My neighbor has been making this church potluck classic for 40 years and finally shared her secret

This oven baked 5-ingredient Johnny Marzetti is the exact casserole my neighbor Linda has been bringing to every church potluck for the last 40 years. She finally wrote it down for me on a stained recipe card after I begged her for the “secret.” It’s pure Midwestern comfort: ground beef, pasta, tomato sauce, and a blanket of melty cheese, all bubbling together in one big rectangular casserole dish. It’s the kind of simple, no-fuss recipe you can throw together on a busy weeknight, but it still feels special enough to share with a crowd.

Serve this Johnny Marzetti hot from the oven with a simple green salad (bagged salad totally works) and some buttered garlic bread or store-bought dinner rolls to soak up the sauce. A side of steamed green beans or broccoli balances the richness if you want a veggie-heavy plate. For potlucks, keep it in the warm oven until serving or cover with foil to hold the heat, and set it out with a big metal serving spoon so everyone can scoop a hearty portion straight from the bubbling casserole dish.

Servings: 8

12 oz dried elbow macaroni (or other short pasta)

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch rectangular baking dish with nonstick spray or a little oil so the casserole doesn’t stick.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the elbow macaroni and cook until just shy of al dente, 1–2 minutes less than the package directions. The pasta will finish cooking in the oven and stay nice and firm.

While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until fully browned and no pink remains, about 6–8 minutes. Carefully drain off excess grease if needed.

Stir the jar of pasta sauce into the cooked ground beef in the skillet. Let it simmer together for 2–3 minutes so the flavors blend. Taste and season with a little salt and black pepper if you like.

Drain the cooked pasta well and return it to the pot. Pour the beef and sauce mixture over the pasta and stir until everything is evenly coated and combined.

Transfer the pasta and beef mixture into the prepared 9x13-inch baking dish, spreading it into an even layer so it bakes uniformly and looks nice and full in the pan.

In a bowl (or right over the casserole dish), mix the shredded cheddar and mozzarella together. Sprinkle the cheese mixture evenly over the top of the pasta, covering it from corner to corner so you get that bubbling, melted cheese layer.

Place the casserole dish on the middle rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted, bubbling around the edges, and lightly golden in spots.

Carefully remove the casserole from the oven and let it rest for 5–10 minutes before serving. This helps it set up a bit so you can scoop out hearty portions with a metal serving spoon without it falling apart.

Serve warm straight from the baking dish, scooping generous spoonfuls of the cheesy, beefy pasta onto plates or into bowls.

To keep this close to my neighbor Linda’s 40-year church potluck classic, the base recipe sticks to just five core ingredients, but you can still tweak it a bit. For a slightly lighter version, use 90–93% lean ground beef or swap in half ground turkey. If you like a little kick, stir 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes into the sauce before baking. You can change up the cheese by using Colby Jack, all mozzarella for extra stretch, or a sharp cheddar for more tang. Any short pasta works—rotini, penne, or shells all bake up nicely. If you want to sneak in veggies without complicating things, stir in 1–2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables or peas to the beef and sauce mixture before combining with the pasta (just know this technically adds ingredients beyond the classic five). For make-ahead prep, assemble the casserole up to the point of adding cheese, cover tightly, and refrigerate up to 24 hours; add 5–10 extra minutes of bake time if going straight from the fridge. For food safety, always cook the ground beef until no pink remains and it reaches 160°F (71°C) internally, drain any excess grease carefully to avoid splatters, and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of baking. Reheat leftovers until steaming hot in the center (165°F/74°C) and use within 3–4 days, or freeze in airtight containers for up to 2–3 months.