) is a soup or stew of meat, noodles and vegetables (especially potato), seasoned with paprika and other spices. Originating in Hungary, goulash is also a popular meal in many countries including Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine and others.

Here is my own version of Johnny Marzetti.  I’m not sure where I originally found the recipe, but I think I got it from the 1976 paperback edition of Betty Crocker's Cookbook.  I found a really similar Johnny Marzetti recipe on page 461 called Family Goulash, and with celery added.  I also flipped to page 468, the Hungarian Goulash, and it's more of the soup/stew version.  Since I have been making it since the late 1970’s to early 1980’s I pretty sure this cookbook is where I first found the recipe.  I can tell you I nearly cooked the cover off that paperback, being a young wife and mother. 

Elizabeth’s Johnny Marzetti

1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 cup chopped celery
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce (more if desired)

2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, (or 1 diced, one stewed) drain a little
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon chopped oregano
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Pinch of sea salt
Coarsely ground black pepper to taste
2 - 8 oz packages of grated cheddar, Italian or mozzarella cheese
About 3 cups dried or 12 ozs of macaroni noodles

Cook noodles; drain and set aside.

In a large skillet cook ground beef until mostly brown.  Add onion, garlic and celery;

Cook until meat is done and vegetables are tender. Drain off grease.  Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and seasonings. Simmer about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

In a large bowl mix cooked noodles with meat mixture. Mix in 1 to 1 ½ packages of cheese.  I use both shredded cheddar and mozzarella mixed together.  And don’t be afraid to add more cheese, if like me, you love cheese!

Use butter to grease a 13 x 9 inch casserole dish.  Spread the meat noodle mixture into the casserole dish and then sprinkle the top with remaining cheese.  Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes, or until lightly browned and bubbling.

PRINT THIS RECIPE

Serve with a tossed salad and garlic bread.

My neighbor just had a baby and this is the casserole dish I took over.  It is a great comfort food, easy to double and perfect for parties, BBQ's, church suppers and potlucks.

Enjoy,

Elizabeth

Other Recipes:

Roasted Asparagus with Feta Cheese

Cucumber Sandwiches

Jamaican Pork Tenderloin