67. Marzetti's Spaghetti

From 1999 Southern Living Annual Recipes

I know it's been awhile since my last post...I've taken a little (unintentional) cooking hiatus. BUT, I'm back, and I'm determined to finish out the last 33 recipes by the end of the year. (Yikes!)

So, I remember my mother making "mezzetti" as a casserole when I was a kid, and when I saw this variation of the recipe, I figured the flavors would be the same.

This is absolute comfort food. It's creamy and cheesy, but not too rich. There's plenty of tomato flavor, but it's definitely an untraditional topping for spaghetti.

It's a little on the thin side, and I was surprised the Velveeta didn't thicken it up more.

The recipe makes 12 servings, so I "thirded" it...and it still made quite a lot.

3 pounds ground beef

3 large onions, chopped

3 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes

3 (10 3/4-ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

1 (46-ounce) can tomato juice

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 (16-ounce) loaf process cheese spread, cubed
1 (8-ounce) loaf process cheese spread, cubed
16 ounces spaghetti, cooked


Cook ground beef and onion in a stockpot over medium heat, stirring until beef crumbles and is no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomatoes and next 5 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in process cheese spread until melted. Serve over spaghetti.