The Art of Making Baked Ziti with Meatballs and Mushrooms

Today on The Stay-at-Home Chef, I'm excited to share with you one of my favorite pasta dishes that the whole family loves - baked ziti with meatballs and mushrooms. This recipe is a classic for a reason, and I'm thrilled to guide you through it step by step.

To begin, we'll start by making some mini meatballs. I have a pound of ground beef, which I'll be using an 8510 mixture. Then, I'll add in a half a cup of plain breadcrumbs, followed by 2 teaspoons each of oregano and basil, a teaspoon each of salt and red pepper flakes. The little spice that the red pepper flakes offer is one of my favorite parts of this recipe. Next, I'll add in 2 tbsp of Worster sauce and 1/4 cup of milk. I'll knead this mixture together with my hands until it's all combined.

Once you have your meat mixture all mixed together, take about a tablespoon of meat and form it into a mini meatball. Continue forming meatballs until you've used up all of your meat. Now, bake them in a 400° oven for about 20 minutes while the meatballs are baking. While the meatballs are cooking, we can get the rest of the pasta dish ready.

I have a pot of water that I'm bringing to a boil to cook our ziti in. Over here, I have a large oven-safe Dutch oven that I'll be using to cook onions, mushrooms, and sauce. This pot can go straight into the oven if you don't have a large oven-safe pot like this. Cook it in a regular pot, then transfer everything to a 9x13 dish for baking.

To start cooking the onions and mushrooms, put about a tablespoon of olive oil into a large pot. Then, add in a diced onion as well as a whole pound of sliced mushrooms. Sauté this for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are cooked through. You'll want to have 24 oz of spaghetti sauce ready to go - you can use homemade or store-bought, it doesn't matter too much. Just pour it in and reduce the heat. Let this simmer until your pasta's done.

For the pasta, it's easy just follow the directions on the box. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, then pour in the pasta and cook it for the length of time recommended on the box. Any great baked ziti has a delicious cheesy mixture to go on top. I have 8 oz of softened cream cheese in this bowl, which I'll be adding in 8 oz of ricotta cheese. Mix these together until they're well combined.

Once your pasta is cooked and drained, pour it into the pot with the sauce. Stir everything together so that all of the noodles get covered with sauce. At this point, your meatballs should also be done - gently stir them in as well, being careful not to break up your meatballs. Now, go ahead and spread that delicious ricotta mixture right on top.

Finally, top it off with about a cup of shredded parmesan cheese. If you're not using the oven-safe pot, make sure to transfer everything to a 9x13 pan before adding the cheese. Next, reduce your oven temperature to 350° and pop this in the oven for 20 minutes. When it comes out, it should have just a kiss of brown on the cheese.

And that's it! With these simple steps, you'll be enjoying a delicious baked ziti with meatballs and mushrooms in no time. For the full written recipe, visit my website at www.thestayathomechef.com. If you like this video, give it a quick thumbs up to let me know, and don't forget to subscribe to my channel for more awesome recipes. See you later!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: entoday on the stay-at-home Chef I'm showing you how to make baked ziti with meatballs and mushrooms this is a pasta dish the whole family loves we're going to start by making some mini meatballs I have a pound of ground beef I'm using an 8510 mixture then we'll put in a half a cup of plain breadcrumbs then 2 teaspoons each of oregano and basil a teaspoon each of salt and red pepper flakes I like the little spice that the red pepper flakes offer then 2 tbsp of Worster sauce and 1/4 cup of milk I'm going to knead this together with my hands all right once you have it all mixed together you want to take about a tablespoon of meat and form it into a mini meatball then continue forming meatballs until you've used up all of your meat now bake them in a 400° oven for about 20 minutes while the meatballs are baking you can get the rest of the pasta dish ready over here I have a pot of water that I'm bringing to a boil to cook our ziti in and over here I have a large oven safe Dutch oven that I'm going to cook onions mushrooms and sauce and combine everything in CU it can go straight into the oven if you don't have a large oven safe pot like this cook it in a regular pot pot and then transfer everything to a 9x13 dish for baking put about a tablespoon of olive oil into a large pot and then put in a diced onion as well as a whole pound of sliced mushrooms sauté this for about 5 to 7 minutes once the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are cooked through you'll want to have 24 oz of spaghetti sauce ready to go you can use homemade or store bot it doesn't matter and it doesn't really matter the flavor either choose what you like and then just pour it right in reduce the Heat and let this just simmer until your pasta's done now for the pasta it's easy just follow the directions on the box bring a pot of salted water to a boil pour in the pasta and cook it for the length of time recommended on the box now any great baked ziti has a delicious cheesy mixture to go on top I have 8 oz of softened cream cheese in this bowl and I'm going to add in 8 oz of ricotta cheese just mix this all together until it's well combined all right look at that it's nice and creamy and you can easily spread it right on top of the pasta once rositi is all Dente and drained go ahead and pour it in with the pot in the sauce stir this together so that all of the noodles get covered with sauce then at this point your meatballs should also be done so gently stir them in as well you want to be gentle with this so you don't break up your meatballs once you have it nicely mixed go ahead and spread that delicious Rota mixture right on top top that off with about a cup of shredded parmesan cheese now if you're not using that oven safe pot make sure you transfer it all to 9x13 pan before spreading that cheese on important point there next reduce your oven temperature to 350° and we're going to pop this right in the oven for 20 minutes it should come out of the oven with just a kiss of brown on the cheese for the full written recipe visit my website www.th stayathome chef.com if you like this video give it a quick thumbs up to let me know and subscribe to my channel for more awesome recipes see you latertoday on the stay-at-home Chef I'm showing you how to make baked ziti with meatballs and mushrooms this is a pasta dish the whole family loves we're going to start by making some mini meatballs I have a pound of ground beef I'm using an 8510 mixture then we'll put in a half a cup of plain breadcrumbs then 2 teaspoons each of oregano and basil a teaspoon each of salt and red pepper flakes I like the little spice that the red pepper flakes offer then 2 tbsp of Worster sauce and 1/4 cup of milk I'm going to knead this together with my hands all right once you have it all mixed together you want to take about a tablespoon of meat and form it into a mini meatball then continue forming meatballs until you've used up all of your meat now bake them in a 400° oven for about 20 minutes while the meatballs are baking you can get the rest of the pasta dish ready over here I have a pot of water that I'm bringing to a boil to cook our ziti in and over here I have a large oven safe Dutch oven that I'm going to cook onions mushrooms and sauce and combine everything in CU it can go straight into the oven if you don't have a large oven safe pot like this cook it in a regular pot pot and then transfer everything to a 9x13 dish for baking put about a tablespoon of olive oil into a large pot and then put in a diced onion as well as a whole pound of sliced mushrooms sauté this for about 5 to 7 minutes once the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are cooked through you'll want to have 24 oz of spaghetti sauce ready to go you can use homemade or store bot it doesn't matter and it doesn't really matter the flavor either choose what you like and then just pour it right in reduce the Heat and let this just simmer until your pasta's done now for the pasta it's easy just follow the directions on the box bring a pot of salted water to a boil pour in the pasta and cook it for the length of time recommended on the box now any great baked ziti has a delicious cheesy mixture to go on top I have 8 oz of softened cream cheese in this bowl and I'm going to add in 8 oz of ricotta cheese just mix this all together until it's well combined all right look at that it's nice and creamy and you can easily spread it right on top of the pasta once rositi is all Dente and drained go ahead and pour it in with the pot in the sauce stir this together so that all of the noodles get covered with sauce then at this point your meatballs should also be done so gently stir them in as well you want to be gentle with this so you don't break up your meatballs once you have it nicely mixed go ahead and spread that delicious Rota mixture right on top top that off with about a cup of shredded parmesan cheese now if you're not using that oven safe pot make sure you transfer it all to 9x13 pan before spreading that cheese on important point there next reduce your oven temperature to 350° and we're going to pop this right in the oven for 20 minutes it should come out of the oven with just a kiss of brown on the cheese for the full written recipe visit my website www.th stayathome chef.com if you like this video give it a quick thumbs up to let me know and subscribe to my channel for more awesome recipes see you later\n"