Baked Ziti With Sour Cream Recipe

This Baked Ziti with Sour Cream recipe is one of my favorite comforting pasta dishes of ALL TIME! This delicious dinner feeds a lot of people.

The first time I made this delicious Baked Ziti with sour cream recipe was what seems like a lifetime ago. I made it for a bunch of my skydiving friends back in those carefree, pre-marriage, pre-kid days. I remember everyone RAVING over it.

The pasta, cheese and meat all in the same easy dish had people freaking out (in a good way) after a long day of jumping out of airplanes. Since that day, I have tweaked the recipe and made it approximately 200 times. I’m not kidding. And you can

This is my go-to dish when I make a meal to bring to a friend who needs a night off from making dinner. People love this baked ziti and I get requests for the recipe all the time. It is hearty, comforting, easy, delicious and packed with texture and flavor.

WATCH THIS QUICK VIDEO TO SEE HOW EASY IT IS TO MAKE BAKED ZITI WITH SOUR CREAM!

HOW TO MAKE BAKED ZITI WITH SOUR CREAM

I have been making this Baked Ziti recipe for years. It’s a staple, delicious and easy. Here’s how to make it!

STEP 1

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and coat a 9×13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add a 16-oz. box of ziti pasta and cook until al dente; drain and set aside.

STEP 2

Chop 1 onion and finely mince 3 cloves of garlic.

STEP 3

In a large skillet, add: onion, garlic and 1 pound lean ground beef.

STEP 4

Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until the ground beef is no longer pink. Season with salt and pepper.

STEP 5

Add two 28-oz. jars of spaghetti sauce or make your OWN delicious Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce to the skillet and let simmer for 15 minutes.

STEP 6

Layer the baking dish as follows: Half of the cooked ziti, 8 slices of provolone cheese, 12 oz. sour cream, half of the sauce mixture, remaining ziti, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, remaining sauce and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

RECIPE NOTES

• Replace the sour cream with ricotta cheese for an extra cheesy dish!
• Use homemade pasta sauce for an added touch of flavor!
• Replace ground beef with ground Italian sausage for extra flavor.
• Sometimes I replace a portion of the spaghetti sauce with marinara sauce, so feel free to try this yummy trick if you have a jar sitting in your cupboard!
• For a touch of spice, add 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the spaghetti sauce (YUM).
• This is the perfect meal to make one day and bake the next. It is also a great meal to freeze. This is my go-to dish to make for people who are in need of a meal.

HOW TO STORE AND FREEZE BAKED ZITI

By making this dish ahead of time, you’ll be able to save yourself a ton of time when you are ready to bake! Simply layer the dish as stated in the recipe, cover with foil and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. When you are ready to bake, remove the foil and bake as directed (add 5 minutes if you bake immediately after pulling out of the fridge).

To freeze this dish, layer ingredients in a disposable aluminum baking dish. Wrap it tightly in foil after layering and freeze for up to 3 months. When you are ready to bake, remove the pan from the freezer and thaw completely before baking.

MEALS TO MAKE FOR NEW PARENTS

The last thing new parents want to think about after bringing their brand new baby home from the hospital is DINNER. Dropping off a homemade dinner for a new parent is something they will be forever grateful for. Here are a few ideas for meals to drop off:

• Instant Pot Goulash
• Baked Spaghetti
• Chicken Enchiladas
• Crockpot Mac and Cheese
• Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
• Chicken Rice Bake

I know that you will enjoy this comforting Baked Ziti, my friends! Let me know how it turns out for you..