Comfort Food: Beefy Baked Ziti Recipe

Ooey, gooey cheeses, ground beef and marinara make this easy Beefy Baked Ziti recipe a comfort food winner. Try it tonight!

I think everyone must have that one person in their family whose food defines comfort for you. For most, it’s probably their mother. But for me, it was my uncle Hugo.

Hugo was a big Italian man who served giant antipasti platters and perfectly prepared seafood dishes. He was the only one in my family who could convince me to down big servings of broccoli and cauliflower when neither were favorites of mine. His secret? A quick cheese sauce. And to this day, I love those two vegetables with a nice drizzle of cheese sauce.

Hugo loved to cook. He often would make our New Years Day dinner. We would gather in the townhouse he shared with my aunt Deborah and cousin Whitney and eat till we were all sleepy. Good times.

I honestly cannot remember if Hugo ever made baked ziti for us, but I could definitely imagine this being a creation of his. And considering that my aunt’s signature dish is eggplant Parmesan, this sounds like something that probably appeared on their table at sometime or another.

Anyway, I was craving a cheesy, ooey, gooey plate of baked ziti the other day. You know, the kind of ziti where the ricotta and marinara just melt together in your mouth in perfect harmony. That is the kind of dish that warms you up like giant arms folded around your belly on a cold winter day.

Honestly, baked ziti is something I rarely order in restaurants. Why? Well, when there are dozens of delicious items on the menu that combine unusual and exotic flavors, why would you order plain, old baked ziti? It’s the same reason I wouldn’t order other comfort foods like macaroni and cheese or grilled cheese. Still, when you want something tasty, quick and comforting, these are the meals that deliver every time.

Being that this is a great comfort food, at least to me, I thought this dish would be perfect to share at Meeta’s Monthly Mingle, hosted by Meeta of What’s For Lunch, Honey?