Baked Ziti: Freezer Meal (Feeds a Crowd!)

Posted by: Jan Thomas.

Baked Ziti for a Crowd. I have made this recipe quite a few times for youth camp fundraiser dinners and other big events where I need to feed a lot of people, and this one, is both economical and really, really yummy.  Although this is a meatless version, you can certainly add ground meat  to the dish to add some additional protein.

 

It can also be made into multiple family sized pans for stashing in the freezer for your own family or 2 large sized pans to take to feed a crowd. I love the make ahead ability when planning a large dinner. Just pull it out of the freezer the night before I need it, and then pop into the oven on the big, busy day.

 

This recipe can make either 4 deep sided 9x13 pans or  2 steamer pans (those are the ones sold in bulk at party stores and warehouse clubs and come in 2 inch or 4 inch depths. I prefer the 4 inch depth so you feel like it's not spilling out cheese over the top. ( I think they are like 12x20x4 inches) And each steamer pan should serve 15-20 main dish or more if it's a side dish. So the total recipe should serve 30-40 people for a dinner. 

Baked Ziti For a Crowd

Feeds 30-40 people

Ingredients:

12 cups spaghetti sauce (or one #10 sized can : you know the giganto ones at the warehouse clubs!)

3 lbs. ziti or penne pasta

2 (24 oz) containers cottage or ricotta cheese (cottage is cheaper)

1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese

3 eggs slightly beaten

1 1 /2 lbs. shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Cook pasta as package directs, drain and set aside. 

  In very large mixing bowl, stir together, cottage (or ricotta) cheese, parmesan cheese, and beaten eggs.

  Stir in half the spaghetti sauce until well mixed. 

 Stir in 1/2 the cheese and then all of the pasta, tossing gently to coat.  

Divide  mixture evenly between the two 1/2 steamer pans.

Pour remaining 1/2 of the spaghetti sauce evenly over the ziti mixture. 

 Sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese on top.  

To Make ahead and freeze: Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and freeze. (The plastic wrap will keep the foil from sticking to the pasta while it freezes.)

To Bake: pull the pasta from freezer the night before and let thaw.  Remove foil and plastic wrap.  Bake at 375 degrees for  20-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.