Johnny Marzetti [View all]

The American Goulash thread made me think of this. This is a dish that my mother-in-law always made for every family gathering. She claimed it was a Midwest (Indiana/Illinois) thing. Never been able to find an actual printed recipe for it, so I think she may have come up with it herself.

Johnny Marzetti
1 lb ground meat
16 oz package elbow or egg noodles
1 can Campbell's Tomato Soup
1 can Campbell's Cheddar Cheese Soup
Salt and Pepper to taste
16 oz shredded cheese

Cook Noodles in boiling salted water for half the time called for on the package (about 5-7 minutes). Drain and set aside.
Brown the ground meat. Add salt and pepper. Once the meat is cooked add the soups (Do Not Add Any Liquid!). Mix, then add noodles and 2/3 of the cheese.
Put the noodles mixture in a 13x9 pyrex casserole dish. Bake at 350F for about 20-30 minutes, until dish is heated through. Add remainder of cheese on top during the last five minutes or so of cooking, just so it melts. Serve with a salad and garlic toast (or whatever your favorite bread and butter combo is).

I always found this to be rather bland (but my husband's family loves it this way), so I always added onions, garlic and bell peppers that I sautéed for about 5 minutes before adding the meat and the rest of the ingredients.

Any one from the Midwest every hear of this name for this dish?