Million Dollar Baked Ziti

If you’re in the mood for some truly delicious and indulgent comfort food, you’re going to be so impressed with the following baked ziti. What sets this dish apart from other ziti dishes is the cream cheese which makes it unctuous and irresistible. Rather than opening a jar of marinara, the meaty tomato sauce for the ziti is quick and easy to make, so well worth doing.

Italian sausage also goes into the mix, along with garlic, tomatoes and herbs.

The creaminess factor comes from not only the cream cheese but also the cottage cheese and sour cream. This mixture is similar to the ricotta mixture you might use to make lasagna. This is a crowd-pleasing dish which is just as perfect for a dinner party as it is for an easy weeknight dinner.

It’s also nice for potluck suppers, buffets and any other get-together where nothing but the richest, meatiest and most delicious baked ziti dish will do.

Why You’ll Love the Recipe:

This is such a rich-tasting dish. If you’ve had baked ziti before, you’ll be familiar with the flavor, but this one has plenty of dairy ingredients for a wonderfully rich result.

How to Serve It:

This comfort food dish is delicious and served hot from the oven. You can pair it with vegetables or garlic bread, or just enjoy it as it is.

Ingredients:

• Cream cheese
• Ziti noodles
• Cottage cheese
• Ground Italian sausage
• Sour cream
• Minced garlic
• Eggs
• Oregano
• Parmesan cheese
• Basil
• Mozzarella cheese
• Tomato sauce
• Basil
• Diced tomatoes
• Basil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Sugar

How to make Million Dollar Baked Ziti:

Boil the ziti in a pot of water on the stove until al dente and drain well.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Saute the Italian sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat until completely browned. Drain the excess fat.

Stir in the garlic, oregano, basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Saute for 1 minute.

Reduce the heat to medium, and add in the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Stir in the sugar and chopped basil, and remove the skillet from the heat.

In a large bowl, blend together the cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, 1 cup of Parmesan cheese, and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.

Add the noodles and 1 cup of the meat sauce to the cottage cheese mixture and stir to combine well.

Spread the mixture into a well-greased 9×13 baking dish.

Layer the remaining sauce on top, then sprinkle with the rest of the Parmesan and mozzarella.

Cover with tin foil and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover, and cook for another 25 minutes.

Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving garnished with fresh chopped basil.

Basic baked ziti is elevated to the next level with adding a trio of dairy ingredients. This ultra-rich pasta dish is perfect for a special occasion like a birthday or anniversary.

Can You Make It Ahead?

If you like, you can prepare and assemble this dish in advance and then just bake it later when you’re ready.

Storage Instructions:

Leftovers will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge. Cover the dish with foil or plastic wrap to keep it fresh.

Variations and Substitutions:

You can save some time by using a readymade sauce from a jar, but when it’s this easy to make your own that’s way better. Feel free to use spicy sausage in place of the mild though, or use honey instead of sugar.