Johnny Marzetti (One-Pot Hamburger Casserole with Egg Noodles)

This one-pot Johnny Marzetti is the kind of hamburger casserole you’ll want on repeat tender egg noodles, savory ground beef, and a creamy homemade sauce. No canned soup, no Velveeta, just hearty, weeknight comfort in half an hour.

Make a Hamburger Casserole for Dinner Tonight

This one-pot Johnny Marzetti is the kind of weeknight dinner that keeps getting pulled into the rotation each week. Ground beef, tender egg noodles, and a silky homemade sauce come together in under 30 minutes on the stovetop, no casserole dish required, no canned soup, just the kind of comfort food you actually have time to make on a busy night.

My mother-in-law made hers with Velveeta and canned soup (the kind of cozy food you don’t question when family serves it), but I’ve kept the spirit and ditched the shortcuts. The result is a creamy, savory dish that tastes like home but feels modern because it’s made from scratch. Once you understand how a simple béchamel works and why green pepper is the secret flavor that makes Johnny Marzetti taste like Johnny Marzetti, you’ll make this again and again.

This one-pot stovetop approach is intentionally different from the baked versions you see everywhere. Most Johnny Marzetti recipes call for layering everything in a casserole dish and baking it. The stovetop method I use pulls everything together faster and gives you more control over the sauce, you can taste it as you go, adjust the seasoning, and still have dinner on the table in 30 minutes.

If you want to make it a full spread, keep it easy. A warm side of Southern cooked apples adds a little sweetness that pairs so well with the savory beef and noodles. Or you could toss together a fresh spinach salad with strawberries for a burst of freshness and color. And if you’ve got an easy to make peach cobbler baking while you eat, dessert’s ready the minute the plates are cleared.

What You’ll Need

• Green pepper shows up in every traditional version of Johnny Marzetti, and for good reason, it adds a subtle sweetness and a slight bite that balances the richness of the cheese and meat. Without it, the dish feels boring.
  
• A block of American cheese from the deli counter melts into a silky sauce. The traditional recipes used processed cheese, but I prefer American cheese if you can get it. It melts evenly, doesn’t separate, and gives the sauce that authentic texture.
• A simple béchamel (milk, broth, butter, and flour) replaces the canned soup.
  

How To Make Johnny Marzetti for a Crowd

Step 1: Prepare the noodles. 

Boil a large pot of water on the stove for the pasta. Salt it heavily and cook your noodles according to the package directions, then drain and set aside. I like to make the sauce while I wait for the water to boil, then just keep it warm over low heat while the pasta cooks. 

Step 2: Make the sauce. 

Step 3: Cook the ground beef. 

Step 4: Mix everything together and serve. 

The cheese will melt right into the casserole, there’s no need to stir it, just serve as is.

Johnny Marzetti might not have the flashiest name, but it’s the kind of dinner that keeps everyone coming back for seconds. It’s easy, comforting, and just a little nostalgic, exactly what I want on a busy weeknight. Keep the recipe handy, because once you make it, it’s going to be a regular at your table.

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Stove Top Johnny Marzetti Casserole with American Cheese

Author: Barbara Curry

This one-pot Johnny Marzetti is the kind of hamburger casserole you’ll want on repeat tender egg noodles, savory ground beef, and a creamy homemade sauce. No canned soup, no Velveeta, just hearty, weeknight comfort in half an hour.

5 from 7 votes

Print Pin

COOK: 30 minutes minutes

TOTAL: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 lb ground beef
• ▢ 1 onion large, diced
• ▢ 1 green pepper diced
• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter
• ▢ 2 tablespoons flour
• ▢ 1 cup milk
• ▢ 1 cup chicken broth
• ▢ 15 oz tomato sauce
• ▢ 8 ounces egg noodles
• ▢ 8 ounces American Cheese cubed

Instructions

 

• Cook pasta in salted water per package instructions. Drain and set aside.
• While the pasta is cooking, make a white sauce. Add 2 tablespoons butter to a saucepan over medium heat. When melted, add flour and whisk for 1 minute. Slowly add the milk and chicken broth whisking until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.
• In a large skillet with a lid, cook hamburger, onions and green peppers until the hamburger is browned and the onions have softened. The green peppers should still have some crunch to them. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Drain any grease, if needed.
• Add the white sauce and tomato sauce and stir to combine.
• Add cooked egg noodles and stir to combine.
• Place cheese cubes on the top and cover with a lid. Heat over low heat until cheese has melted, about 3-5 minutes.

Barbara’s Tips + Notes

• Cook the flour in the butter for at least a minute – it gets rid of that chalky texture that raw flour has.
• Don’t overcook the peppers! They should still be a little bit crunchy.
• Undercook the pasta just a little bit – I like to take about a minute off of the package directions for ‘al dente,’ which for most noodles is about 6 minutes. Slightly undercooking the pasta allows it to absorb all of the sauce without getting mushy.
• You can use beef broth instead of chicken broth. 

Nutrition

Calories: 445kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 1156mg | Potassium: 434mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 709IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 440mg | Iron: 3mg

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