This blog post has been compensated by Borden® Cheese. All opinions are mine alone. #BordenCheeseLove #CollectiveBias #Ad
As I’ve mentioned in the past, pasta night is a very important night in my house. Both my husband and I come from (partially) Italian backgrounds, so pasta once a week is basically a necessity.
There is something about pasta dishes that is so comforting. It’s the meal that my grandmother would make for me every time my sister and I visited, and it’s the meal we most look forward to when visiting my husband’s parents. Pasta dishes always feel like they are cooked with love, don’t they?
I also have quite a love of cheese, so baked ziti ranks pretty high on my list of favorite pasta dishes. Pasta + love + cheese = the perfect comfort food!
Food, especially cheesy food is one of the best ways to show love for those who are special to you. This weekend, I made a super cheesy, meaty, baked ziti for my husband and me, with the help of Borden® Cheese. This casserole-style dish is the perfect way to know you’ll have leftovers for later in the week, or to feed a large (or hungry) family!
This baked ziti is tossed in a ricotta-tomato mixture with ground meat. It is then topped with Borden® Cheese Mozzarella Shreds, which results in a wonderfully gooey, cheesy dish.
I found my Borden® Cheese at my local Acme, but check out this store locator to find Borden® Cheese near you. Borden® Cheese has a bunch of tasty cheese options, including Borden® Cheese Finely Shredded Four Cheese Mexican Shreds that I also picked up to use for tacos later in the week.
Ingredients:
- 1 (16 oz) box ziti
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup finely chopped onions
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb hot Italian sausage, removed from its casing
- 2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 16 oz ricotta
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
- 1 egg
- 2 cups Borden® Cheese Mozzarella Shreds
- Freshly chopped parsley, for garnish