Baked Ziti {Freezer Meal}

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This Baked Ziti is so simple and easy to make. It only requires a few simple ingredients and is full of flavor. If you have a pasta lover at your house, they are going to go crazy for this one.

So I recently joined a freezer meal group in my neighborhood. Once a month we will be getting together and each person prepares 5 meals of the same freezer meal. We then swap meals, sending each lady home with 5 different meals, ready to eat in a matter of minutes. I thought it was brilliant.

 

Life can get so busy with kids and work, that it’s nice to worry about one less thing. I thought I’d share with you, my recipe for this week.

I decided to do a baked ziti, and it is so yummy and quick. Throw it all together and dinner is ready in just minutes, and you don’t have to worry about it all day.

You can eat one for dinner now and freeze the other for dinner another day.

HOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT BAKED ZITI:

This is a super simple recipe to make, and it comes together in a flash. If you are looking for a fast dinner, or one to freeze and eat later, we highly recommend this Baked Ziti.

Here are a few tips:

  • Salt your noodles. I usually salt my noodles, not necessarily for flavor, but to keep them from getting too sticky.
  • If you are making this as a freezer meal, you will want to add about a teaspoon of salt to the boiling noodles to help them stay separate and not clump together.
  • Add extra sauce if you plan to freeze it. This freezes well, but when you reheat it, you might lose a little bit of our red sauce, as it will soak into the pasta. I like to add about a half cup extra of the sauce, just to make sure it’s saucy enough when I reheat it.
  • Add your cheese. Really any cheese will work for this recipe. My husband loves a little heat, so we usually add a little pepper jack cheese to it, just to give it some more flavor and spice. I like to add just the slightest bit of cheddar cheese to it, to calm it down, but both are optional.
  • Low fat option. If you are trying to save on calories or fat, we highly recommend using a plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. The flavor and texture will all be there, just less fat and fewer calories.

The sour cream does cook a little better, but with all the sauce and cheese, you won’t be able to tell a difference in the taste or texture.

  • If you like your cheese a little crispy, you could also broil your dish for about 1 minute under high broil. I like mine creamy and smooth so I didn’t do this step, but if you are looking for that golden brown cheese, I highly recommend giving it a small broil.

what can i replace the sour cream with?

For this recipe, we recommend replacing the sour cream with plain Greek yogurt. It’s all the same great flavor, with half the calories and fat.

It will still be just as flavorful and creamy. You probably won’t even notice a difference.

How to freeze this meal:

Follow the instructions in the directions, except for the last step of cooking it.
Cover the assembled ziti with foil and stick in the freezer (I usually use 2-3 layers of foil just to keep out the freezer burn).
It will last in the freezer for about 30 days. When you are ready to eat it, remove from the freezer and place in the fridge to thaw 24 hours in advance.

how to cook the freezer meal:

By allowing it to thaw in the fridge, you can cook it at the regular time and temperature (350 degrees for about 30 minutes).
If you do not thaw it in advance, it will take much longer to cook. If you cook it completely frozen, it will take anywhere from 90 minutes – 2 hours to cook all the way through.
These fill the 8×8″ pans to the top, so I cooked mine on a large cookie sheet just in case they bubbled over (which they did).
This was definitely a keeper . . . my whole family devoured it (even the kids).
**If you are preparing this for a large group, you can use a DEEP 9×13″ pan, but be aware that it will fill it all the way to the top.

watch how to make another pasta favorite, here:

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Serves: 6

Baked Ziti {Freezer Meal}

10 minPrep Time

37 minCook Time

47 minTotal Time

Save RecipeSave Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 (16 ounce) package Ziti pasta (or Penne pasta)
  • 1 onion (chopped)
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • pepper, to taste
  • garlic powder, to taste
  • onion powder, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce (feel free to add any veggies to this sauce)
  • 8 slices Provolone cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups sour cream
  • 1 (8 ounce) package shredded Mozzarella cheese
  • 2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until Al Dente, about 7-8 minutes; drain.
  2. In a large skillet, brown onion, ground beef, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and minced garlic over medium heat. Drain grease.
  3. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 8 x 8 inch pans with non-stick cooking spray. Layer as follows in each pan: 1/4 of the pasta, 1/4 of the sauce, 4 slices of Provolone cheese, 1/2 of sour cream,  1/4 of pasta, 1/4 mozzarella cheese and 1/4 of sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese and remaining mozzarella cheese.
  5. Bake covered for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.
7.8.1.2
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Comment on this Recipe

66 Responses to “Baked Ziti {Freezer Meal}”

  5. makemyselfathome
    I LOVE the idea of a freezer meal club! SO brilliant. This looks tasty! I make some yummy stuffed shells (http://makemyselfathome.wordpress.com/2011/04/20/cheesy-beefy-stuffed-shells/) that I freeze half of, but often they wind up tasting metallic with the tomato sauce reacting with the foil pan. I just made them again & decided to see if I could remedy the problem by lining the foil pan with parchment paper... We'll see if it works! Have you had that problem with this meal?
    August 8, 2011 at 6:10 pm
    Reply to this comment
    • Camille
      I usually only bake one and then freeze the other. Then when we want it for dinner, I thaw it in the fridge for 24 hours and then bake it at the regular time and temperature. :) You could cook it first and then just reheat it . . . both ways totally work. The only bad thing about cooking, freezing, and reheating is that the pasta sometimes goes mushy. Good luck!
      July 19, 2012 at 4:30 pm
      Reply to this comment
    • Camille
      I usually only bake one and then freeze the other. Then when we want it for dinner, I thaw it in the fridge for 24 hours and then bake it at the regular time and temperature. :) You could cook it first and then just reheat it . . . both ways totally work. The only bad thing about cooking, freezing, and reheating is that the pasta sometimes goes mushy. Good luck!
      July 19, 2012 at 4:30 pm
      Reply to this comment
    • Camille
      I usually only bake one and then freeze the other. Then when we want it for dinner, I thaw it in the fridge for 24 hours and then bake it at the regular time and temperature. :) You could cook it first and then just reheat it . . . both ways totally work. The only bad thing about cooking, freezing, and reheating is that the pasta sometimes goes mushy. Good luck!
      July 19, 2012 at 4:30 pm
      Reply to this comment
  10. Morgan Bishop
    I made this tonight and it was VERY good!! I didn't have provolone cheese so I substituted it with 1 package (4 cups) of mozzarella cheese. Delicious! My husband went back for not only seconds but thirds as well (which is surprising because he is very conscious of his weight right now). Great recipe and will recommend it to my friends.
    August 6, 2012 at 4:34 pm
    Reply to this comment
  11. Morgan Bishop
    I made this tonight and it was VERY good!! I didn't have provolone cheese so I substituted it with 1 package (4 cups) of mozzarella cheese. Delicious! My husband went back for not only seconds but thirds as well (which is surprising because he is very conscious of his weight right now). Great recipe and will recommend it to my friends.
    August 6, 2012 at 4:36 pm
    Reply to this comment
  13. babsy (Barbara)
    I'm an almost 65 year old woman without children.. and have a little dog.. I have decided to try this new thing.. Freezer Cooking.. and I have already made 2 items from my list.. I actually love it so far.

    I just need to get more recipes. And I want some that are healthy.. I am having a really fun time doing this. And have enough bags to last me.... for almost 19 days.. Now that is going to make my pocketbook fatter.. Since I'm on a very limited budget.
    September 11, 2012 at 7:49 pm
    Reply to this comment
  14. Julie, RN
    I have a very similar recipe in my freezer right now! Yum! I did the freezer cooking thing this summer and it has been so great having something available even on a busy day! In case you need more recipes for your group, I posted some ideas here: http://craftyimaginings.blogspot.com/2012/09/make-ahead-cooking.html

    Julie at http://www.craftyimaginings.blogspot.com
    October 28, 2012 at 8:46 am
    Reply to this comment
  15. schmitzg
    Hello! Love your ideas. How long do you let the casserole cool before putting it into the freezer? I am not going to bake it first as I dislike mushy pasta. So, basically the pasta and beef would be the only hot items. Thanks in advance. Have you found the casseroles freeze well in foil pans or do you wrap them in other freezer paper/large freezer baggies, etc. prior to freezing?
    November 4, 2012 at 8:16 am
    Reply to this comment
    • Camille
      I let mine cool for about an hour before placing it in the freezer and I think that it was cooled down enough by that time. I hope that helps! Also, I like to use a foil pan to freeze it in because it makes it easy to just throw it straight in the oven. I make sure to double or triple wrap it in foil before throwing it in the freezer and then I remove all the foil except for one layer before baking.
      November 4, 2012 at 6:41 pm
      Reply to this comment
  22. Kristen
    Let's say I only wanted to make half of this recipe to eat on the spot. Would I just cut each of the ingredients in half, or should I make it as the ingredients are listed here? I can't tell if those are for one dish of pasta or two.
    June 20, 2013 at 9:46 am
    Reply to this comment
  24. Carolyn
    Made this and it was amazing. I mixed the pasta and sauce together instead of following the directions as stated. Didn't freeze this, but made it one night after work and then had my husband bake it the following day. The house smelled wonderful! Even brought some to work for my coworkers to try and they thought it was GREAT! Super easy and quick!
    October 2, 2013 at 12:29 pm
    Reply to this comment
  30. Tonya
    We absolutely love this dish. It's easy and delicious! The creaminess is the key. I can't seem to get mine heated through in less than an hour though on the fresh batch. If I freeze one, then thaw in the fridge for 24 hours, it takes almost an hour and a half in the oven. Could I be doing something wrong?
    February 19, 2014 at 6:59 pm
    Reply to this comment
      • Misty Hylkema
        The WHOLE recipe feeds 12 people? Or each 8x8 pan feeds 12? I'm guessing the whole recipe...? I am doing my first freezer swap soon and we've agreed to each make 5 meals that serve 4-6 people each. So wouldn't you say I would *for the most part* make this recipe three times? I could make six 8x8 pans...leaving one at home and five to swap...?? Thanks for sharing this recipe...sounds sooo good!
        July 25, 2014 at 2:10 pm
        Reply to this comment
          • Misty Hylkema
            This recipe was very tasty! Made it just last night. Ate the one pan and kept the other to freeze for later. Over the next couple of days, I will make this recipe a couple times for my freezer-meal swap group. Oh...I have found these "poultry pans" which are the aluminum pans...just slightly bigger than your 8x8. The dimensions 9 3/8 x 9 3/8 x 2 3/8 (so they are nice and deep..more than what a standard 8x8 pan would be). Is it safe to assume, that even though the size of the pan is different, that the cooking time you've suggested should be unaffected (both freshly baked or being baked from a thawed/frozen state) because the volume of the contents remains the same? Also....I've never frozen meals like this before...do you think about two sheets of the heavy duty tin foil would suffice over the top of each pan? I've curled it around the edges real tight...I hope that helps. I'm assuming it will be good for maybe 30 days or so without freezer burn this way...? Thank you for your help...I stumbled across your site the other day looking for freezer meal ideas and I totally love it!!!
            August 2, 2014 at 11:20 pm
          • Cyd
            Hi Misty! So glad you stumbled across our freezer meals. Sounds like you have the whole freezer meal thing down already! Your cook time should not change with your pan size being so minimal. 2 sheets of foil will be great keeping it safe from freezer burn. Have a terrific day!
            August 5, 2014 at 12:11 pm
  40. Rebecca
    Had some trouble with the final cook step after thawing. I thawed it in the refrigerator for two days, as it was still partly frozen after one. Yet it still took me over an hour for the internal temperature to get high enough, and that was with the oven at 380F for the first 12 minutes baking rolls, then turning it to 350. Not sure why my experience is so much different.
    June 13, 2015 at 9:15 pm
    Reply to this comment
  41. Kacey W.
    I made this pre-baby and just pulled it out of the freezer today. Actually, I pulled it out of the freezer two says ago and baked this evening for an hour. I put the whole recipe into a 9x13 pan, so maybe that's why it took longer. But it was delish! I'll definitely be making this again, and will keep it in mind for meals for friends in need. Thanks!
    June 16, 2015 at 5:04 pm
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